Spellbinding classic of modern horror

Rating: 10/10 (29 May 2001)

I usually don't care for big-budget movies--especially in the horror genre--but The Shining was magnificent in every department. In adapting Stephen King's often-trite novel, Stanley Kubrick wisely excises or down-plays the elements that didn't work and builds up the ones that did. The components of alcoholism, cabin fever, and the supernatural are blended seamlessly, resulting in a film that, while long, is completely involving. Technically brilliant, the film benefits from John Alcott's amazingly fluid cinematography and a masterful use of sound. The sets, locations, and haunting score create a palpable air of eeriness even when nothing overtly scary is happening. When the terror really kicks in, watch out! You may never look at an elevator or a bathtub the same way again.

The acting is astounding. Jack Nicholson may not come off as the world's most normal person (and, lest we forget, normal is BO-RING!), but he's fantastic; his transformation from edgy-yet-likable protagonist to ax-wielding monster is nothing short of Oscar-worthy. Also stunning is the underrated Shelley Duvall as the quiet, gawky housewife who displays a surprising amount of resourcefulness under extraordinary circumstances. While Nicholson may not be an everyday type, the unglamorous Duvall certainly is. The great Scatman Crothers excels in a kindly supporting role, and Danny Lloyd is a refreshingly likable, unobnoxious child actor.
A truly terrifying, beautiful, controversial Gothic epic, The Shining is truly a masterpiece of modern horror. Beware the butchered, overdubbed TV print.