ew films inspire as many diverse fan theories and interpretations as Stanley Kubricks, a film that can be definitively explained? I believe this prominently takes place in the scene where Jack makes Danny sit on his lap. Well explain each theory, why people believe it, and look at the corroborating evidence. ", Doctor: "Does Tony ever ask you to do things? Over the past four decades, The Shining has been picked apart, shot by shot, by hundreds of viewers looking for hidden meanings, ranging from film scholars who adore the work of Kubrick to conspiracy theorists who think that Kubrick was involved in faking the Moon landing. It was great. Its understood for people to develop a separate identity as a result of trauma, with the identity built upon the very details of such incidents, i.e, Tony living in Dannys mouth and Dannys reluctance to talk about it. In the novel, Jack manages to fight the hotels possession long enough for him to tell Danny to run for his life. 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. It is less of a stretch to consider this interpretation as a distillation of clear subtext on child abuse that some viewers might miss. We see an overly terrified Wendy screaming in agony at the sight, but slashes Jacks hand when he tries to turn the knob open. Is she a lesbian? The horrific happenings, the fact that the Torrance family is trapped, and the suggestion that Jack has been in the hotel for decades support The Shining analysis that the Overlook represents hell. Kubrick didnt just show us random footage from the set. Famous Guns in Movies Cinemas Most Creative Movie Guns, What is SAG-AFTRA Guild History, Eligibility & Membership. As well as the incest parallels with the film Lolita, The Shining also carries abuse parallels with another Kubrick film called Barry Lyndon. Here's The Shining bear scene explained. Inside, a man in a bear suit is performing fellatio on one of the Overlook's guests. The aforementioned sequel, Doctor Sleep, got a cinematic adaptation that serves as both a sequel to The Shining novel and Kubricks film, in a way. She clutches a knife and slowly ascends up stairs. Connecting the dots, The Shining bear man and his partner could be stand-ins for Danny and Jack. The novel decided to show all the images at the beginning, while Kubrick decided to use the conventional step by step process to create suspense. A flustered Jack heads to the empty Gold Room, where he starts talking to the bartender Lloyd and opts to drink. The following video is based upon chapters 16 & 17 of this analysis, though both the video and article equivalents We learn that Horace Derwent asked Roger to come to the ball in the outfit. The three remain close, and Hallorann comforts Danny over the loss of his father and teaches him to fish. Its actually quite simple. The ghost is Delbert Grady, and the past caretaker was Charles Grady. The bank that won't pass on rate rises unless you ring and ask: Just one of the ruses greedy lenders use to squeeze savers and pump up profits it is impossible not to mention the documentary Room 237. The second obvious factor is that Kubrick has omitted the entire back story associated to the dog costumed man in the book, leaving his audience at a complete loss as to the scenes meaning. All Rights Reserved. Your email address will not be published. Tony is a little boy that lives in my mouth, Danny states, complaining about his mental condition, to which the doctor replies: If you were to open your mouth could I see TonyDoes Tony ever ask you to do things?. This led to him intentionally reversing a lot of features from the book, changing them, experimenting with them and using disrupted continuity. Not only that, but Wendy is wearing Jacks blue robe. And another strange aspect is that there are lots of pornographic pictures of women on the billboard in the basement (see HD version of the film). While Danny's barbs do eventually seem to wake up part of Jack's consciousness from inside his Lloyd identity, whatever good he had left in him was clearly erased once Jack was fully taken over. Netflix. We see this relationship between Vitali and Danny when shooting the scene of Danny looking for a hiding space. He even sought to create an alternate adaptation of his novel in the form of a television mini-series in the '90s. The infamous bear costume scene and the quick view of Jack reading a Playgirl magazine are pointed to as evidence that Dannys abuse goes beyond physical into sexual. The aforementioned Room 237 doc covers this theory and the following video digs even deeper into this Native American genocide interpretation. Subscribe for more filmmaking videos like this. Buy a book on film making from any part of the world, either Russia or Japan or Sweden, and youll find this name mentioned not once but in every chapter, ranging from minutely monumental details like breaking the 180 degree rule to establishing genres like science fiction and satirical comedy. There seems to be many hints in the film that Wendy is aware of her sons abuse and is covering up and denying the issue. There are many reasons why Stanley Kubricks The Shining is considered one of the most influential horror movies of all time. This truly sums up the enigmatic genius of the great Stanley Kubrick. Based on the book of the same name by Stephen King, The Shining follows Jack Torrance ( Jack Nicholson ), a writer who has been hired as the winter caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in. 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. , including our own theory that its actually a Christmas movie! He was an auteur with an exclusive vision and wouldnt settle for anything less. Watch the scene below and let us know what you think the scariest scene in The Shining is. That being said, The Shining bear didn't appear in the sequel. The Shining Caretaker Explained. Lover of foreign films; hater of American remakes. 