The Shining (1980) Review

The Shining (1980) Review

Take one of the best stories from one of the best horror writers ever (Stephen King) and pair it with one of the best directors ever (Stanley Kubrick) and what you get is The Shining: one of the best horror movies of all-time, and that’s not a reputation easily earned. 

The Shining has been discussed, reviewed, analyzed, and picked over by movie fans, critics, and scholars endlessly ever since it was released, so this is going to be more of my own reaction and history with this movie than a straight-up review, since so many of those have been done before. Fun fact: this is the first movie I ever reviewed, way back when I was twelve. Even today, this is still, to me, one of the most unsettling movies ever made. 

I didn’t know much about The Shining upon first viewing. All I knew was a guy, Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) gets cabin fever and tries to kill his family. I heard “cabin fever” and thought it must take place in a cabin in the woods, but actually it takes place at the Overlook Hotel, and Jack is the caretaker for the winter months while it’s closed. Along with his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd), Jack slowly discovers the dark history of the Overlook, and what transpires, exactly, might be supernatural, or it might be all in Jack’s head as he goes insane. You could look at it either way (or maybe it’s a bit of both) but it’s never 100 % clear, which is part of what makes this movie so engrossing, and so scary. 

I didn’t think much of The Shining initially, yet I couldn’t forget it, and then it haunted my nightmares the entire night—in particular a revolting scene I won’t spoil that still makes me want to look away from the screen to this day. I was confused and upset with the movie, mainly because I was too young to appreciate how well-crafted it was, and I was expecting a gory in-your-face horror show, but that’s not what it is. It’s a slow-moving, slow-building piece of psychological terror, with barely any jump scares, and tons of now-iconic imagery and moments—whether it’s the reams of paper with “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” written countless times, Danny wiggling his finger when his friend “Tony” talks, or “Redrum” scrolled in red lipstick on the door.

The performances, too, are iconic. Jack Nicholson in particular is insanely good (pun intended) and it’s crazy to think he wasn’t even nominated for any awards for his performance. Seeing his decline into insanity is fascinating, and thinking back to his first scene where he’s initially a sympathetic and relatable character as he’s chasing down his family with an axe is uniquely scary. The character of Dick Halloran, who explains to Danny what “shining” is, always creeped me out too, even though he’s one of the few “good guys”.

Every time I revisit this movie, I feel like I notice something new. The attention to detail (which Kubrick is known for) is incredible, and every frame is impeccable. It wasn’t until many viewings later that I pinpointed one of the main reasons I initially found the movie off-putting, and continue to be unsettled by it, and that is the design of the Overlook. Everything down to the pattern of the carpets and colour of the walls just looks strange and slightly off—not fully warped or out of place, just…odd. The music, too, is a huge part of what makes it scary. I tried to imagine some of the scenes without music, and I’m sure they would be mostly devoid of tension and probably just seem silly. But this movie is anything but silly.

The level of detail is so extreme, there’s even a documentary called Room 237 dedicated to analyzing the film and discussing many of the insane theories about it, including the conspiracy of whether or not Kubrick directed the footage of the moon landing. I disagree with most of the ideas, but it’s an interesting documentary nonetheless, and just goes to show that a truly well put together movie like this can transcend its genre and become a classic. Critics were mixed on The Shining when it first came out, but even more surprising, was the reaction by the author who came up with the story. 

Stephen King himself didn’t like this adaptation of his book initially, and I can see why. It’s probably the least “Stephen King” of the Stephen King movies out there, without any tongue-in-cheek dialogue, a lack of focus on the definite supernatural, and the kind of cold, often distant approach common in Kubrick’s work. Not to mention, many scenes from the book were left out, and it’s opposite from the source material in many ways. So no, it’s not a faithful adaptation, but no less effective, and in many ways, it makes it better.

Personally, I think both the book and the movie are great, and though are essentially the same story, have very different approaches to the characters and supernatural elements, and I view the works as two separate entities. The Shining was also a very personal piece of work for King, which added to his displeasure, but he got to make a more book-accurate version in the late 90’s, which aired as a TV movie. However, that version has not stood the test of time, and even King himself has recognized the lasting impression Kubrick’s adaptation has made.

So to wrap up, even if you don’t consider yourself a horror fan, The Shining is still a must-watch, simply for the amount of talent at work in front of and behind the camera, and to see the origins of so many things that have become staples of pop culture. I can’t guarantee you’ll be frightened by it, but I’m sure you’ll at least be uncomfortable after watching it.