Not very well adapted, but wonderful movie nevertheless.

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 2003)

Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is a film that will continue to be veiwed and criticized even past its 25-year mark. The move is [very loosely] adapted from the bestselling novel by Stephen King-published in 1977. Not that it is a [very] bad adaptation of the novel-you could think of it as Stanley Kubrick's take, or version, on the novel. If you wish to be more in-depth with "The Shining" itself, I strongly advise you to not watch the movie first, instead to read the novel. Yes, you will find several differences between the novel and the film, but, the movie is still something to behold as a great acheivement in film. If you were to view Kubrick's work and Jack Nicholson's work before you watch this movie, you will find that when the two of them come together to make a movie, the outcome will be nothing sort of miraculous. This point is proved in this movie. Also, the adaptation and Kubrick's take have only a few similarities, and they are, to be vague, the names and places. You may have heard things connecting this movie and the rise of "Psychological Horror"; I am not going to say that is wrong. Indeed, what makes your heart gallop is the thought that if it were to happen to you, the same way Poltergeist and The Omen transform their potential horror into kenetic horror. If you were to replay this movie in your mind-or watch it again, for that matter-you will stumble across some rather piculiar facts that prove your original thoughts of the movie incorrect. For example, Nicholson's character-Jack Torrance-is credited as being an ax murderer, but, if you were to remember one particular scene near the end, you will think otherwise. [I'm not one to tell you now!] As said before, if you wish to be more in-depth with this movie and its elements, I strongly advise you to read the novel first; but in order to fully understand many scenes [the conclusion, in particular] it may be in fact very wise to read the novel.