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. The core of this theory suggests thatThe Shiningis secretly about CIA mind control experiments. Jack as warned by Grady kills Halloran with a strike to the chest in the lobby. contain their own pieces of unique information. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. Unable to pass through that same window, Wendy is trapped when Jack arrives and breaks through the door with the axe the famous Heres Johnny! scene. He decided to adapt Stephen Kings best selling novel, The Shining. In addition to beating him, Jack sexually abuses Danny. So how can you break put from the pack and get your idea onto the small screen? Yes! Although this makes sense, Kubrick himself has said the photo actually suggests Jack being a reincarnation of an earlier official at the hotel. The first thing to note is that in the film the guy is dressed in a bear costume instead of a dog costume. Realizing that he is leaving footprints in the snow, Danny carefully maneuvers backwards over his own . Look carefully at this teddy pillow. We are shown a photograph in the hallway at the end, which is dated July 4,1921 and has Jack smiling with a crowd of people at a party. One newspaper article is called Illness as metaphor and was written by Susan Sontag. This is typed inconsistently throughout , with typos and no punctuations highlighting Jacks own ever-growing trance or unstable mental health over the course. For more information, please see our The Ultimate Guide to Call Sheets (with FREE Call Sheet Template), How to Break Down a Script (with FREE Script Breakdown Sheet), The Only Shot List Template You Need with Free Download, Managing Your Film Budget Cashflow & PO Log (Free Template), A Better Film Crew List Template Booking Sheet, Best Storyboard Softwares (with free Storyboard Templates), What is an Antagonist in a Story Definition & Examples, What is Telos: The Ultimate Guide to Understand Telos for Video Marketing, What is an Anecdote Definition, Examples, and Functions, What is a Memoir Definition, Examples in Literature & Film. Also introduced is an invisible character Tony, who apparently lives inside Dannys mouth. 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. This theory goes all the way back to classic Greek myths. It. This theory not only gives The Shining a darker turn but also gives meaning to the over-analyzed s cene of the man in the tuxedo and the one in a bear costume. The Shining is a film about cyclical violence, and about how we can't escape the dark specter of history. There are lots of parallels going on here. Charles Grady killed his family with an axe, and Jack was on track to replicate that. This concept is further paralleled in our first view of Dannys bedroom in the Overlook. But it is clear that there is no Jack Torrance left, his insanity has reached its zenith. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. He also made a brief appearance in one of the bizarre " WTF ?" scenes in the 1980 adaptation of The Shining by director Stanley Kubrick. Directly above Dannys bed is a framed picture of two bears, one standing and one sitting. ", Doctor: "If you were to open your mouth could I see Tony? Triggered by Dannys psychic abilities, the hotel releases some dangerous supernatural forces that mess with Jacks sanity and the safety of Wendy and Danny. Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. Its now even more clear why Kubrick chose such a sombre piece of music for the fatherly love scene. Perhaps the most analyzed part of The Shining is the ending; the final shot in the Stephen King movie adaptation is a 1921 photograph showing Jack with other guests in the hotels ballroom. the scene really doesnt make sense in the movie and i've never read the book so idk if its explained there. Danny has visions about the hotel right after Jack gets the job and during his time at the hotel, and has a traumatizing experience when drawn into the forbidden room 237. This is one of the more straightforward and most believableThe Shiningtheories in circulation. Danny driving a different tricycle, the disappearance of the wooden mantelpiece, the typewriters changing or a shot of Jack waking up right after a tracking shot (which is shown through a mirror, a reflection of reality in the movie). The supposed connection is that Monarch is believed to be the codename for one of the CIAs mind control experiments, though this is mere conjecture. 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. There are also various historical parallels that support the theory that Kubrick wanted to express subtle themes surrounding the genocide of Native Americans. Jack also mentions his wife being a horror movie addict and her character is typical of a scream queen/damsel in distress (something out of a conventional 40s horror flick). He was creating a parallel between Jack Torrance and the main character of Kubricks earlier film Lolita. Another tracking shot and Danny encounters the Grady twins again, with a new vision of them lying bloodied on the ground. The abuse part of the story is both physical and psychological: both Wendy and Danny are clearly scared of Jack, even before the hotels influence took control of him, and yet they stayed with him. Danny: "Tony is a little boy that lives in my mouth. In this post, well break down the six biggest theories on The Shining, including our own theory that its actually a Christmas movie! Even though the server responded OK, it is possible the submission was not processed. Is this implying that Jack forced his son to perform felatio in the fatherly love scene? 