Film Analysis Of The Shining, By Stanley Kubrick

In my opinion Stanley Kubrick is, to this day, one of America’s greatest directors. He is renowned for directing films like Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange; Stanley Kubrick doesn’t just limit himself to one type of genre, he works across the entire spectrum and, still, each and every one of his films demonstrate flawless directing, a palpable atmosphere and a great sense of intelligence. The Shining is one of his later works and it is widely deemed one of, if not THE, greatest horror film ever made. It is based on Stephen King's 1977 novel; however Kubrick very much took the storyline into his own hands for the film and made a considerable amount of changes throughout. It is a captivating, twisted and sinister film which is as notorious in popular culture today as it was when it first came out.
The main character in the film, Jack Torrence, is played by Jack Nicholson; the story starts when he is given the caretaking responsibilities in the Overlook Hotel, which is a colossal residence full of history, situated in the heart of the Rocky

The greatest instance of this is at the end of the film, in the hedge maze –we have come across the maze earlier on in the movie, however, not in the night-time under low blue lighting, and not in the snow. The snow, here, is utilised to make the landscape more dangerous and ambiguous. Danny leaves tracks behind him in the snow as he is running around the maze, which means Jack is easily able to follow him. It’s as if the landscape is maintaining Danny’s footprints for the benefit of his psychotic father; it’s nearly as if it is alive in this sense, and is clinging to the past. The snow is also utilised as a way to isolate the characters from the outside world, which is also a typical problem observed in many horror