FIRST, disclaimer.
This post is specifically for college-aged girls who usually steer away from horror movies.
[That’s me.] Until I decided it was a classic and I might as well see it.
Completely honest here – I’m so glad I did!
The Shining was released in theaters in 1980, and it’s been called one of the scariest and horrifying films ever made. Keep in mind this was released a little over 30 years ago. The “scare” factor in film has truly changed over the years. While The Shining may not be the scariest movie ever made…
it IS scary in places and overall has a very foreboding and suspenseful atmosphere throughout (despite its age). However, the violence in the film is very minimal, and if you replaced the music in the film with a big band up-beat jazz piece, it wouldn’t be that scary. I’d categorize it more as thriller than horror (but it has its horror moments).
So, if you’re a college-aged girl who doesn’t really like horror movies, give The Shining a moment of light. And maybe watch it with friends in the daytime. 🙂
Here’s a few points I took away from The Shining. Besides the trippy camera work from the IQ-of-a-genius director Stanley Kubrick, there are several interesting and convicting themes that emerge from the story and the characters.
First, Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson) is an honest man who loves his wife, loves his son, and has an eager passion to do things well. That’s what you believe of him within the first 20 minutes. What causes him to go crazy? His opportunity to land a job securing an empty hotel for 5 months seemed like an easy task, even a breath of fresh air. Finally, he thought, an opportunity to get my work done!
- Torrence turned on himself because of himself.
He became so internally focused on his needs and wants, and began to see his family as a hindrance.
- Danny, the Torrence son who supposedly can telepathically communicate with foreboding spirits, ends up being brave and even saving his mother, and his own life. He is the shining.
- The daunting maze that Danny and his mother play in, ends up swallowing Jack Torrence.
But it had been killing him a long time. His life was a maze, and he was utterly lost, with no hope of escape. The audience even felt trapped throughout the movie. Is escape possible? Is hope possible?
Jack had none, and gave up. The maze killed him because he found no way out. On a hopeful mission to save his life, Danny runs in the maze with Jack on his tail. Jack, on the other hand, is on a desperate mission to bring death. Little does he know who truly will face the inevitable fate.
- Our own desires and wants can deceive us
Jack embarks into Room 237 to find a woman bathing. She seems flawless and young. She steps out of the bathtub and walks toward Jack. He doesn’t move, as he is captivated by her beauty. His own desire for her consumes him, and she moves closer to him. Jack begins
to notice that the woman he is holding has turned into an old woman, her body now decayed with mold. She is a hideous sight. What he thought
would bring him fulfillment actually became a horrifying experience. This scene by itself has been considered the scariest scene ever to be filmed. What is truly horrifying, is his mirage of his raving desire for a young woman, especially when he’s a married man. At this point, he doesn’t even consider his conscious life. It’s all become a mixed up nightmare at this point.
The Shining is a trip. It’s an emotional roller coaster and it will make you think. All of this writing, for me, were afterthoughts of the movie. Sometimes the best movies are the ones where you find wealthy treasures of intellectual insight and deep thought. This movie started such a huge conversation, that a documentary called Room 237 has been created for people to discuss their own theories (it gets deep, y’all) about what The Shining is really about. But, who can really know? See it for yourself!
The Shining is rated R for disturbing sequences of violence & terror, language & sensuality/nudity. By writing this blog post I do not condone the content in this movie. It’s always important to be aware of what is in a movie before you watch it!
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