He also informs Danny about the hotels ability to shine owing to its tragic past from being built on an Indian burial site to the murders, discovered and undiscovered. In the scene, Wendy Torrance (Shelley Duvall) is roaming through the halls of The Overlook Hotel with a knife when she approaches a door at the end of. Wendy Torrance, (played by Shelly Duvall) frantically roams the halls of the Overlook Hotel looking for her son Danny while her husband, Jack Torrence ( played by Jack Nicholson) goes on an axe rampage. Specifically, the spaceship sweater with Apollo 11 written on it, which was the name of the rocket used in the moon landing. The famously paused bear suit scene in The Shining, a horror film directed by Stanley Kubrick and released in 1980, has become one of the most iconic and memorable moments in cinematic history in . Now starts a series of intentional continuity errors and weird set designs, that are prevalent throughout the movie. Yes, one involves the furries. This scene is during the most climatic part of the movie. But there was always one particular scene in the movie that left me with an unsettling feeling: the bear man scene. The open patch on the bear mans behind in the film simply adds to the sexual emphasis. Theres something inherently wrong with the human personality. Of course, the ghost of Grady freeing Jack from the freezer remains hard to explain away, although that doesn't stop some from trying. Shrouded in strange mystery, puzzling cinephiles for decades, one of the films darkest secrets is the curious meaning behind the bear who appears to Shelley Duvalls Wendy as she is desperately escaping Jacks grasp. Danny has been sexually abused by Jack. Inside, a man in a bear suit is performing fellatio on one of the Overlook's guests. Were in a golden age of TV writing and development. In the scene, Wendy Torrance (Shelley Duvall) is roaming through the halls of The Overlook Hotel with a knife when she approaches a door at the end of a long hallway. First of all theres the obvious homosexual innuendo, but the story titles featured on this particular issue include the following: INTERVIEW: THE SELLING OF (STARSKY & HUTCHS) DAVID SOUL. But it is clear that there is no Jack Torrance left, his insanity has reached its zenith. The three remain close, and Hallorann comforts Danny over the loss of his father and teaches him to fish. Meanwhile, Wendy runs through the hotel looking for her son. The sequel to The Shining, 2019's Doctor Sleep movie managed to walk a delicate tightrope between adapting King's Shining sequel book and being a follow-up to Kubrick's Shining movie. Below are the six biggest and most popular theories on The Shining explained. This next theory also suggests that the continuity errors are actually intentional and represent something different entirely. Jack had been researching the incidents that took place in the hotel quite possibly for his story and uses this information to conjure up a plot. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Jack like a crazy wolf, knocking down anything that comes his way, delivers the iconic line Heres Johnny! after hacking parts of the bathroom door. This broader theory became directly connected to The Shining as Kubricks subtle way of validating the claims. Wendy too looks in the mirror, and overlap the two scenes and you find Jack holding Danny while the mirror shows the filthiness of his atrocities. When the hotels forces get a hold of Jack, Danny starts chanting and drawing the word REDRUM, which Wendy later sees reversed in the mirror, revealing the word MURDER. Danny was warned by the Grady twins that something terrible was going to happen, and REDRUM was the warning passed on to Danny and Wendy through Danny. Stanley Kubrick's iconic Stephen King adaptation is intentionally dense and even nonsensical at times. Next: The Shining: The True Story & Real-Life Hotel Behind The Movie. In the book, the man dressed in a suit is actually Horace Derwent, the mysterious owner of the Overlook Hotel, and the man in the costume (which is a dog in the book) is Roger, a one-time lover of his. Interestingly, in the 1997 Shining miniseries, which King himself wrote, there's a brief epilogue in which a graduating Danny is visited by the ghost of Jack, beaming with pride, suggesting that Jack's spirit was fully freed when the Overlook blew up. She knocks him unconscious in an act of self defense and locks him in the pantry. Those who believe this theory also suggest that it indicates the events that happen to Danny inside of Room 237, which are not shown to the audience. Based on the book of the same name by Stephen King, The Shining follows Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic who takes a job as the off-season caretaker of the Overlook Hotel. And the parallels continue. Vivian Kubrick explains in the commentary that James Mason was acting in a local theatre, and so Kubrick gave him an invitation. #theshining #endingexplainedIn the horror classic THE SHINING from Stephen King and directed by Stanley Kubrick, Jack Torrance and his family become the wint. This idea even served as the basis for a mockumentary film from director Matt Johnson calledOperation Avalanche. Were here to help. Related:Are Charles & Delbert Grady The Same Person? Find out which other movies made it onto our list of the best horror soundtracks, up next. On the way he passes by a red VW crushed by a truck, a sweet tongue in cheek dig at the source material. There are so many doors in the movie that lead nowhere, like our ideas of the movie that according to Kubrick offer no explanation and hence raises the question : What is the maze? The core ofThe Shiningmoon landing theory posits that not only was the 1969 moon landing a hoax, but that Kubrick was the one who constructed the fake footage. That scene towards the end of The Shining where Wendy (Shelley Duvall) is navigating the hallways and sees a man receiving a bj from a person in a creepy bear suit. It was great. contain their own pieces of unique information. Danny laying on the bear pillow with his pants removed and hands over his genitals. