8:00 The part about the racket ball and the guy getting killed is nuts especially the thing with the teddy with a red clothe draped over him. Sharon tate manson family victim had a cloth draped over her face in this same way, the very cloth used to write the words pig and helter skelter in blood much like Danny does during the Redrum scene. A reference to occult like sacrifice.
Excellent work. Shining new light onto a classic in cinema, pun intended. I've never read the book, but I am going to make a point of reading it ASAP.
Though I must say I haven't actually tried it myself because I don't have any software that allows me to play videos in reverse. If I could however, I would cite more examples than what is seen in that video I mentioned in my last two comments. Also, I think I'm going to send this in a youtube message because it may be a bit messy to spread this out in three comments lol. And sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes over these three comments. Ok I'm done. This is the last comment (I think).
In fact, in the video I mentioned in my last comment, which are the "bear blowjob scene" and the scene where Danny is sitting on a bear pillow talking about Tony, come at the same time when played simultaneously forwards and backwards. This CONFIRMS the theory in your written analysis on the parallel between these scenes. Maybe you should try to play it forwards and backwards (if you haven't already) to see if you can confirm your other theories on the movie and find something new as well
Rob Ager. People say that if you play the movie forwards and backwards at the same time, the scenes match up to a point where it has to be intentional. Search "shining forwards backwards" and click on the first video for an example. I read your written analysis a while back (which, by the way, are you going to finish or is it on one of your DVD's?) and forgot if you've mentioned the symmetry of the film or not. So, if not, I'd like to hear your thoughts on it. (if so on the other hand, nvm)
The brilliant thing about Kubrick is how so many years after these films were made, is how we are still speculating, dissecting and ultimately trying to get to the underlying truth of what his intention or implications were. His mark of genius is our continued fascination with him.
I'd like to see Mr. Ager review The Shone Report by ShawnFella, and get more out of that. Also, these three reviews fail to mention Mr. Ullman being- allegedly- a symbol of John F. Kennedy. It seems inconsequential; until you consider that his reference to his predecessor would have to be a reference to Dwight Eisenhower if it were to be an intentional symbolism. Yet Ike is never mentioned in any Shining analysis. Have any actions of DDE ever been compared to events in The Shining?
I just noted an interesting feature which many of you probably have not noticed it is right at the end as wendy and danny get away and it really shows how good Kubrick was at hiding things in the film. As i watched just after Jack died I was not paying attention so I rewinded and as I did the reverse audio revealed that the jibberish Jack appears to be talking is not jibberish it is actually him saying HHHHHHHEEEEELLLLLP MEEEEE in reverse if you reverse the audio you will also notice .
@MrPoshyandjoinc Of all his films, I think The Shining is most autobiographical- more so than Eyes Wide Shut- in terms of Kubrick's affairs with the Illuminati. Of all his films, do you believe The Shining is actually the most revealing?
@HayduMan1 Autobiographical? We all are one - it reveals a few aspects of human nature, known only to those once required to access them under stress, or similarly, placed in that sad dilemma somehow, like George Orwell before him in print, Stan The Man Kubrick could seamlessly channel his own intimate knowledge of dark recesses of the mind on to permanent film, and that prior to Chronenburg's own access to the dark side of himself. Plenty of dark film in the past but psychology has come on now.
Final observarions about 'Marvin Garden' - I promise! There is a shot of a radio being intentionally broken similar to the CB being destroyed. Also, Jack's brother is in trouble with the law and his employer -- similar to Jack's predicament in Shining (novel hints at a poor job history, a drinking/driving accident, and legal problems if he breaks his contract with Ullman). View this movie as if the two brothers are different aspects of one character and you end up w/ Jack in The Shining!
The similarities just go on and on -- references to beastiality (sex with a dolphin in one, sex with a dog in the other), two related women (similar to the twin girls), and a member of the family does not survive the movie in both flicks. The main thing I simply couldn't believe was the ending -- the ending shot was of Jack's grandfather watching a home movie of younger Jack! Both movies end with shots of Jack's character as seen in the past, captured on film! Definitely worth seeking!
