The Shining
01/11/17 Filed in: Amazon Prime
We watched this classic horror film yesterday evening as it was Halloween. Released in 1980, contemporary reviews felt that it didn't do justice to Stephen King's book of the same name, but over time it has gained respect and is now regarded by some as one of the greatest horror films ever made. Personally, I found the acting a bit stilted, perhaps reflecting the period, while much of the psychological tension came from the soundtrack, with loud dramatic crescendos accompanying the critical moments. Very old school horror.
The plot is straightforward enough. Jack Torrence, played by Jack Nicholson, takes a job as the winter caretaker of the Overlook luxury hotel, which is always snowed-in during the winter. He will be there alone with his wife and son, but as a writer he relishes the tranquility. Nevertheless, the hotel manager does point out that the isolation can be a problem for some people, and recounts the story of how one previous caretaker, Charles Grady, went berserk, killing his wife and two daughters before turning a shotgun on himself. During the family's tour of the hotel it was also ominously pointed out that the building had been constructed on a Native American burial site. At this point one realised that it wasn't perhaps the place to be. Also during their introduction to the building, we learn that their son, Danny, has a telepathic ability, this being shared by the hotel's chef, Dick Halloran, who refers to it as 'shining'.
So everybody else leaves and it isn't long before strange things start to happen. Danny regularly sees two young girls, which we assume are those who were killed during the episode recounted by the hotel manager. Jack rapidly assumes a somewhat aggressive character, witnessed as he verbally abuses his wife, Wendy, when she disturbs his writing. Meanwhile, as Danny races around the hotel corridors on his trike, he encounters Room 237, which he was told to stay away from by the chef, Dick. On the first occasion it was locked, but later he finds it open, and he goes in. We don't see what happens, but we do see him afterwards with his mum, who spots scratches on his neck. She accuses Jack, given that she believes him to be the only other person in the hotel. But later she says that Danny met a woman in the room who tried to strangle him. Jack goes to Room 237 and is surprised, and somewhat delighted to see a beautiful young woman naked in the bath, who gets out and walks towards him. They kiss but all is not what it seems.
Jack is also seen entering the hotel's Gold Room, where initially we see a deserted bar, devoid of drinks. But later Jack encounters a barman, Lloyd, and on a subsequent occasion the room is full of guests. These are all ghosts, we assume. While in the Gold Room Jack bumps into a waiter, who spills drink on Jack's clothes. They retire to the wash room where the waiter says he is Delbert Grady. Despite the different first name, Jack says he recognises him as the caretaker who had committed suicide after killing his family. Grady replies that Jack is the caretaker, and has always been, before telling him that he must 'correct' his wife and child.
By this time Jack has the appearance of a mad man, and Wendy is forced to defend herself from him. Danny has meanwhile reached out telepathically to the chef, Dick, who is in Florida. Worried by this communication, Dick sets out to return to the hotel. The final scenes are quite manic, with Wendy now also seeing one of the ghosts. She desperately tries to save herself and Danny from the now axe-wielding Jack, while Dick the chef finally gets to the hotel, not that this helps much, as you will see.
This is certainly a frightening film insofar that it portrays a man seemingly being driven to commit terrible acts by the ghosts that inhabit the building. But, there again, the final shot raises questions as to exactly who Jack is. Is there a duality? In the same way that there appears to be a duality between Charles Grady, the former caretaker mentioned by the hotel manager, and Delbert Grady, the man who Jack recognised as Charles. I'll leave you to work it out.
Jack is also seen entering the hotel's Gold Room, where initially we see a deserted bar, devoid of drinks. But later Jack encounters a barman, Lloyd, and on a subsequent occasion the room is full of guests. These are all ghosts, we assume. While in the Gold Room Jack bumps into a waiter, who spills drink on Jack's clothes. They retire to the wash room where the waiter says he is Delbert Grady. Despite the different first name, Jack says he recognises him as the caretaker who had committed suicide after killing his family. Grady replies that Jack is the caretaker, and has always been, before telling him that he must 'correct' his wife and child.
By this time Jack has the appearance of a mad man, and Wendy is forced to defend herself from him. Danny has meanwhile reached out telepathically to the chef, Dick, who is in Florida. Worried by this communication, Dick sets out to return to the hotel. The final scenes are quite manic, with Wendy now also seeing one of the ghosts. She desperately tries to save herself and Danny from the now axe-wielding Jack, while Dick the chef finally gets to the hotel, not that this helps much, as you will see.
This is certainly a frightening film insofar that it portrays a man seemingly being driven to commit terrible acts by the ghosts that inhabit the building. But, there again, the final shot raises questions as to exactly who Jack is. Is there a duality? In the same way that there appears to be a duality between Charles Grady, the former caretaker mentioned by the hotel manager, and Delbert Grady, the man who Jack recognised as Charles. I'll leave you to work it out.