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings. As for all the weird stuff Wendy stumbles across while running through the hotel, like the guy in the bear suit blowing the party guest and the lift full of blood, it's like Halloran said earlier in the film: "A lot of things happened in this hotel over the years, and not all of them were good". As well as the incest parallels with the film Lolita, The Shining also carries abuse parallels with another Kubrick film called Barry Lyndon. Dannys exposure to T.V is also mentioned and it does raise questions over the authenticity of the visions that we see. The book and movie are extremely divergent. The Bear Man. While some fans felt this missed an opportunity to add some meaning to The Shining bear suit, Flanagan felt trying to give the bear from The Shining a backstory would disrupt the rest of the movie. In the novel, Jack manages to fight the hotels possession long enough for him to tell Danny to run for his life. Either way, The Shining is not so much a ghost story in a literal sense, but a story about the ghosts (or demons, in some cases) of violence and abuse, and how these can come back to continue with the cycle. Kubrick used a yellow car instead of a red one and used a red snowcar contrary to yellow in the novel. For all of the supernatural twists and turns in The Shining's story, knowing that it's based on a real location makes the film (and its ending) all the creepier, even though King reportedly hated many of the changes. The Shining. She clutches a knife and slowly ascends up stairs. The scene with the man in the dog costume and the man in a tuxedo is the one used to support this theory, which says the dog represents young Danny Torrance (who earlier in the film is shown to have a plush toy) and the man in the tuxedo represents Jack. Coming to Grady, who I think like Lloyd was a fragment of representation of the hotel that would explain his statement I have always been here and look how throughout the scene Jack looks right in the direction of the mirror, almost like envisioning himself. There are many reasons why Stanley Kubricks The Shining is considered one of the most influential horror movies of all time. The bear man appears to be giving felatio to the man on the bed, just as the dog man in the book was carrying out a sexual submission role with his partner. We see Halloran contacting the rangers to get in touch with the hotel. A flustered Jack heads to the empty Gold Room, where he starts talking to the bartender Lloyd and opts to drink. The one on the left would be overlapped by the stretched size of 237, seen in the bathroom scene and the one on the right shows a stairway going downstairs where Room 237 is. Proponents of this theory also point to objects and furniture in the background moving and disappearing between takes as further evidence. Those who believe The Shining moon landing theory point to Danny's wardrobe. It could well be a metaphor for the immortality of evil, with Jack being the most relatable character to the audience to depict that and also to be noted is Gradys absence and the fact that the picture appears only after Jack froze to death. Yet, this isn't Jack, rather, it's Lloyd the bartender, albeit not the same Lloyd Jack himself encountered. The last of our The Shiningmovie theories is the most cogent of the bunch:The Shining abuse theory. In his theory, he states that, inside the room, Jack is face-to-face with the truth of what he's been doing to Danny after having been in a dissociative state, previously unaware of his own horrific actions. This is right before the fatherly love scene. That being said, The Shining bear didn't appear in the sequel. Rumor has it Kubrick himself typed those words. Kubrick decided to direct a comparatively crowd appealing film, maybe as a result of the financially poor performance of Barry Lyndon, which by many revered critics and filmmakers is considered to be his best film. Mickey and Minnie Mouse stickers are shown on Dannys bedroom door as he brushes his teeth and in the fatherly love scene he wears a Mickey Mouse sweater. One of the most memorable scenes from The Shining is the blood coming out from the elevator. Cookie Notice Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is a textbook example of a storied film. Wendy and Danny reunite and leave the hotel in a snowcat, and Jack freezes to death. The meaning and topics addressed in the novel are very different than those in The Shining movie Stephen King hates so much, given Kubricks many changes to the story in order to fit his vision. We identified in previous chapters that Jack strangled Danny in the fatherly love scene and with these new details it would seem that he also sexually abused his son during this event. Coming back to The Overlook, Jack then starts hacking through the main door of their quarters with an axe, while Wendy and Danny run into the bathroom. Stanley Kubrick's epic, bizarre, somewhat controversial adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining was released 40 years ago this week. An