The Films That Changed Our Lives

 The Shining

‘The Shining’ is an amazing psychological thriller written by Steven King in 1977. It was released in cinemas June 18^th, 1980 and directed by Stanley Kubrick.

 

‘The Shining’ as a movie is one the best horror/thriller films to ever be produced and is in fact one of the best movies ever, I would say. What makes ‘The Shining’ unique compared to others of the same genre, is that it doesn’t rely upon jump scares, or monsters. Which was particularly unusual for horrors in this time period, e.g., ‘Dawn of the Dead’, ‘The Exorcist’ and ‘Friday The 13^th’. Instead, Kubrick takes his time to create the setting and build suspense.

I first watched ‘The Shining’ in 2019 when I was 15. Throughout the film we see a family being torn apart by strange happenings whilst staying isolated in a hotel over its off season. We watch their slow descent into insanity. This is exemplified in the father of the family, ‘Jack Torrance’ played by Jack Nicholson. Exacerbated by Kubrick’s use of music and cinematography, which seems to the audience to be very surreal. The film uses long sweeping dolly shots of empty rooms and corridors to emphasise the isolation and tension present in the film.

A particular scene that stands out to me is where ‘Jack Torrance’ goes into what should be an abandoned room, however it now has a full ballroom and bar. We see ‘Jack’ wandering in and how he proceeds to have a conversation with a barman that shouldn’t be there. As an audience we know this but it’s the sinister overtones of the conversation that really creates a memorable scene.  Personally, the acting from Jack Nicholson is masterclass in facial expressions. I don’t think anyone could have played this character in the same way, everything Nicholson does adds tension and energy to the film. Due to this I think ‘The Shining’ is a must watch for anyone looking to be an actor or is just a film buff themselves.