Review of “The Shining”

Review of “The Shining(ˈSHīniNG)”

By Roger Ebert

Stanley(ˈstanlē) Kubrick’s(ˈko͝obrik) cold and frightening(ˈfrītn) “The Shining” challenges us to decide: Who is the reliable(rəˈlīəb(ə)l) observer(əbˈzərvər)? Whose idea of events can we trust? In the opening scene at a job interview, the characters seem reliable enough, although the dialogue has a formality(fôrˈmalədē) that echoes(ˈekō) the small talk on the space station in “2001.” We meet Jack Torrance(ˈtär-,ˈtôrəns) (Jack Nicholson(ˈnikəlsən)), a man who plans to live for the winter in solitude(ˈsäləˌt(y)o͞od) and isolation(ˌīsəˈlāSHən) with his wife and son. He will be the caretaker(ˈke(ə)rˌtākər) of the snowbound(ˈsnōˌbound) Overlook Hotel. His employer(əmˈploiər) warns that a former caretaker murdered(ˈmərdər) his wife and two daughters(ˈdä-,ˈdôtər), and committed suicide(ˈso͞oiˌsīd), but Jack reassures(ˌrēəˈSHo͝or) him: “You can rest assured(əˈSHo͝ord), Mr. Ullman(ō), that’s not gonna(ˈgônə,ˈgənə) happen with me. And as far as my wife is concerned(kənˈsərnd), I’m sure she’ll be absolutely fascinated(ˈfasəˌnāt) when I tell her about it. She’s a confirmed(kənˈfərmd) ghost(gōst) story and horror(ˈhär-,ˈhôrər) film addict(əˈdiktəd).”

Do people talk this way about real tragedies(ˈtrajədē)? Will his wife be absolutely fascinated? Does he ever tell her about it? Jack, wife Wendy (Shelley(ˈSHelē) Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd(loid)) move into the vast hotel just as workers are shutting it down for the winter; the chef(SHef), Dick(dik) Hallorann (Scatman Crothers) gives them a tour(to͝or), with emphasis(ˈemfəsəs) on the food storage locker (“You folks can eat up here a whole year and never have the same menu twice”). Then they’re alone, and a routine(ro͞oˈtēn) begins: Jack sits at a typewriter in the great hall, pounding relentlessly(rəˈlentləslē) at his typewriter, while Wendy and Danny put together a version of everyday life that includes breakfast cereal(ˈsi(ə)rēəl), toys and a lot of TV. There is no sense that the three function together as a loving family.

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https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-shining-1980