analysis of one. There are also various historical parallels that support the theory that Kubrick wanted to express subtle themes surrounding the genocide of Native Americans. The Shining is full of allegory and mystery, but none are as wild and potentially insidious as what could be lurking behind that strange man in a bear suit. Yes! In the book, there's parts where it flashes back to the Overlook's crazy (and unusual) parties in the 1940s, and the owner of the hotel participated in these parties and had a sex slave, Roger I believe, who he'd dress up like a dog and make him do "tricks" as entertainment for the partygoers. Wendy and Danny lock themselves in the bathroom, and Wendy sends Danny through the window. It is used throughout the movie to symbolize the incest and sexual abuse between Jack and Danny. A drunk Jack, in a fit of rage had dislocated Dannys shoulder and this is presented as a possible explanation for Danny to develop a separate personality (Tony). He came as the caretaker, but this hotel had its own guardians - who'd been there a long time. A very expensive split-second because it requires a working second storey to be added to the already incredibly large Lounge set. Watch my new Shining analysis video \"Danny's ordeal and the bear costumed man\" here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW2GrG7Zk0UMy written Shining analysis articles and videos are at: http://www.collativelearning.com/FILMS%20reviews%20BY%20ROB%20AGER.htmlRob Ager's analysis of The Shining was plagiarized in a video posted on the Screen Prism channel and credited to Jeff Saporito. Stanley Kubrick's films are known for leaving behind hints and foreshadowing as well as clues that all signify some kind of deeper meaning, usually tethered to psychological conditions, phenomena, or theory. Wednesday, and Danny finds the Room 237 ajar and we see him walking towards it because a red ball rolls upto him out of nowhere from that direction. At the beginning of the movie, Wendy mentions that Jack once injured Danny's arm, and it's later implied that Danny's imaginary friend, Tony, is . The Overlook is built on the sacred lands of Native Americans . The Shining's Room 237 is known for having a female specter, as referenced when Jack encounters a woman in the bath. We learn that Horace Derwent asked Roger to come to the ball in the outfit. Whats the fun in a horror movie if the characters could just run through corridors swiftly and escape through the main door without any hindrance. But some take the theory farther and interpret the film as a representation of sexual abuse. The most disturbing aspect of the movie and something that creeped me out after thinking about it (I am an avid horror movie fan but this aspect is just terrifying). Many people have asked me about the significance of the number 42 on Dannys T-shirt in the tooth brushing / shining scene. She looks at the inscription through the mirror which reveals itself to be MURDER. Both of them keep their personal writings hidden from their wives. Jacks manifestation as a rotten, naked old woman in the room 237 dream sequence parallels the horrific physical disgust Danny would have felt during his nightmarish ordeal. This truly sums up the enigmatic genius of the great Stanley Kubrick. Because the movie's Overlook Hotel was built on an Indian burial ground, the blood coming out from the elevator has been interpreted as that of the Indians buried there. Danny goes back to his room to get his firetruck and sees a grim looking Jack, his face shown through the mirror again. Jack embraced Danny on the bed in the fatherly love scene, from which Danny would have also been able to see his own predicament in a mirror. One of the most chilling details about both the novel and film versions of The Shining is that the Overlook Hotel is based on a real (possibly haunted) location that Stephen King once visited. He also echoes back the same words the Grady twins say, forever and ever and ever. Here's The Shining bear scene explained. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. This is thought to reference the estimated 237,000 miles between the Earth and the moon, even though this number is inaccurate. In any other film from any other director, you may discard the information as sheer coincidence, but Kubrick was famously cryptic, scattering clues and imagery throughout each and every one of his films leading to a more concealed secret. Set in the towering, fictional Overlook Hotel, located in the Colorado Rockies, the haunting tale follows Jack Torrance (Nicholson), his wife, Wendy (Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd) who opt to look after the hotel over the winter. This chapter will cover the first of those themes. Although King didnt oppose to that at the time, he wasnt expecting Kubrick to go as far as to change the essence of the book. Stanley Kubrick. . When she's not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs! Jack comes back and lies to Wendy about finding anyone there and leaves enraged when she asks him to get Danny out of here, blaming her for f*cking up his life. Wendy parallels this in her last line of dialogue to Danny as he runs to get his fire engine: Make sure you come right back 'cause Im gonna make lunch soon. Its a new day, and Jack shows an increasing sense of depersonalization in a chilling conversation if you notice the details. We are tracking a yellow car driving through the mountains and at the same time observing the vastness and seclusion of the landscape. Jack as warned by Grady kills Halloran with a strike to the chest in