This Is Steph’s Blog

The Shining

I do not see myself ever sleeping again.  The Shining is about a man who is hired to take care of a hotel for six months, while it is closed for the winter.  The people of the hotel stress the isolation of the hotel and tell a story about one caretaker who killed his wife and children who stayed there.  Jack insists that he was meant to do this job and he brings his own wife and child.  It is the biggest mistake they have ever made in their life.  And I can still feel the scream in my throat from when I yelled: “Hurry!” to Jack’s wife, Wendy.

The entire time I watched this movie, while I was completely aware of how scared I was, I was also completely aware of how much I loved how the film was shot.  I love following Jack’s son, Danny, on his tricycle, around corners and down hallways.  My favorite shots are the ones that bend around corners – they’re so smooth and the angle they create are so interesting.  I also love how the film shows how isolated the hotel is.  There was one shot where Jack was sitting at his desk, his back facing us, and the shot, zooms back.  It doesn’t actually zoom, but it tracks back and makes the space bigger.  It was a beautiful shot and it emphasized how alone they really were.

I also have to bring up the suspense that the movie builds.  The flashes of the dead daughters and random scenes, such as the bloody elevator or woman in room 237’s bathroom, they really get to you.  And the fact that they held onto the flashed scenes of the girls just a little bit longer than a second, made me want to keep watching it over and over again.  And no matter what Jack Nicholson is doing in this movie, he is scaring me.  I don’t think I ever was not afraid of him.  His eyes search the room erratically, his tongue sticks out, he begins to bald and does not shave.  Everything about Jack Nicholson in this movie, is terrifying.  His son, Danny, and Danny’s imaginary friend “Tony” are equally terrifying.  If possession isn’t scary enough already, just make a child possessed.

One last thing I noted was the awesome sound for this film.  Whether it was the horrifying music with the most high-pitched, horribly piercing notes ever, or, Danny’s tricycle wheels moving from wood floor to carpet seamlessly, the music and sound for this film makes the movie.  I highly recommend this film for anyone who wants to look at something visually awesome, while they’re getting their pants scared off of them.

Probably would have slept better if this is what the movie was actually about…

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