Even though I had seen the movie as a kid, The Shining only existed in my memories as a few flashes of unintelligible panic and fear. Now, as an adult, I had the opportunity to see the film in the type of venue it deserves, an IMAX screening. This movie had such a profound effect on me and my peers, and although the vague memory of the film is now fully fleshed out, the emotions underneath remain the same.
You don’t know what’s behind the door, and probably shouldn’t check!
Note:
I won’t go into details of the plot points as it’s been covered elsewhere many times before. Instead I’ll talk about some of the things that were standout aspects to me, and some reflections into my life.
Firstly, the music. Never before have I been so struck by how much a soundtrack can change the mood of a film as in this film. The initial shot of unidentified car driving through the hills would be a beautiful and scenic scene in any other context, but the ominous and anxiety inducing piece that plays over it makes it feel quiet the opposite. The film is full of scenes like this, where normality is seemingly flipped around through sound. I took an important lesson from this, framing is everything. The same situation and seem wildly different depending on how you choose to approach it, so we must be mindful to not bring an overarching sense of negativity to our daily lives.
I like the theme of entrapment that the movie explores. Of course, the most obvious example of this is the family being stuck in the Overlook, but each character is trapped in their own way. Jack is trapped by his work, growing increasingly frustrated with his lack of productivity in writing his novel as time goes on. Even with all the space and time in the world, he still can’t get anything done. He chooses to lashes out at his family in anger, taking his emotions out on them, even though he knows deep down the fault lies with himself. The famous reveal where we learn Jack has been writing the same sentence over and over for pages, is quite shocking. To me, it seems as if he was just mechanically “working” to prove to Wendy, or himself, that he was being productive, while his mind idled and went slowly mad, being a cause of his insanity, rather than a symptom of it. Sometimes we catch ourselves acting similarly, working for the sake of working, not producing anything and being bitter about our output. It’s important to have focus and a plan when attempting tasks in our lives, otherwise we risk falling astray.
Wendy is trapped in her own way, albeit in a more direct way than Jack. She could potentially leave the hotel when things start to turn, but doing so would mean making a definitive statement about her failing marriage. It’s not as simple as stepping out of the house or staying at a friends place for a night - she knows that walking away would likely cause irreparable damage. So she endures as much as she can until Jack’s descent into madness becomes too dangerous to ignore. There’s a haunting sense of fear and helplessness in her eyes as she realizes the man her husband has become, or maybe always was. It’s a lesson in trusting your gut and making decisions before you are forced to take them. Taking control of the situation and act.
Although the supernatural elements of the movie make for an amazing viewing experience, I think the story would have unfolded the same even without them. They simply exaggerated the human emotions of the characters in the film are already feeling: anger, fear, suffocation, frustration, sadness and hate. It’s a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked emotions, living up to the iconic status it has garnered over the years. A must watch.