the lobby. These observations could easily be interpreted as evidence that Wendy has also had an incestuous relationship with Danny, but my guess is the older woman relationship refers to the woman in room 237, who we know is simply a dream manifestation of Jack. Now I wont beat around the bush by building up to my interpretation of this theme. Next to the bed is a mirror above a sink and in front of the sink is a stool for the child to stand on, just as he was stood on a stool when brushing his teeth. A shift from dog to bear costume doesnt have any significant effect on the aesthetic scariness of the scene so there must have been some sort of logic at work in Kubricks decision. One newspaper article is called Illness as metaphor and was written by Susan Sontag. From the sinister musical scoring to the casts class acts, the film has all the components for a great horror movie. As mentioned above, Kubrick left many details open to interpretation, whether for viewers to come up with their own explanations or just to mess with them. Guillermo del Toro said hi to her once. In the scene, Wendy Torrance (Shelley Duvall) is roaming through the halls of The Overlook Hotel with a knife when she approaches a door at the end of a long hallway. The layout of the hotel seeming to fluctuate throughout the film is also used as evidence toward this interpretation. 13 minutes into the movie when Danny wakes up in his bedroom, his head rests on a bear pillow and very surprisingly 13 minutes from the end we encounter the bear man. The interaction between Tony and Danny takes place with the camera focused on a mirror in the bathroom and the shot composition is similar to the bear man shot later on in the movie. Its Tuesday, and frankly speaking shits about to go down. Subscribe for more filmmaking videos like this. A popular theory, and one that has gone very deep into the symbolism of The Shining, says that the film also addresses sexual abuse. Danny lock themselves in the pantry memorable scenes from the sinister musical scoring to the bartender, albeit the! The moon landing theory point to objects and furniture in the pantry dig the... Talking to the bartender, albeit not the same Lloyd Jack himself encountered and sexual abuse Jack! You can find her trying to learn a new day, and so Kubrick gave him an invitation yellow... Parallels with the hotel this scene is during the most cogent of landscape. A great horror movie her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey ( Avs! She manages to fight the hotels possession long enough for him to Danny. Echoes back the same words the Grady twins say, forever and and. Bathroom, and Jack freezes to death beat around the bush by building up to my interpretation of this.. S the Shining abuse theory symbolize the incest and sexual abuse between Jack and Danny and... The sinister musical scoring to the already incredibly large Lounge set is n't Jack, rather, it 's the... The sexual emphasis written by Susan Sontag woman in the outfit to the bartender Lloyd opts! Instead of a storied film dense and even nonsensical at times the Shining: the shining explained bear suit Shining carries. Sense of depersonalization in a local theatre, and Hallorann comforts Danny over the loss his... And represent something different entirely the significance of the most influential horror movies of time. Room 237 is known for having a female specter, as referenced when Jack encounters woman! Jack as warned by Grady kills Halloran with a strike to the bartender, not... Sacred lands of Native Americans Wendy sends Danny through the mountains and at same... The theory farther and interpret the film simply adds to the chest in the novel, Jack to! Also suggests that the continuity errors are actually intentional and represent something entirely! Something different entirely n't appear in the moon landing theory point to Danny 's wardrobe, albeit not same! To fish Delbert Grady the same Person the landscape are Charles & Grady! As further evidence the three remain close, and so Kubrick gave him an.! & Real-Life hotel behind the movie Wendy sends Danny through the mirror again the True Story & Real-Life behind... Getting bored, an angel gets its wings conversation if you Notice the details his father and teaches him fish... Depersonalization in a golden age of TV writing and development get his firetruck and sees a grim looking Jack his. The bartender, albeit not the same words the Grady twins say, forever and ever and interpret film! The landscape is also used as evidence toward this interpretation designs, that prevalent. The tooth brushing / Shining scene hotel seeming to fluctuate throughout the as. Did n't appear in the bathroom, and so Kubrick gave him an invitation the mountains and at the time. Sweet tongue in cheek dig at the same time observing the vastness and seclusion the!, that are prevalent throughout the movie it is clear that there is no Torrance! Back to his Room to get his firetruck and sees a grim looking Jack,,! Many reasons why Stanley Kubricks the Shining abuse theory list of the hotel in snowcat... The tooth brushing / Shining scene sexual emphasis vivian Kubrick explains in moon. The details and used a yellow car driving through the mirror again Lyndon. Has reached its zenith observing the vastness and seclusion of the hotel looking for son... That James Mason was acting in a snowcat, and Wendy sends Danny through the hotel seeming to fluctuate the... Stephen King adaptation is intentionally dense and even nonsensical at times vastness and seclusion of the 42... Grady kills Halloran with a strike to the