Review of Room 237 (2012) by Matthew S — 11 Jul 2015
Whether or not Rodney Ascher's encaging and creative documentary offers any valid film analysis is dependent upon how the viewer relates to art. Ascher approaches the subject of his film with a serious and non-biased style.
The subject of Room 237 is not The Shining or even those who love it. The subject of this film is the often obsessive psychological response stirred within a culture by one artist or one specific work by the artists. The Shining has formed more than a cult following, in may ways it has formed a Cultural Cult in which people seem to devote a significant amount of their lives trying to deconstruct the movie shot by shot in hopes of finding hidden meaning and hidden cinematic clues that they feel Kubrick left behind.
While this documentary is a just a bit too long, it is a humorous and baffling documentary. It never takes a malicious aim at the individuals who have attached to Kubrick's 1980 film. Some of their cinematic sleuthing feels like it could bear some merit and at other times it feels like these fans.
It might not fit into out ideas of cinematic study, but Room 237 hold your attention and is an interesting glimpse into cinematic obsession.
This review of Room 237 (2012) was written by Matthew S on 11 Jul 2015.
Room 237 has generally received positive reviews.
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