There are just so many similarities, I know I am missing a bunch, but here are a few: Nickolson is shown in a tuxedo (much like the end shot of Shining); there is a shot of him casually looking up at the clouds that somewhat reminded me of the ground shot looking up at his face in the freezer in Shining; unique electric vehicles used on the boardwalk (akin to the snowcats in Shining); a shot of a large statue of an elephant that reminded me of the animal-shaped shrubbery in King's novel...etc
Nickelson's character is a frustrated writer in the movie. He talks about how no one is reading and how his literary needs are not being met, so he has moved on to reciting his ideas into a cassette recorder he uses for a radio show. He starts to make up a story about a being trapped in a cabin in the woods, surrounded by so much snow that the roads are impassible (!) before he is interrupted.
Cruthers wants Jack's character to work for him, essentially to be the caretaker, if you will, of his quasi-illegal affairs. This conversation takes place in both an industrial kitchen and on a barstool (slightly similar to the shots of Jack and bartender Floyd), and behind Cruthers are pictures of illuminated ladies similar to those of the paintings on black velvet we saw in Cruthers' room in Florida after he left the Overlook.
First of all, both films star Jack Nickolson and Scatman Cruthers. Cruthers plays a character named Lewis, who at one point acts as if he is not Lewis (similar to Grady/Not Grady). The bulk of the story takes place in an old hotel. It's not deserted, but the elderly people residing therein move through it like wraiths without ever interacting with the main characters. The hotel has grand white pillars and some surprisingly red columns and plush red furniture.
robag88, I wonder if you have ever seen 'The King of Marvin Gardens'? It was essentially a slice of life film with a pulpish undercurrent about two brothers in Atlantic City. Both storywise and imagerywise, there are some ASTONISHING similarities between that film and 'The Shining'. I will list some of them with the hope that your interested readers/viewers will seek out that movie for a deeper understanding of The Shining. (I have sought out other film reviews since seeing yours here.)
I've read your Shining analysis on collative learning: no offense, but the idea that there is no supernatural presence in the overlook and that "when [Danny] senses a new threat from his father, the anticipation manifests. . .through symbolic visions" can't be correct. I did not see this answered on the site--Halloran shines as well, and Danny communicates with him telepathically over 1000s of miles. They aren't symbolic visions, it is clairvoyance. He isn't just crazy, the hotel is haunted.
@apwill4765 my father thought that Wendy's observations towards the end such as the blow job scene, ocean of blood, waiter were all in her head.I explained that the hotel was haunted most likely because it was on an indian burial ground as Mr. Ullman stated during the tour of the hotel.
You are over analyzing it man. This is just ridiculous. The film is great but you have to accept that the movie has it's flaws. You could find subliminal messages in my shit FOR CHRIST SAKE! . You're putting meaning behind things that were never intended.
It is interesting to note that in the book, Stuart Ullman is simply known as Mr. Ullman. The name 'Stuart' is very relevant to the critical American experience theme in Mr. Ager's analysis. The duties of Jack Nicholson, as described by by Stuart Ullman, are very simillar to the watchman duties given to colonial charters by the Stuart dynasty.
Great analysis. Really entertaining to watch. I have always wondered though, the reason for these subliminal effects and techniques. It seems that a lot of thought and effort goes into these sort of techniques yet you will not see their direct effect on the casual viewer. It's only through vids like these we can apprecite their existence.
I love this film but is it because of these subliminals and their effect on me or are these subliminals just a form of Kubricks expression.
Your review is very interesting. I was aware that Kubrick prefigures nearly key scene in the movie with a precusor, and the layout of the film is very formal and divided, almost like a grid pattern or a maze. I must admit that I didn't think about the office and wendys flight through the overlook being part of the shifting games the hotel was playing. Do you really think thats the case, or could it be a continuity error? I know Kubrick was a perfectionist so its unlikely but no one is perfect.
@BelatedCommiseration There's another video on my channel called ... Film Psychology THE SHINING spatial anomolies and set design. It covers the topic in a lot of detail :)
@robag88 Thanks for the response. One of the reasons I love this film is because of its spatial awareness and exploration of space. Even the carpets tell the story of a 'maze of monsters' with unsettling feelings of shifting shapes in garishly rendered colour that makes extensive use of red as you know. Also the characters seem to encounter mental/spiritual trangressions in hallways, echoing a claustrophobia, but when they interact with them they are in spacious areas, usually near mirrors.
Thank you for your amazing analysis! I have read them sooo many times! Shining is my favourite movie of all time! There are two chapters on your homepage which cannot be read yet. Are they going to be available anytime soon?
