Review of Room 237 (2012) by Alex K — 18 Oct 2013

Roger Ebert best said, "If you have to ask what it symbolized, it didn't." This movie is a good representation of that idea. First of all, the construction of the documentary is excellent.

The filmmakers should be proud for the film they put together. The big problem is as the film goes on the theories and evidence become so ludicrous it becomes very difficult to take it seriously. Never before have I seem such leaps in logic and such stretching of visual images to create the illusion of symbolism outside of traditional conspiracy theories.

I like to think the movie isn't so much about the subtleties of the film, "The Shining", but instead about just how far someone's obsessions will push them to find meaning in the noise that will somehow elevates them above casual and accepted interpretations.

At its core, it's reeks of conspiracy theorist behavior. I worry that having viewed this film any subsequent viewing of The Shining will be tainted by the bullshit some of these people spewed. That's not to say that some interesting points were raised, of that The Shining doesn't have more more to it than it seems, but most of the ideas of the interviewees were highly ridiculous.

But it speaks very highly of a director such as Kubrick, when his reputation as being precise and controlling can lead people to take everything as having an exact and precise meaning.