Understanding This Blog.

The Shining has to be one of the most unique horror films I've ever seen. First of all, again, reminding who ever is reading that these countdown on Kubrick's films are more about the hidden narrative than the main storyline itself. So, let's begin.

THE SHINING

The hidden narrative in THE SHINING is: there are no ghosts; the hotel isn't haunted. One of the main narrative is domestic violence. I know it will be fairly controversial for me and please understand I am not making a statement but just an opinion on Kubrick's direction of the film. So, don't flame me. Okay? :P

There Are No Ghost!

Yes. No ghost. let me explain why there's no ghost nor the hotel itself is haunted. How do we came to the idea of the hotel being haunted? Well it was by the hotel manager telling the newly employed winter caretaker, Jack Torrance (played by Jack Nicholson), that the previous caretaker had gone crazy and murdered his family: His wife and two daughters, age 8 and 10. He went on to say that the hotel was built upon an Indian burial site (this theme is unique to the film as it was not in Stephen King's The Shining novel which, the film was based). This is a way Kubrick telling us allot of people die here thusplayeda trick in our mind that the hotelcan be haunted.

So, Kubrick had pretty much followed the novel's haunted hotel plot but the similarity ends there. By the first time when the audience saw what appears to be the ghosts of the murdered little girls in the playroom, we assumed they were the one that the manager talked about however, they were twins. Now, remember the hotel manager told Jack the two murdered girls were age 8 and 10... Not twins. Also, the twin girls doesn't look Indian either therefore are not ghosts from the burial site where the hotel were built.

So... Who are the twins? - Well, first, a way of Kubrick mocking the audience attention and how easily we can be tricked into thinking there are ghosts inside the hotel. Secondly, where does it fit in the story line of Kubrick's The Shining? - The Twins are a symbolic representation of Jack's wife, Wendy and son, Danny.

Later, when the new caretaker, Jack Torrance went in the Gold Room in the hotel, sat at the bar wanted a drink and found nobody was there then Jack covered his face in disappointment... suddenly, a bartender appeared - That has to be a ghost, right? Well, not exactly. Why? - Behind the Bartender there was a mirror, a mirror reflecting Jack's own reflection... meaning, Jack was seeing himself and talking to himself and not to a ghost. Also, the Bartender's clothing colour mirrored what Jack's wearing at the time thus further indicating Jack was talking to his reflection. Considering that, every time when Jack seems to be talking to a ghost, there's always a mirror in front of Jack, reflecting his reflection. So why would Jack talk to himself believing he was talking to someone else or even a ghost? The answer is simple, he was drunk and he is an alcoholic (which later, fits in with the domestic violence theme).

Much later in the film, the twins reappears in a hall way where Jack's son, Danny were playing. It is one of the most iconic scene for a Horror Movie - The Twins standing motionless in the hallway, holding each other's hand saying "come play with us Danny". Now, if you look at the wallpaper, you can see the parterns of the wallpaper formed an endless question marks '?', Kubrick again telling us to 'question' whether these twin girls are ghosts or just a vivid imagination of Danny. Of course, I've already established that the twin girls are symbolic representation of Danny and his mother - As Danny can sensed the danger being locked inside a grand hotel with his drunken father.

Danny's Domestic Violence

Of course, you can now point out the woman/old woman in the infamous room 234. Surely, that has to be a ghost. Once again, not exactly. That scene where Jack walks into room 234, saw the naked woman in the bathroom, gestured him to her and they embraced then suddenly the naked woman transformed into an ugly old woman is a symbolic representation of Jack's abusive (even sexual) behaviour towards his own son, Danny. How? Well one very obvious indication is when Jack were shocked to see the ugly old woman and tried to get away, the audience are seeing from Jack's point of view, the angle of the camera were lowered thus the camera position is looking upward to the ugly old woman like a child!

In conjunction to the paragraph above, you may ask, why are we seeing Jack instead of Danny then? well, the answer is simple: Danny were dreaming. The entire scene of room 234 is a dream sequence. Where Danny placed himself as his abuser (common for victim of abuse and domestic violence) and the naked woman were actually Danny's father, Jack suggesting a sexual gesture. Then of course, to Danny, such an act was horrific and traumatic thus the transformation of naked woman into an ugly old woman. Danny saw the true ugliness of his father.

Then there is the wife. Wendy Torrance (played by Shelley Duvall) was weak minded and in way, scared of her husband. This is very different from King's version of Mrs Torrance in the book where she is strong and a lovely wife. Such difference from Kubrick's version has only one explanation, he wanted the domestic violence hidden narrative to be more visible. That's not all, of course. Once Particular scene where Jack, her husband was working on his novel, Shelly, his wife walked in and asked how he was doing? Immediately, Jack was so annoyed, snapped and shouting at Shelly for disturbing him... She was just there for a second, not long, just a second. How annoyed can you get? Such agressive behaviour isvery similar to actual behaviour of an abusive husband in a domestic violence case. Of course, this wouldn't go unnotice to Danny.

More is more.

There are allot more hidden narratives and symbolic theme in The Shining which would be too much to explain in just one blog. However, it is not the point of such a blog therefore if you want to discuss certain scenes or theme or object, even/// You can post it in your comment or PM me. I will do my best to reply asap. :)

Anyway... Continuing on. My final thought. Kubrick is telling us that domestic violence can go unnoticed as he had hidden such narrative within The Shining. When watching the film, not paying careful attention, such can turn a blind eye towards domestic violence. Of course, is an issue which isnot a simple task to just see it and do something about it but rather... Kubrick wants us to be more observant and seek what's hidden around you and yourself only then, we can in some way act upon it.

Thanks for reading.

Thomas