I first saw The Shining one Halloween night at UC Davis. Films were shown in the cyclopean Chem 194, a room without insulation or mercy. I knew what The Shining was about; I had even watched the famous "Here's Johnny" scene before. But the movie was still scary in a wonderful, optimistically nihilistic way. I can't think of many films that are fun to watch even when you know what's going to happen beforehand. Horror movies rely on suspense and startling visuals more than any other genre. Yet somehow The Shining does not suffer for its cultural ubiquity.Two men deserve credit for this: Jack Nicholson and Stanley Kubrick. Nicholson's contribution is obvious - he's Jack Nicholson. Nicholson is such a playful maniac you can't help but love him. It's Kubrick's second funniest movie after Dr. Strangelove. I love that mix of dark humor and horror. I don't know of any other movie that has so effectively mixed the two. Most sacrifice one for more of the other, but The Shining is funny without sacrificing any of the horror.
The Shining plays right into Kubrick's strengths. The Kubrick films I've seen (everything after Lolita) are emotionally cold and distant. In each, the protagonist becomes increasingly isolated as basic human relationships break down. The most hopeful of the lot, 2001, ends with the hero achieving transcendence in total isolation, both spacial and temporal, from the rest of humanity.
Given this, horror seems like a natural genre for Kubrick. He reportedly told Stephen King that ghost stories were hopeful because they posited a life after death. Few people other than Kubrick would make that association. Perhaps The Shining has a happy ending after all. Jack is relieved of his annoying wife and kid and achieves immortality, partying with his ghost buddies in the mountains for all of eternity. Do you see how this is the perfect herald for the 80's? Artistic, educated man let down by the promises of society goes crazy and decides to sacrifice everything for his own personal happiness led on by visions of the 1920's, the end of the last gilded age? Sure it's a stretch, but I like it.
Stephen King didn't like the way Kubrick adapted his book. For one, he objected to Kubrick's casting because he felt that Nicholson was too crazy-looking from the beginning and that audiences wouldn't be surprised when he went nuts later in the film. This is an odd complaint from a man whose entire career is built on delivering predictable stories. Here's the checklist for every King story ever written: Common household object that is now mysteriously animated and malevolent? Check. Hackneyed psychological explanation for malevolent/supernatural event based on King's own personal problems allowing spurious claim of thematic depth? Check. Sappy ending that completely destroys the suspenseful atmosphere that made the story interesting? Check! What were audiences supposed to expect from a movie based on a Stephen King novel that starts with a family going alone to an isolated hotel for the winter? Maybe they're going to work out their differences and everything will be okay? Yeah, and maybe supply-side economics really works and Ronald Reagan was a decent president.
P.S. If you like The Shining I recommend the book House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski. It was partly influenced by The Shining and has a similar atmosphere. Many of H.P. Lovecraft's stories are also similar. The only other movie that comes close is Hitchcock's The Birds.
"In each, the protagonist becomes increasingly isolated as basic human relationships break down. The most hopeful of the lot, 2001, ends with the hero achieving transcendence in total isolation, both spacial and temporal, from the rest of humanity."
ReplyDeleteDoes Alex really become "increasingly isolated" over the course of A Clockwork Orange? He sort of goes from "fucked up with friends" to "fucked up alone." Besides, isn't the ending, from Alex's standpoint at least, sort of a happy ending?
And what about Eyes Wide Shut? There's a reconciliation of sorts at the end of that from what I recall.
I remember the Halloween 'Shining' showings at Chem 194. Good times.
ReplyDeleteYes, Alex is more isolated at the end than at the beginning. I'd say that Eyes Wide Shut also shows increasing isolation, but I'd have to see it again to engage in intelligent debate.
ReplyDeleteYeah, all I remember is Tom Cruise walking around a set that looked nothing like New York while speaking at an alarmingly slow speed. I kept thinking, "Wow, not only does he have marriage problems, he also has some mental problems."
ReplyDeleteHow right you were.
ReplyDeleteThe ending of 'Eyes Wide Shut' shows Cruise's character, Bill, as very isolated.
ReplyDeleteAs he walks around the house that the sex cult is performing in (or whatever) he is obviously the outcast, even behind his mask. He is not part of the group and has taken himself outside of the circle and become merely an observer and not a participant, which I believe was originally his point for going.
The very last shot has Alice (Kidman) and him walking through a store talking about the event and then Alice not only condoning the activities, but alluding to her willingness to participate.
This again points to Bill's isolation from his wife because it is one more thing that he doesn't know about her.
what about shelley duvall?, i think that she was awesome and helpful for the movie
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