Despite Stephen King's claims that he doesn't like Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of his novel, the film version of The Shining is arguably one of the greatest horror films of all-time. What separates The Shining from most other movies is it's ability to inject the horror slowly. Unlike Jaws, which notifies us with music or Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which fills us with dreaded thoughts, The Shining scares us with the Jack Torrance's slow decent into madness. Scenes are carefully constructed to bring us to the incredible finale, but it is one scene in particular that completes the movie for me and it's not what you think.
The entire film demonstrates how desolation both physically and mentally takes it's toll on the main character. As he withdraws from his wife and son, he allows the demons inside himself and the hotel to overtake him. When he finally goes after his wife and son he is completely insane. In the most memorable scene, Jack goes after his wife and bashes the door she has locked herself behind in with an axe. As he attempts to open the door she cuts him with a knife. It is at this moment, a noise saves her. Fast forward about five minutes and Jack is chasing his young son through a snowy shrub maze fully intending to kill him, only to find his own demise. This all plays out perfectly, but the real gem of the movie is the scene that is sandwiched between these two more known masterpieces.
The scene of which I speak is built in clips through the previous scene, where Halloran senses Danny, the son is in danger. He jumps on a plane and then somehow reaches the blizzard buried hotel. The viewer realizes that this trip is both spontaneous and long. As Halloran enters the hotel, he walks down a columned hallway, calling out for anyone that might answer. As he reaches the end of the columns, Jack jumps from behind one of the columns and buries and axe into Halloran's heart. This causes Danny, who had been silent until now, to scream and run from his hiding spot. An insane looking Jack, rises into the screen, his expression one of sheer madness. It's a simple scene, but to me, it is the scariest scene of the movie, because there isn't a second we don't know what is about to happen, but when it does, it's pure magic.
If you're interested in watching the full scene, from the point Halloran enters the hotel, click on the youtube clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD2KWPMsPUE
In most movies today, the fear invoked is one that catches us off guard or in the case of some foreign films, overwhelms us with violence or gore. The brilliance in Kubrick's film is that even a simple scene like this, is built so perfectly with subtle movements, that the viewers find themselves leaning forward, bracing for the inevitable. When it happens, it's all the more frightening. It's a scene that will always stay with me for it's brilliance on every level.
The entire film demonstrates how desolation both physically and mentally takes it's toll on the main character. As he withdraws from his wife and son, he allows the demons inside himself and the hotel to overtake him. When he finally goes after his wife and son he is completely insane. In the most memorable scene, Jack goes after his wife and bashes the door she has locked herself behind in with an axe. As he attempts to open the door she cuts him with a knife. It is at this moment, a noise saves her. Fast forward about five minutes and Jack is chasing his young son through a snowy shrub maze fully intending to kill him, only to find his own demise. This all plays out perfectly, but the real gem of the movie is the scene that is sandwiched between these two more known masterpieces.
The scene of which I speak is built in clips through the previous scene, where Halloran senses Danny, the son is in danger. He jumps on a plane and then somehow reaches the blizzard buried hotel. The viewer realizes that this trip is both spontaneous and long. As Halloran enters the hotel, he walks down a columned hallway, calling out for anyone that might answer. As he reaches the end of the columns, Jack jumps from behind one of the columns and buries and axe into Halloran's heart. This causes Danny, who had been silent until now, to scream and run from his hiding spot. An insane looking Jack, rises into the screen, his expression one of sheer madness. It's a simple scene, but to me, it is the scariest scene of the movie, because there isn't a second we don't know what is about to happen, but when it does, it's pure magic.
If you're interested in watching the full scene, from the point Halloran enters the hotel, click on the youtube clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD2KWPMsPUE
In most movies today, the fear invoked is one that catches us off guard or in the case of some foreign films, overwhelms us with violence or gore. The brilliance in Kubrick's film is that even a simple scene like this, is built so perfectly with subtle movements, that the viewers find themselves leaning forward, bracing for the inevitable. When it happens, it's all the more frightening. It's a scene that will always stay with me for it's brilliance on every level.
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