Not much of an explanation, I know, but Leon Vitaly went on to say that Kubrick was really open to ideas and suggestions and not really the on-set dictator he was frequently described as being.
@Kasti77 Yes, the dictator reputation was nothing to do with shouting, but more about persistence in getting the shots and performances he wanted regardless of how tired and impatient the crew became .. oh and his underhanded manipulation tactics with certain crew members. When I shot my first feature film I was encoding a hidden narrative which the cast and crew only knew small parts of, but to my surprise they often offered suggestions that fitted in with the subliminals i was working on.
About the sound of the tricycle wheels on the hotel floor, I remember reading an interview of Leon Vitaly (actor in Barry London who then became a close assistant from Stanley) in a french cinema magazine (Cine Live) shortly after Kubrick's death / releasing of Eyes Wide Shut. He said that Kubrick at first did not want to keep the sound of the wheels in the final cut, but when one of the the technicians said he/she liked that sound, he decided to keep it anyway...
Can you make more movie analysis of a whole bunch more please? I really enjoy watching them. Most of the movies you have done I love, but I never noticed and probably never would have noticed many of the points you make. Keep up the great work!
Once again, I love the analysis of this film. The Shining is definitely one of the most psychologically profound horror films. The soundtrack could not be better, either. Having heard you describe the sound effects in "Dies Irae" (the opening theme), I listened to the composition in its entirety. Apart from the Native American chanting and "screams of a terrified woman", I also discern, towards the end, the voices of men in agony... Quite chilling, to say the least.
Outstanding! The Shining was already my favorite horror movie but this just deepens my appreciation of it exponentially. I'm gonna have to go rewatch it now(nevermind that i gave my girlfriend her first viewing of it not two weeks ago), probably two or three times just to catch all the underlying themes/foreshadowing/etc. The hardest part will be to keep my mind on these things and not get caught up in the suspense of the story!
@mikethemotormouth Yeah, the subliminals are generally too complicated to follow in a straight viewing. It's like trying to see the source code of a website it's loading.
i recently saw a documentary which asserted that Jack Nicholson is Stanley Kubrick during his involvement with the moon landings. Thus we see Apollo 11 in Dany's shirt, room 237(changed from Steven King's 217), representing the distance from earth to moon. While the documentary is very speculative it is still interesting. check it out, you'd appreciate it. it's called Kubrick's Odyssey.
@gator153 I saw Kubrick's Odyssey a few months ago, found it highly speculative with some downright fibs thrown in.Check out those supposed facts, clue: one is the date release date of the premier of the Shining LOL
Your literally giving no signified answers. Chef scene with Danny, the noise in the background was the crew.(blooper). The scene whcih illustrates Danny and his Mother walking into the maze (signifier), which cuts to Jack glancing over the model maze (signified) Puzzlement, despair, the loss of navigation are traits of the Mother and sons knowingness, cut to the Father, determined, God like (looking down over the madel maze) knowing what way out of the maze....etc
Thank you, Mr. Ager, for your work on films like this. The analyses simultaneously help explain the symbolism and add to the mystique of the work. I appreciated The Shining as a fine piece of work prior to reading and seeing the review, but now I am certain to obtain a copy for myself.
It may probably be nothing, but to my mind the pattern of lights behind Jack in the bathroom when him & Grady are talking seems a little bit weird. Like I said, it's probably nothing but you never know...
I actually watched most your videos that night when I posted that and I felt quite pleased I did watch them. I find your material very interesting and well presented. So now I get it.
This is good, but it's not a structured analysis but more a listing of cross-references within the film and repeated techniques of cinematography...but still good:)
how did you figure out all this stuff that part where your mentioning the tennis ball and everything seemed so spot on. how long did it take you to figure this out its amazing its like you spoke to him personally
@Tips247 I started putting subliminal stuff in my own films years back after studying hypnosis and psychology. Then I noticed a lot of the same techniques already being used Kubrick's work.
I notice at 2:35 you mention the character's echoing voices illustrate the isolation, and then your voice echoes. :) Nice little touch.
This is defenitely a great interpretation and I love it. BTW, what do you think of the symbology behind twins here? IE The two coffee cups on Ullman's desk that he's drinking from, the symmetry, the twin girls, etc?
