An uneven exploration of one man's mental meltdown

Rating: 8/10 (28 October 2006)

Say what you will about Stanley Kubrick, the man was a passionate filmmaker. Never afraid to skirt the waters of controversy, he was one of the few willing to take a plunge in those waters. Dr Strangelove remained his finest hour, but many of his films have polarised audiences. Some think he was one of the defining directors of our generation. Others believe he was a pessimist with a nasty nature. I think there is room for both viewpoints.
And certainly The Shining elicits similar responses from people. Some who believe it's one of the greatest horror films ever made. And others who believe it's a film that makes no narrative sense. My opinion of the film is a little guarded. It's an impressive film to be sure, but it comes up a bit short in other areas, and is certainly a lesser film in Kubrick's canon of work.
Stephen King allegedly hated the film upon its release because it strayed too far from the novel. And it's true. The novel was a tightly focused horror story about a haunted hotel, the Overlook, which was possessed by the spirits of those who had lived within its walls. One thing I liked about the book was I always got the impression the hotel had a persona. It felt like a living creature roused by the people staying there, and played upon their insecurities to destroy them.
But that only feels half realised in the film. Kubrick isn't really that interested in the supernatural elements. His interest lied in the themes of isolation and alienation. The character of Jack Torrance (a characteristically over the top performance from Jack Nicholson) is a recovering alcoholic suffering from a severe case of writers block. While acting as caretaker of the Overlook, he wants to devote his time to writing a novel. The first month passes without incident (helpfully marked by ominous captions). But as Jack becomes more immersed in his work, he begins to slowly lose his grip on reality.
One thing that can be admired about The Shining is its technical craft. Kubrick's direction is crisp and concise. And the Overlook is an impressive piece of set-design. Built on a single soundstage, with interconnecting corridors, ballrooms and passageways, the Overlook is a vast, self-contained world unto itself. You really do feel you could wander through those corridors for hours. And Kubrick makes great use of Steadicam, allowing for fluidic tracking shots, like Danny on his tricycle riding through the corridors or running from a demented Jack through a frozen hedge maze.
And Kubrick is very effective at setting up a tangible atmosphere of dread and unease. You do feel there may be something lurking around every corner at the Overlook. I like the scene when Danny turns a corner and runs right into the twins. That scene never fails to send shivers down my spine. Or the chilling scene when Jack is stalked by an old hag in one of the rooms.
It's just a shame the actors themselves sabotage what could have been a very effective horror show, and Kubrick lets his own pessimism about the human condition get in the way. Jack Nicholson was all wrong for this part. We can tell right from the start that he's stark raving mad, so there's no sense of surprise when he loses his mind and lashes out at his family. That type of character arc was explored to much greater effect in Falling Down and One Hour Photo. A much more normal person would have greatly added to the last half hour, and provided more of a jolt. There's only so much of Jack Nicholson cackling wildly and grinning like a loon that you can take before you feel tempted to switch off.
Shelley Duval isn't much better. She spends the film either shrieking like a banshee, looking horrified to the camera, or mumbling "Jack" over and over. And Danny Lloyd isn't very sympathetic either. He has a very inexpressive face, and his waggling finger, which is supposed to represent the Shining is an embarrassing letdown.
The film isn't very fair to Scatman Crothers either. He got to play hero in the book, but here the film turns convention on its head, and disposes of him in a most callous way. Another example of Kubrick's sensibilities getting in the way.
The climax in the hedge maze is good, even though by that time you've long since stopped caring about these characters. In the end, The Shining emerges only as a good idea for a film when it could have been a masterful exercise in supernatural paranoia. If you want to see a really good film about a spooky hotel, check out the Coen brothers under-appreciated Barton Fink. It's a far superior film, and is everything The Shining could have been.