THE SHINING
Stanley Kubrick's The Shining
is widely considered to be among the best big-screen adaptations of the Stephen
King story by the same name
“The Shining is about Jack
Torrance (Jack Nicholson), an aspiring writer and recovering
alcoholic, who accepts a position as the off-season caretaker of the isolated
historic Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies. Wintering over with Jack
are his wife Wendy Torrance (Shelley
Duvall) and young son Danny Torrance (Danny
Lloyd). Danny possesses "the shining", psychic abilities that
enable him to see into the hotel's horrific past. The hotel's cook, Dick
Hallorann (Scatman Crothers), also has this and is able to
telepathically communicate with Danny. The hotel had a previous winter
caretaker who went crazy and killed his family and himself. After a winter
storm leaves the Torrances snowbound, Jack's sanity deteriorates due to the
influence of the supernatural forces that inhabit the hotel, placing his wife
and son in danger.” Wikipedia
Although production took place exclusively at EMI Elstree
Studios, the sets were all based on real locations such as the Ahwahee Hotel in
Yosemite National Park
Kuberik is trying to create tension in this horror movie
using many different techniques. Remember that architecture can make you feel all sorts of emotions; Calm, comfortable, awkward and tense, happy or sad. How does the image above make you feel?
Cold and isolated perhaps.
The perfect emotional response for a horror movie...
Following are some more example of how the
architecture of the movie helps to create growing tension throughout the movie.
Lets start with the bar scene. Jack
approaches- on axis. Everything is still calm. Jack has not yet lost his mind.
Note the colours and level of contrast, muted and soft.
The rule of
thirds comes into play as the discussion between Jack Nicholson and the bar
tender begins. Then back to centred images as they are shown individually.
As the tension in the scene grows the architecture changes. The contrast
increases with the bar tender lit from behind and Jack below (as if Jack needs
to be lit from below to look freaky). Then as things get odd the waiter and
jack head into the bathrooms.
Below is a link to the bar scene and a second
for the full bathrooms scene and a couple of still in case the links don't work for you
Two great bathrooms
This fabulous red and white bathroom; a visual and psychological
mash between red and white. The discussion begun earlier in the calm softly coloured bar escalates. The room already feels more tense than the last. Note the subtle red tiles on the floor alluding to drops of
blood as a discussion is made about a previous murder in the hotel.
The
framing of this scene with the camera sitting on axis in both directions
creating a disappearing point in the centre of the frame where the two men
speak. The disappearing point distorts objects into points likes
knives along the left edge.
The second amazing bathroom
contrasts with the first. Soft curves and a cool green to juxtapose with the
harsh lines and reds of the first bathroom. 'Room 237'
The focus is on the bath, which
appears a few times in the movie alluding the final bathroom scene. As the penultimate bathroom scene
contains nudity I’ll just post a still image sans bodies for the delicate folk.
Kubericks attention to detail is astounding
with this movie taking over a year to film. Take a look at a few other scenes.
Notice anything in common in these?
Dark and light/ centered framing/ Red and Green; Colours
used over and over to visually tie the movie scenes resulting in constant visual contrast.
The juxtaposition between
dark and light; a combined visual assault between light and colour.
The tensions grows....
Kuberic really does like the centered
image in this movie, the rule of thirds happens on occasion- generally when there's some action, but the centered, on
axis imagery is a real strong point. There's an awkwardness about it that adds to the tension. I love how in the opening of this
following scene the architecture is king; the room and all its glory. While he is
isolated, small, almost unnoticeable in the center, except for the jarring sound of the typewriter.
See how architecture can
create an intimacy or isolation.
Something else to notice in this writing
room scene at a distance he is centered, but once she enters the room she
disturbs the symmetry. Then interestingly
as they talk she is framed centered; even and calm, almost black and white (the sane one), while
his imagery is off center and messy- red and green again (the not so sane one).
Caution- bad
language!
The creepy corridor in this movie appears many times over.
The hotel is deserted yet ever door is ominous as a lovely child plays. The
plain white walls contrast against the wild carpet design creating feelings of
fear (whats behind those doors) and a hint of the mahem about to ensue (the
geometric carpet pattern).I wont give away the ending!
I'll leave it there. If you're up for one of the most iconic
horror movies that is scary but not that scary, this movie and its amazing
spaces are well worth the watch. The blog doesn't contain too many spoliers so there's more in store for those who dare....
