The Shining: A Deconstruction of Sanity

horror

2:26

1980

Review by Brandon Talks Movies on May 22, 2017

Heeeeere’s Johnny!

I’ll admit: I’m not the biggest fan of the horror genre. But The Shining does what most horror movies don’t even dream of: it’s truly a work of art. Directed by the legendary Stanley Kubrick (2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange), based on a book by horror master Stephen King, and starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, it’s a horror movie that escapes the pitfalls of many other horror movies, such as cheap scare tactics and shallow characters. The result is a beautiful and well-written movie that’s frightening without being over-the-top.

The movie opens with Jack Torrance interviewing for (and getting) a job looking after a hotel as it closes for the snowy winter. It will be just Jack, his wife Wendy, and their son Danny alone in the hotel for five months of isolation. Supernatural forces are at work in the hotel, and Jack begins a gradual descent into madness. There’s a long period of Jack wavering between love and aggression, where he knows he’s going crazy but is powerless to stop it, but the inevitable fall and explosive outcome are telegraphed from the beginning. What’s not clear is the ending. Not that it’s shocking; it’s just not obvious.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

The guidance from visionary writer and director Stanley Kubrick is what elevates this film to greatness. Each shot is framed perfectly and there are a number of creative, interesting shots that you don’t see in most movies. The dialogue, while a bit stylized, is engaging and insightful. The actors’ performances are widely regarded as the best in their careers. Kubrick even went as far as making actors shoot physically-intensive scenes 30+ times so they’d be genuinely worn and exhausted. Stephen King criticized the movie as one made by someone who didn’t understand horror films, but that may be what makes it great.

The movie captures lead character Jack’s gradual descent into madness, and you’re right there with him as it’s happening. You see his hallucinations and hear the voices that torment him. You also see his wife’s fear as she sees what’s happening to her husband. There’s a sense of dread that builds and builds throughout the movie, from the opening scene right up until the finale. The movie is great at making you feel the danger as it gets closer and closer, and by the end of the movie, the terror is unavoidable.

Should I Watch The Shining?

The Shining is one of the best horror movies of all time, but it’s also just a great movie. From the writing, to the acting, to the cinematography, there’s much to appreciate in this gem. There were a few disturbing scenes that may turn off the squeamish, but even that is not overdone. Horror movie connoisseurs may echo King’s sentiment that this is not a traditional horror film, but its importance within the genre is undeniable. If you like suspense, this is an absolutely essential movie that still stands out today.

Movies Like The Shining

The Lighthouse (2019) - Two men in a lighthouse deal with claustrophobia and isolation, and gradually descend into madness, showing a regression much like Jack in The Shining. The Lighthouse is styled like an old film (much older than The Shining), and there’s a similar meticulous attention to art style. Much like The Shining, the antagonist is loneliness and isolation rather than some monster, making this an effective psychological horror story.
Repulsion (1965) - This is another film that shows a character’s mind eroding, showing the world as she sees it, deconstructing in real time. Having a woman as the protagonist allows the filmmaker to focus on issues like sexual repression and the fear of male desire, but the result is the same: the mind becomes its own haunted house as fear takes hold.
Black Swan (2010) - Black Swan gained notoriety for being “that creepy ballerina movie,” but it shows a woman’s mind fall apart as she drives herself to extremes in the pursuit of perfection. Unlike the other films on this list, isolation is not the issue—other characters are the catalyst for her breakdown, and their expectations become her obsession.

Runtime: 2:26
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Year: 1980
Genres: horror
Rating: R

About Brandon

My name is Brandon, and I love movies. Not bad ones, though—just the good ones. I’m curating and reviewing a list of classic, essential-viewing, or just plain good movies from all decades, and I've been reviewing them since 2016. I also co-host Peculiar Picture Show, a podcast about movies and mental health and write about Dungeons & Dragons options, builds, and optimization.

The Shining: A Deconstruction of Sanity

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