The Shining - A 30,000 ft view of American consequence

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The Shining - A 30,000 ft view of American consequence falling upon a prototypical 70's family or the hotel that contained the repercussions of American history

The Shining (1980)

Year: 1980
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers
Genre: Horror, Psychological Thriller
Filming Location: Timberline Lodge, Oregon (exterior); Elstree Studios, England (interior)
Budget: $19 million
Based On: The Shining by Stephen King (1977)

Introduction

Stanley Kubrick's landmark film, The Shining, was initially panned by critics and moviegoers alike. Many critics dismissed it as a 'silly ghost story'. The future had different plans for this film though.

Cultural Impact & Legacy

The images and lines of dialogue taken from this film are legion. From "Here's Johnny" to "Redrum" to the Grady twins, Stephen King (the writer of the book that predated the film) and Kubrick created a treasure trove of ideas that writers are still drawing from today.

At the time of its release, Jack Nicholson swinging his axe through a door, placing his head in the hole and yelling "HERES JOHNNY" would easily be pointed to as being cribbed from the popular night-time program, "The Johnny Carson show." Today we don't even remember Johnny Carson, but we do remember the Shining.

Redrum, being written in blood and spelling murder backwards, has been remade so many times we almost forget it's from the Shining. I think of The Simpsons. Do y'all have any memories of shows using that trope? Some trope remakes were in The Simpsons, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Angry Birds Movie, and Ready Player One. You might not be able to think of any now, but after the film you'll always be seeing them. Like you can finally read the matrix code in American cinema.

Film makers like David Lynch, Paul Thomas Anderson, Martin Scorsese, John Carpenter, Ridley Scott and James Cameron have all either cited the Shining as influencing their art or outright utilizing the film's innovations in their works.

The Barkeep, Lloyd, was 'done' again in the 2016 space sci-fi Passengers. It was done well and worked to bring a little creepiness to the ship. Maybe we can watch that one of these days.

Scene from The Shining

Thematic Analysis

American History & Trauma

Unlike Predator, this film doesn't take place on a literal battlefield. However, the trauma of American history still lurks just below the surface of every scene. Take notice of the scenic Colorado Overlook Hotel. It was built on a sacred Native American burial ground (another tried and true American horror trope). Superimpose the 'perfect, wholesome 70's family', the Torrances, thinking they can make a fresh start on top of all this trauma. One might say 'they didn't know it was a burial ground' but they knew. We all know this whole place is a Native American (and Black American) burial ground.

Manifest destiny and pioneer spirit is put on display in the beginning. A massive hotel, virtually unlimited food, land, games lulls the family into a false sense of security, while an overwhelming force is working to psychologically dismantle them. Add to the fact that Jack is adding his own oppressive force of American patriarchy, we get to observe mess. If you haven't seen it, do make predictions of what you think will happen.

The Ghosts as American Avatars

Take note of the ghosts. All of them represent different avatars of the United States. We have the wealthy 20's elites, we have the enabling bartender, the corrupted innocence of the Grady twins, and more. Discuss more ghastly tropes that you see—there are many!

Discussion Questions

• Technical Craft: How does the camerawork and the oppressive, brightly lit design of the Overlook Hotel contribute to the sense of dread, compared to darker, shadowy horror films that outright tell you it's time to be scared? Think about Severance and the oppressive well-lit office. The lights can weigh on you like being under the ocean.

• Critical Legacy: Knowing how critics and moviegoers alike gave thumbs down to the film initially, why do you think the film's caliber has grown so much over the years?

• Which is more terrifying to you: that the ghosts are real, or that they are a violent manifestation of Jack's psyche?

• If the hotel's ghosts represent avatars of the USA—violence against natives, class resentment, addiction, fear of sexuality—which ghost feels the most potent or relevant today?