Dear The Shining,
One might venture to say that no film essay series would be complete without a spot reserved for Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. I’m not sure I completely agree, but there is, in fact, a reason the analysis and conversation surrounding this film feels, in some ways, as present and lasting to the culture as the film itself. Though some of the conversation seems more interested in conspiracy than in film appreciation, there is plenty of both to go around. And it is precisely because of the quality infused by Kubrick and the team that there is an abundance of each. If there ceased to be such steady hands at the reign, the questions and ideas that feel so desperate for exploration might all the sudden lose their luster. As you can probably guess, this space is partial to the appreciation piece of the discussion over the speculative. So, at the risk of redundancy, let’s dare to expose ourselves to the mysteries of the overlook.
In my early days of Kubrick admiration, I was intrigued, if not surprised, by the fact that I didn’t associate his films with the actors and actresses on screen. I perceived Kubrick as a filmmaker disinterested in “movie-stars”— an understanding I’ve come to learn was quite flawed the more I’ve familiarized myself with his filmography. Yet, this naive comprehension of the legendary artist— stripped of the “movie-star” specific notion— contained a seed of truth. While you may find the likes of Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, or Kirk Douglas leading Kubrick’s films, you’ll also find Keir Dullea, Malcolm McDowell, and Ryan O’Neal—actors of tremendous quality but who lack the staying power as a household name compared to their aforementioned contemporaries. Outside of the lead roles, Kubrick’s films overflow with character actors filling their roles to great effect, furthering the actor agnostic approach I’m arguing for. The results are films that never quite feel like an ensemble. Films where characters often disappear into the story, which works to the films benefit. As great an example of this as any is his 1980 genre powerhouse. Cliche as it may be to acknowledge, the Overlook Hotel itself is as prolific a character as any other in The Shining (I’d argue it’s Kubrick’s second most compelling non-human character behind an arrogant, overconfident piece of hardware named Hal for anyone keeping score). For all of the expressive and manic flourishes summoned by Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson) the Overlook is there to match his energy step for step. What makes the Overlook so compelling is not just its ethereal nature and mysterious sense of history entrenched within its endless halls. It’s the paradox revealed in the hotel’s atmosphere and environment that prove most fascinating. The Overlook— the actual structure itself— is something we can call beautiful, strange as it may be to compliment in such a way. Awe and beauty radiate from the grand, mountainous destination— from the stunning landscape that surrounds it, to the architectural and interior design. The perfect combination of elegant and historic. In direct contrast to this beauty and awe, the Overlook bursts with evil, dread, and genuine terror. Wandering the halls of the Overlook feels like your worst nightmare brought to life… or brought to film (credit to the Steadicam technology implored by camera operator Garrett Brown). Kubrick creates a confounding phenomenon that I am still trying to recover from; finding myself longing to return and live inside the walls of the Overlook— enticed by the beauty, yet also longing to sprint in the opposite direction—repelled by the horror patiently lying in the wake for all its guests.
Entering the world of The Shining seems akin to entering a sauna— the looks of which is fairly ordinary but the atmosphere anything but. Once inside, you all of the sudden become acutely aware of your physical body and its place within the environment. The sensation of physically experiencing the weight and thickness of the oxygen in the room, fearing suffocation and claustrophobia if exposed for too long. Fearing indoctrination as a lifelong character of the Overlook alongside Jack Torrence.
To The Shining, Mr. Kubrick, and all who had a hand in the film, thank you.
Sincerely,
movie lovers everywhere
Thanks for reading!
Sources: IMDB, Letterboxd
Film: The Shining
Release Year: 1980
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Production: Warner Bros. Pictures, Peregrine, Hawk Films, The Producer Circle Co.