Not sure if you picked up on this in the written version, as I havent read the whole thing yet, but I've always noticed how the bathroom that Jack & Grady go into looks alot more modern than the rest of the hotel. Might not mean anything but I just noticed how the red and white color scheme is the same as an early scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey, when Heywood Floyd is being questioned about an epidemic by some colleagues. Anyway this may be a coincidence but it just stood out to me. :)
Rob I have one question for you!The scene with the sceletons at the end of the movie was at the original verion of the film...because yesterday i watched the film once (different torrent) again and i saw for the first time the sceleton's scene...when all lights of the hotel switched off... ? ? ?
Just noticed a visual clue which I'm not sure you've picked up yet. When Wendy is in the boiler room and hears Jack screaming she walks past the Billboard that you have already mentioned in chapter 16 of your written analysis as Jacks work (i.e. he put up that naked chicks etc.)
Look close at the HD version you will see that the piece of paper that says "king" actually says "chOking". And not only that, inside the O there's a drawing of what appears to be a boys face.
@robag88 Hehe, I must be getting old cause I've actually read most of it but that somehow didn't sink in. Well then let me take the opportunity to say that I really like your site!
I listened to a Vincent D'Onofrio interview recently on the Opie and Anthony radio show. (Same show Andrew Breitbart leaked Anthony Weiner's weiner. Vincent was there during that part also)
They talked about Kubrick and his obsessive nature and when asked about the excessive amount of takes Kubrick would do, Vincent stated that that was a myth. He did not take that many takes.. At least during full metal jacket. I wonder now if that whole thing about many takes is accurate or not.
While it is a interesting Analysis. I do have to say bottom line this is just a good horror movie and that's all. over analysising everything is about as bad as listening to a film Critic like Roger Ebert who over does things instead of just relaxing and enjoying a movie.
Hey Rob how do you explain that Grady opens the door when Jack is locked up in storage room? this is the one thing in the film that I'm confused about, I have theories but nothing solid, your take?
If any one mentions the book in posts again, I'll go flipping mad. Let's face it folks. King was a successful, but none the less hack writer. You read King novels when you are in your early teens. Kubrick is more like Tolstoy or someone of that magnatude. King may be a popular author, but he's hardly a great artist.Kubrick on the other hand, GREAT artist. SO to anyone about to mention the book, don't. King is lucky Kubrick turned is slightly pulpy novel into an exceptional film.
@BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff well King was known for not liking Kubrick's version of the Shining that it went away from how the book was written. The movies great don't get me wrong i love it. but King was not a fan of it which is why he re-did the movie his way fallowing the book. as for King the Writer some fans feel he is more then a Hack writer. but everyone has their own opinion.
@Astraldragon1 Stop mentioning the book. As a caveat, Rob says clearly 'this article has nothing to do with the book'. Why mention the book then? King was lucky, end of story. A pulp writer gets the Kubrick treatment. King should just be grateful. The movie of the Shining is as close to art as King will ever get. People read King when they are young, in their teens. There's a sense of nostalgia because of that. You are letting your nostalgia cloud your judgement. Kubrick made the work better!
Really enjoyed this analysis however I think you a stretching your argument a little when you mention the sound of the trike going over the carpets is like the music when Danny runs through the maze. It doesn't. I'm sure like quite a lot of other happy accidents in the film making process not every single one of them are pre-planned.
You'll like this rob, I just figured out another little trick by Kubrick. There's the famous shot at the end, the camera on the dolly zooming in to the picture of Jack at the ball in 1924.My reaction on seeing the film first was @i must go and look at the film in more detail to see if I can see Jack in a picture when a picture comes into shot. By including tat detail, Kubrick is literally saying 'take a much closer look at this film's details'. Stan is the Man!
Stephen King once said he didn't like this adaption because of Jack Nicholson, you don't take him for a normal guy in the beginning.
Despite later giving an Oscar-Worthy performance I partly agree, because of his facial features he looks like he's gonna snap from the beginning, you don't believe him in the role of the loving father which leaves the film in a dilemma.
Nicholson can't play the normal guy very well but on the other Hand no one can play the mad guy like him.
