As a huge fan of Stanley Kubrick and Stephen King, the film The Shining enthralled me to new heights. The movie portrays the evil spirits haunting a luxurious resort hotel high in the Rockies as they begin to materialise and then terrorise a family engaged as winter caretakers. The story begins with an aerial view of a breathtaking mountain range as reclusive writer Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) drives his family to an isolated cabin for the winter. Once there, things are not what they seem, and it becomes apparent that an evil spiritual presence lurks in the shadows, stalking Jack while his psychic son begins witnessing frightening images from the past and future. The wandering demons found a particularly susceptible victim in the father, Jack Torrance, who degenerated into a raging insane person who intended to murder his wife and child.
Instead of the cramped darkness and panicky quick editing of the standard-issue scary movie, Kubrick gives us the eerie, colossal, brilliantly lit spaces of the Overlook Hotel. Everything feels tightened and perfected in such a compelling way that the off-kilter composition and eerily long segments of silence enhance the overall feel of the film. Sharp bites of harsh piano and violin string segments bring a mastery to the sound design that works harmoniously with the overall visual design of the film. All of this would account for nothing if the acting wasn’t on point, and thankfully, an excellent performance from Jack Nicholson helps solidify the film’s appeal. His descent into madness is really the driving force of the film, and he literally blew us off. Danny Lloyd, Danny's son, rounds out the trio nicely with his mysterious psychic powers, and some of his scenes, including one memorable moment down a hotel hallway, will forever stand out as one of the most iconic segments in horror. The Shining is a benchmark for horror films to aspire to, making it one of the best in its chosen genre.
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