Shining, The (1980)

A Masterpiece Of Modern Horror

Original Title :	The Shining
Director :	Stanley Kubrick
Writer :	Stephen King Stanley Kubrick Diane Johnson
Genre :	Horror
	Thriller
Country :	UK
Language :	English
Producer :	Robert Fryer , Jan Harlan , Mary Lea Johnson , Stanley Kubrick , Martin Richards
Music :	Wendy Carlos Rachel Elkind
Photography :	John Alcott
IMDB ID :	0081505
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poster for "Shining, The" by Stanley Kubrick (1980)

Shining, The (1980) - Stanley Kubrick

Starring

Jack Nicholson		Jack Torrance
Shelley Duvall		Wendy Torrance
Danny Lloyd		Danny Torrance
Scatman Crothers		Dick Hallorann
Barry Nelson		Stuart Ullman
Philip Stone		Delbert Grady
Joe Turkel		Lloyd, Overlook bartender
Anne Jackson		Doctor
Tony Burton		Larry Durkin
Lia Beldam		Young woman in bath
Billie Gibson		Old woman in bath
Barry Dennen		Bill Watson
David Baxt		Forest Ranger
Manning Redwood		Forest Ranger
Lisa Burns		Grady daughter
Louise Burns		Grady daughter
Robin Pappas		Nurse
Alison Coleridge		Suzie (Mr. Ulman's secretary
Burnell Tucker		Policeman
Jana Sheldon		Stewardess
Kate Phelps		Receptionist
Norman Gay		Injured guest
Vivian Kubrick		Smoking guest on ballroom couch (uncredited

Plot

Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) gets a job as the custodian of the Overlook Hotel, in the mountains of Colorado. The place is closed down during winter, and Torrance and his family will be the only occupants of the hotel for a long while. When the snow storms block the Torrance family in the hotel, Jack's son Danny - who has some clairvoyance and telepathy powers - discovers that the hotel is haunted and that the spirits are slowly driving Jack crazy. When Jack meets the ghost of Mr. Grady, the former custodian of the hotel who murdered his wife and his two daughters, things begin to get really nasty...

Comments

A great horror story from Stephen King is given the Kubrick treatment here, which results in sheer brilliance, only weighed down by a confused storyline. The story has not only been adapted but also it has been manipulated by Kubrick, giving the film an uneasy ambivalence, especially at the end. Other than the screenplay, the film rarely faults, and it is always intense and intriguing to watch, even when one does not understand. Technically, it is an ultimate horror experience, with a rather sterling production design and excellent cinematography. Great sound effects and an underplayed haunting music score are able to create an astonishing atmosphere that is perfect for the film. Also generally well acted and rather well directed, it is a shame that the screenplay lets a bravura horror film down, even if it is still excellent nonetheless.