Review of The Shining (1980) by Adrian Z — 11 Jul 2014

Hypnotic adaptation (or rather a reimagining) of Stephen King's novel, about a creatively exhausted writer, Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), who along with his family, takes up the job of caretaker at the isolated, snowbound Overlook Hotel, which turns out to be haunted.

Stanley Kubrick intelligently gives the film a psychological edge that sits above the supernatural elements in just about the right ratio, and the refusal to give any answers about what is going on, lends the story a mystical quality that invites analysis and a sense of intrigue.

Visually, cinematographer John Alcott makes landmark use of Steadicam technology, resulting in lots of floaty, gliding shots that effectively give the hotel its own otherwordly point if view. Coupled with the stark frame composition, the film looks nothing but stunning.

Performance wise, Kubrick seems to have asked every actor to go operatic (reportedly most shots used where between the 20th and 30th take). Consequently, Nicholson seems to go over the edge right from the outset, but becomes even more increasingly maniacal as the plot unfolds. A little more restraint at the beginning might have made it easier to sympathize with his character, but the performance is still undeniably memorable and entertaining. Shelley Duvall also stands out as Jack Torrance's victimized wife, however child actor Danny Lloyd's performance is often hammy.

With The Shining, Kubrick was probably aiming to blow The Exorcist out of the water. Although the end result does not match the height of his ambitions, it's still a top tier horror.