You need to read the book! I read through your analysis on your website and there are so many things you think are symbols which are explained in the book!!! Not all of it but there are certain things. The scene with the typewriter, you point out the scrapbook with newspaper clippings and think it's to do with natives? Nah it's because in the book Jack becomes obsessed with the history of the hotel, I think he finds that scrapbook one time when he's exploring the basement (I THINK I forget).
@SpyWhoLovedHimself Also, the reason he rips out the paper from the typewriter is because he doesn't want Wendy to see what he's writing. He goes off of his original writing project which was a play, and because he becomes deeply obsessed with the hotel he begins writing about that instead. I don't think in that scene he's writing the "All work and no play" thing... or he might be, but what I do know is his new writing project by this point in the movie is about the hotel... Furthermore...
@SpyWhoLovedHimself The "bear" in the movie is actually a dog. This is because in the book one of the important people (I forget these things I haven't read the book since I was 13) has this guy dress up like a dog in public and he makes him do things a dog would do. It's not a symbol of Jack molesting Danny, it's a reference to the book. You also say something about Danny saying "just pictures in a book" and wonder if Halloran told him? He did, it's in the book, Halloran tells Danny that.
@SpyWhoLovedHimself The "bear" in the movie is a dog, it doesn't symbolise Jack sexually abusing Danny, it's a reference to the book in which one of the important guys (I forget... haven't read it in AGES) has this guy dress up as a dog in public and makes him act like a dog. Also Halloran DOES tell Danny what he sees is just like pictures in a book.
@SpyWhoLovedHimself Hmm appears it wasn't you who did the bear molestation thing? I dunno then someone just linked me to your site about that :p nevermind
@SpyWhoLovedHimself You didn't read the article on Rob's website enough! Rob says clearly that he is not including the novel in his analysis because the film is an entirely new artistic work. SO you are wrong, the book does not help in understanding the film. Read the full analysis on the web site before you post a question or a statement that has already been answered countless times.
@SpyWhoLovedHimself In the film and remember, rob is analysisng Kubrick's film, not King's book(In my humble opinion, Kubrick is more of an artist than King, more of an auteur) the dog is symbolic of Danny. Rob is suggesting that Wendy actually encounters Danny giving Jack head.
Yeah I get what you mean but try to see what I'm saying... I understand it's a new artistic work etc but remember it is BASED on the book, so when I see a guy dressed as a dog in the film, my immediate thought is that it's probably a nod to the thing in the book. It makes perfect sense. Same with the scrapbook of newspaper clippings, it makes more sense it's a nod to the one mentioned in the book.
Also Rob shows danny linked to BEARS, that guy is dressed as a DOG.
After watching the movie again, I'm intrigued by the character of Bill Watson. In the European version of the movie, he only says one word 'Fine', yet he shadows Ullman as he brings Jack and family around the hote, a possible hint that his character plays a subliminal part in the many narratives. The look he gives Ullman when Ullman is about to tell Jack of the murders at the hotel is very telling. It sseems to say 'be carful Ullman'. It suggests he is some kind of handler. Thoughts Rob?
This is such a great look at a movie I've seen so many times and now have a new perspective on! Just some of the foreshadowing mentioned here alone make it worth watching again!
hi again would just like to add another bit about the alchoholic theory, there is no way he could sneak enough booze up to the hotel to last all winter hoping that there would be booze at the hotel and got a shock when he finds out that the remove it for insurance reasons. Alcohol withdrawl is no easy feat and this would explain hallucinations and a mental breakdown coupled together with a cabin fever effect would be a potent combination
hey rob really enjoyed watching this de-construction of the film and i agree with what you are getting at i would like to put a my slant on it. I think that jack is an alchoholic from the start and that would explain why so far through the film he totally crack's up thats his supply running out and the scene with danny entering room 237 for the first time i think the tennis ball is a projection of danny's fear of jack's rage and violence just an observation. Also like full metal jacket vid too.
you know the only flaw of this movie?? the fact that every time i see the wife i think of her as her role of olive oil...im not kidding, im not saying she didnt do a great job in the movie but i just thinki of her as another character, just like when you see jaleel white you think STEVE URKEL
There are tons of details, foreshadowing, and symbolism in this movie and this analysis shows this person is a fan of the movie and therefore did enjoy it. I think the details he spotted are really interesting and easily missed.
I've started a blog for analyzing pop culture and helping others to do so as well. If you're interested, check it out! It's called Critical Hit!! A Fight Against Cultural Zombieism.
