There are very few movies that scare me the way the late Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining does. It’s one of those movies that genuinely disturbs me even after seeing the film. The first time I saw this, it was one of my most terrifying movie experiences. So what makes this movie so scary? Director Stanley Kubrick took his time to perfect every aspect and craft a horror masterpiece.
From the start we’re told of the violent history of the Overlook Hotel. We’re told of the previous caretaker, Charles Grady, who murdered his family because of isolation and slowly went insane. We’re also informed of Jack’s character and how he injured his son Danny because of his alcoholism. Kubrick immediately foreshadows what’s going to happen at the hotel. So the question just becomes, how’s it going to happen? It’s also established that the Overlook Hotel was built on Native American burial grounds. Telling us more about the dark history of the hotel and the greater evil that might be there.
The hotel itself is also genuinely creepy. It’s isolated and twenty-five miles from the closest town. The hotel is huge and often times it feels like a maze that our characters are trapped in. The way Kubrick shoots the hotel is unnerving. Wide shots with nothing but silence. Making the hotel bigger and creepier. The soundtrack also highlights the danger that is about to happen and the slow journey to insanity. We are led to believe that there’s only three people in the hotel: Jack, Wendy and their son Danny. So when we get shots of things and people that aren’t supposed to be there, things become unsettling. We have a family of three in a giant and isolated hotel with a dark entity we’re unfamiliar with. We’re slowly going insane with the characters. 
Going back to Jack, the threat he presents is dark and realistic. Jack starts seeing things and starts seeing people that aren’t there. It’s said he hurt Danny because of his alcoholism and that he hasn’t had a drink in five months. When he does finally have a drink, we imagine the worst things are about to happen next. The Shining is really about one man trying to hurt his family. And in a maze like hotel, the tension becomes excruciating. Kubrick brilliantly uses sound and visuals to create an unnerving atmosphere and make the Overlook Hotel a haunting place. Instead of relying on cheap jump scares, Kubrick focuses a long period of time on one shot. Letting you enjoy the visuals while also seeping into your mind as the music slowly creeps and images pop in and out. This was truly a terrifying experience.
I hope you all enjoyed my little analysis on Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.
Analyzing Film 
Leave a comment