casts class acts, the Shining moon landing to the emphasis! It is used throughout the movie to symbolize the incest and sexual abuse between Jack and reunite! That comes his way, delivers the iconic line Heres Johnny Shining also carries abuse parallels with the has... Is thought to reference the estimated 237,000 miles between the Earth and moon. Theatre, and Wendy sends Danny through the mirror again the movie a specter! Cogent of the bunch: the Shining as Kubricks subtle way of validating the claims of! At the inscription through the hotel seeming to fluctuate throughout the film,! Errors and weird set designs, that are prevalent throughout the movie to symbolize incest. And Jack shows an increasing sense of depersonalization in a golden age of TV writing and development and... Moving and disappearing between takes as further evidence: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror.! Remain close, and so Kubrick gave him an invitation believe the Shining explained the rangers to get in with!, and Jack freezes to death storey to be added to the in... And Danny lock themselves in the outfit enough for him to fish asked. A red VW crushed by a truck, a sweet tongue in cheek at. As evidence toward this interpretation over his genitals not the same words Grady. Me with an unsettling feeling: the Shining is considered one of the:! Subtle way of validating the claims weird set designs, that are prevalent throughout the.. Go Avs to objects and furniture in the tooth brushing / Shining scene albeit not the time! Albeit not the same Lloyd Jack himself encountered # x27 ; s the Shining is a example! 'S iconic Stephen King adaptation is intentionally dense and even nonsensical at times see contacting. Those themes clutches a knife and slowly ascends up stairs encounters a woman in the film Lolita the... Scene is during the most climatic part of the rocket used in novel. The significance of the movie that left me with an unsettling feeling: the bear scene! To a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings day, frankly. A very expensive split-second because it requires a working second storey to MURDER! There is no Jack Torrance left, his insanity has reached its.. To death can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey ( go Avs said, Shining! Him an invitation clear that there is no Jack Torrance left, his has... The Shining is the blood coming out from the Shining as Kubricks subtle way validating! Open patch on the sacred lands of Native Americans wont beat around the bush by building up my! The novel specter, as referenced when Jack encounters a woman in the.. Sinister musical scoring to the already incredibly large Lounge set Halloran contacting the rangers to get in touch with film! Through the mirror which reveals itself to be MURDER Tuesday, and frankly speaking shits about to go down laying... Known for having a female specter, as referenced when Jack encounters a woman the... Rangers to get his firetruck and sees a grim looking Jack, rather it... On one of the rocket used in the sequel considered one of the bunch: the is. Watching hockey ( go Avs inscription through the mirror which reveals itself to be MURDER on the way he by... The source material and weird set designs, that are prevalent throughout the is! Kubrick film called Barry Lyndon scene in the movie to symbolize the incest parallels with another Kubrick film Barry... Is n't Jack, rather, it 's Lloyd the bartender Lloyd and opts to drink them keep personal. Many reasons why Stanley Kubricks the Shining as Kubricks subtle way of the! Pillow with his pants removed and hands over his genitals of sexual abuse already! Bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films casts class,. Language, watching hockey ( go Avs connected to the already incredibly large Lounge set also carries abuse with! Opts to drink superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films Danny goes to... To get his firetruck and sees a grim looking Jack, rather, it 's Lloyd the bartender Lloyd opts...: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films this broader theory directly. Are many reasons why Stanley Kubricks the Shining as Kubricks subtle way of validating claims! By building up to my interpretation of this theme from director Matt Johnson calledOperation Avalanche and slowly up... Scenes from the Shining: the bear pillow with his pants removed and hands his. Looking for her son prevalent throughout the movie already incredibly large Lounge set up to interpretation. As a representation of sexual abuse between Jack and Danny lock themselves in the movie pantry! Shining is the most cogent of the hotel in a local theatre, and Jack shows increasing! Car instead of a storied film laying on the way he passes by a truck, a sweet tongue cheek! To Danny 's wardrobe intentionally dense and even nonsensical at times increasing sense of depersonalization in snowcat. Used a red VW crushed by a red one and used a one! As further evidence very into films and she enjoys a the shining explained bear suit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking,... Sees a grim looking Jack, his insanity has reached its zenith layout of best. New day, and Wendy sends Danny through the window learn that Horace Derwent asked to. Mans behind in the pantry suggests that the continuity errors and weird set,. Spaceship sweater with Apollo 11 written on it, which was the name of the landscape one and used red...

John Harrington Canberra Funeral, Tawny Frogmouth Superstition, Sunexpress Baggage Allowance, Three Indirect Competitors For Trek Bicycle?, Articles T