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. Here is a piece of evidence which on its own acts as virtual confirmation of this theme. Hasnt she ever challenged him on this? This chapter will cover the first of those themes. Stanley Kubrick's iconic Stephen King adaptation is intentionally dense and even nonsensical at times. Another bear reference is found in Dannys bedroom at the Overlook. It's certainly an impactful moment that brings the movie full circle, seeing Jack become a part of the famous Overlook hotel ghosts once and for all. Wendy calls a doctor who checks Danny and asks about some sort of trauma Danny may have suffered that may have caused him to make up his imaginary friend. I've watched the movie somewhere between 5-10 times over the years and still haven't been able to figure out the meaning of this scene. In addition to the sexual innuendos of the doctors conversation, theres one further scene in the film that adds to the mystery in question, occurring when Hotel managers Stuart Ullman and Bill Watson approach Jack on the closing day of the Overlook. The novel and subsequent film differ in significant ways. Jack later speaks to a disappointed Grady through the door, who believes Jack doesnt have the stomach to carry out the task. One final detail hinting at Jack's guilt as an abuser of his family is his rotten glance to Danny's bedroom (and the camera) after argueing with Wendy about Danny's injuries. The video was called The Shining Who is the man in the bear costume. The maze chase grew out of the topiary animal hedges that move around in the book. Danny's experience in Room 237 occurs when a ball rolls into the room, and Wendy then comes to his rescue after she hears him screaming punctuated with the claim that a "crazy woman" strangled him. The costume originates from a vision of the past that keeps merging into our timeline. 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. Halloran grows concerned about whats going on in the hotel and flies back to Colorado. Who are these people? There are emotional passages and images and spaces in his films that have an inexplicable power, with a magnetic force that draws you in slowly, mysteriously: the boy's rides on his Big Wheel through the endless corridors of the hotel in 'The Shining'; the monumental silence of outer space in '2001: A Space Odyssey'; the inhuman pace of the first The Shining Caretaker Explained, Every Shining Character Who Returns In Doctor Sleep. This theory posits that the Overlook Hotel represents hell (or another form of afterlife for the ghosts such as purgatory). He also suggests that Kubrick dismissed the notion when King brought it up to him. 'The Shining:' Who is the Man in the Bear Costume? The Overlook is built on the sacred lands of Native Americans . Rumor has it Kubrick himself typed those words. Many people have asked me about the significance of the number 42 on Dannys T-shirt in the tooth brushing / shining scene. A previous caretaker Charles Grady had killed his family, including his two daughters and himself after a claustrophobic breakdown. Related: IT Chapter Two's Shining Reference Hints At Stephen King's Shared Universe. If you love The Shining, then theres a good chance that youre a fan of the horror genre. Jack admits to having underestimated the task and promises to go to any length to finish it, and his door unseemingly gets unlocked. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Although only 13 seconds, this scene was an eerie moment that is enough to disturb viewers and keep them questioning even 40 years after the film has been released. Kubrick deliberately left many things unexplained, including many details from the third act he did, however, explain why Jack Torrance appears in The Shining picture at the end. The puzzled look on Jacks face can be interpreted as an effort to get his mind straight, and notice him using slurs every time he talks to Wendy. After being freed from the kitchen pantry by Gradys ghost, Jack (whose sanity was already shattered by that point) goes after Wendy and Danny, axe in hand. Why does Tony stay in Dannys mouth? In the psychiatrist scene Danny lays on the bed with his jeans removed and his hands curiously covering his groin area, just as Jack did in the fatherly love scene. A month passes and we are greeted with the most iconic tracking shot of all time and unlike most of them, it tracks the tricycle of a kid moving around empty corridors with the echoing sound of the wheels rolling against the wooden floor creating a oddly satisfying atmosphere. Danny on the other hand after the physical trauma goes into a semi-conscious state, Tony taking hold of the reigns and keeps on repeating the word redrum in a very mechanical trance. The aforementioned Room 237 doc covers this theory and the following video digs even deeper into this Native American genocide interpretation. Contents 1 Biography 2 Notes & Trivia 3 See also 4 External Links 5 Appearances 6 References It seems that commitment to family is a problem for all of these males. Without Kubrick around to spell out his intentions, the answer is, . This imagery in itself is enough to unsettle some people. Of course the caption relating to incest is the one thats relevant to this chapter, while the Starsky & Hutch caption may be a reference to Jack giving his soul for a drink and the affair caption could be related to Jacks encounter with the woman in room 237. Its eyes are similar in design to the floor dials of the gaping mouth elevator, which weve already identified as symbolic eyes, and the teddys mouth is bright red, which again is similar to the gaping mouth doors of the elevator. Both of them keep their personal writings hidden from their wives. Here's the meaning of The Shining Bear Man explained. The bears are only discernible in the HD version. The hotel makes one last attempt to possess Hallorann but he successfully manages to avoid it. The young woman had inexplicably transformed into an old lady who walks after the frantic Jack laughing all the while. 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