The Shining (1980)
A classic horror film that is nothing like the book.
The Shining follows the Torrence family as they take care of the Overlook hotel while it’s closed for the winter months. The hotel is situated high up in the mountains and the road to it is so treacherous that it’s nearly impossible to get in or out. We learn that the hotel has a marred past of tragedy: the former caretaker murdered his family before killing himself. Despite all of this, Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson) happily takes the job as the hotel caretaker. He believes that the isolation will not be an issue for him, in fact, it might give him the opportunity to write, something he has struggled with.
Clearly, he has never been in quarantine before.
While revisiting this film again, I was struck by the performances. Both Jack Nicholson and Shelly Duvall gave thrilling performances. They were fully dedicated to their characters; I believed what they were doing on screen. Kubrick pushed both of these actors past their limits and it truly paid off. While I had some issues with the characters themselves, I felt the terror from Wendy (Duvall) and the madness from Jack — I didn’t question their authenticity. I think part of the reason Shelly Duvall has gotten such flack for this film is because of the character she had to work with, not her skills as an actress.
