One of Kubrick's best films. I just think the bathroom sequence should have been taken out of editing. It is insulting.... In this film, I learn that grotesque characters are one of the best ways to summarize an adaptation of a long story. That Kubrick has done well.

This is a difficult review to write. You see, I've just posted comments on Ella Enchanted where I comment that, as someone who has never read the book, the film is absolutely fine. But it's difficult for me to approach Stanley Kubrick's The Shining on that basis because, you see, I've read Stephen King's The Shining.

If I do my absolute best to put the book out of my mind, I suppose that the film must be acknowledged as a tolerable horror, with two major flaws - one, it's overlong, and what should be a slow burn loaded with increasing dread becomes simply boring, and two, Jack Nicholson's established screen persona means that there is absolutely no suspense in his development from decent though flawed father/husband to scenery-chewing maniac - the final madness is there from the first frame he appears in.

If you've never read the book and you're a horror fan, then you'll probably enjoy it - no huge surprises, but it ticks most of the boxes. And it looks very good.

But what a missed opportunity! Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is a film about a man who goes mad in a haunted hotel. Stephen King's The Shining is a novel about an evil entity which inhabits a hotel, and which wants to consume a boy's psychic power: the boy is strong enough to resist it, so it works on the weakest link, the father, and gradually erodes everything which made him a good, decent man. Jack's transition from the decent though weak man he starts out as, to the point where the Overlook is in control of his every action, is absolutely central to Stephen King's The Shining, and it could only have worked on screen if Jack was portrayed by an actor who was initially credible as a decent, gentle man. Not Nicholson - I love him, but he was (in my view) a spectacular piece of miscasting for this movie. Picture Dustin Hoffman, Harrison Ford, or someone similar, and how dramatic and shocking their descent to axe-wielding maniachood would have been.The contrast is essential to Stephen King's story: with Nicholson, there was no contrast.

It is also worth commenting that King's The Shining is about a man who loves his family: Kubrick's The Shining is stated, by the screenwriter in one of the DVD documentaries, to be about a man who hates his family. A fairly fundamental difference, yes?

Ah well. "What if"s never got us anywhere. Go and see Stanley Kubrick's The Shining anyway, and enjoy Jack Nicholson chewing scenery. The scenery's pretty good eye candy and, besides, he does it so well.

This film is currently the 48th highest rated movie on IMDb and there are something like a bazillion reviews for it already on this site, so it's not like my review is going to matter very much. Still, I decided to finally see this film for the first time and thought I'd toss my impressions into the HUGE pool of information.

Jack Nicholson, like the story's author Stephen King, is a school teacher who has quit in order to become a writer. He arranges an unusual job that will give him LOTS of spare time--he and his wife and son will move to a resort in the mountains and be the caretakers during the off-season. This is problematic for several reasons. First, they are all alone and the snow will keep them alone for months on end. So, if there are any problems, they are screwed. Second, Nicholson plays an alcoholic in recovery--and there's no booze in the place. Third, and probably the biggest one of all, is that the place is evil and begins screwing with the family--particularly their weirdo kid and the father. For the most part, the wife (Shelley Duvall) is there to look scared and be preyed upon! I could tell you more about the film....but won't. I don't want to spoil the suspense.

I should also note that this is a very adult film. I am not talking about the violence--though it is violent and scary. But the language and very explicit nude scenes make it something you might want to think about before you watch it or let your kids see it.

So what did I like about the film? Well the music was great--and REALLY pulled off the scare-factor!! And, the film is quite tense and exciting. I also liked the cinematography. It's odd, though, that the opening scenes shot by helicopter were GORGEOUS but the VERY Obsessive-Compulsive Kubrick (who was known to make a bazillion retakes of scenes) didn't catch or care that you can actually see a shadow of the 'copter in the opening. Look carefully at the bottom right of the screen and you'll see it.

My complaints about the film are few. But, I do think that Nicholson's characterization is something you'll either love or hate. I thought he seriously over-acted and agreed with King's assertion that he ALREADY seemed crazed when the film began. King's notion of the problem being related to alcohol are pretty much minimized in the Kubrick treatment---it's much more a film about insanity and evil spirits.

I understand that Stephen King hated this particular adaptation of his novel and later he produced his own mini-series more in line with his vision for the film. But, considering he was not yet a big-name author and the god-like Stanley Kubrick was at the helm (and NO ONE tells him how to make a movie),it was a losing battle from the start. Kubrick helped write the screenplay, produced and directed the film. And, whatever King thought of it, the film WAS immensely successful--at least today when you ask people what they thought about the movie. I'll have to make it a point to see the mini-series as well---even if it currently has a mediocre score of 6.0.

So, considering my score of 9, I liked it. Sure, there was some overacting but the basic story is very, very tense and I am sure a lot of viewers were scared half to death watching it. I am not a huge fan of horror films but can sure respect what was accomplished here.

By the way, it's interesting that this film is an awful lot like King's later film "1408"--an awful lot. In "The Shining" you have an evil resort and in "1408" you have an evil hotel room--both which screw with people and cause death and mayhem--at least in the film versions.