I'm sure you've been asked this, but what's your opinion on the theory that this whole movie is symbolic for Kubrick accepting a deal with the US government to direct fake Apollo 11 projects and the moon landing? If you're not familiar with the theory then you can read about it here jayweidner(dot)com/ShiningSecrets.html
@mninezerofive If there's a Kubrick film that's full of fake moon landing theories its 2001: A Space Odyssey - see the expanded 2001 analysis on my site. Several other Kubrick films contain additional refs to the moon landings (especially the Kubrick spielberg effort A.I.). I don't think it's a central theme in The Shining.
@robag88 , I live in Colorado near the Stanley Hotel this movie was based of. I live about 45 minutes drive from the hotel it's a nice hotel and have taken the ghost tours they have. I've allways been intersted in ghost stories. I grew up in South Calif in San Diego. I used to visit the Whaley house yearly during the Halloween season. it's concidered one of the most haunted houses in America.
@xMrBubblezz Who said that on the blue ray extras and how do they know it to be the case? If you read the cast and crew reports on The Shining (and Kubrick's other films) from his biographies they frequently conflict with each other. It becomes very apparent that Kubrick led diff people in diff directions to disguise his own motives. He'd shoot 100+ takes without uttering a word of direction. Encoding subliminals wouldn't remain secret very long if the crew knew what he was doing.
I disagree. The map of the garden maze looks exactly like the table top model. It's the real areal shot of the maze that follows that is totally different.
I'm intrigued by two ( Canadian) paintings that can be seen on the walls...native artist Norval Morriseau's "The Great Mother" at the office door when Jack arrives to be interviewed and later in the family's apartment "Horse and Train" by Alex Colville...it may be arbitrary that they are there but I wonder if they fit in somehow with Kubrick's themes
@lowryfern The Morriseau paintings fit in with the native american themes certainly. There's one seen through the same doorway but from inside Ullman's office. It's called flock of fools. The horse and train pic I'm not so sure about but it is a dark picture.
Umm I'm a writer and I'm glad I don't have to deal with some of the people that are commenting here in the literary world since most literature is heavily analyzed. Yes, it gets a bit claustrophobic at times but it's finding new meanings that makes the whole effort count. A professor of mine once said close analysis is an attempt to retain that feeling of "closeness" with a work of art. I wish more movies could be made in that way, film seems too backwards these days =/
Some of these are a bit of a stretch, but some of them are very interesting. I especially enjoy the teddy bear reference close to the end. It's also interesting how Kubrick uses immaculate restrooms in a lot of his films.
@kmanfitz and there are suggested reasons for that. Look for a website called Kubrick Corner, it has an essay on Kubrrick & bathrooms. In general, it baffles me why people get so angry when someone interprets a film to be anythiing other than an excuse to watch explosions and eat popcorn. Kubrick was an artist & he had a message. Just because youo didn't get it, no need to get angry. The fact you don't get it is not a reflection of stupidity. It just means you haven't looked deep enough yet.
There's yet another ever-changing maze here: the film itself! It's a mix of objective reality and the subjective imaginations of the different characters, and it switches from one perspective to another, and even mixes perspectives. Just when you think you're dealing with Jack's imagination, you get a hint that it's Danny's or Wendy's dream, maybe objective reality. Example: Halloran both did & did not really come. Is Kubrick playing with our sense of orientation at ALL levels of analysis.
The idea that "1921 Jack" is trying to warn future generations about the "real" evil of the Overlook society makes a parallel with 2001, which ends with "Starchild Dave" looking directly at the audience, as if challenging us to take note of what we've seen. In the photo, Jack is also looking at us, trying to send us a note to warn us, and we can even see the hand of power trying to restrain him.
Could the final scene of the film also support the "trapped & helpless" theme, and even give Jack a bit of (much needed) moral redemption? It looks like "1921 Jack" is trying to sneak a message through the photo to his "future self" (the note in his hand) but is held back by someone ("all the best people") behind him. Jack knows he's trapped in a corrupt system, and wants to warn future generations, but the same system prevents him. Its speculation, but does it have the ring of authenticity?
Good Analysis.The opening shot of the movie also shows the hotel is really far away from rest of the humanity. There's no freakin way she could get help when Jack is in his mad descent. On top of mirroring the idea of maze scene in the climax, it also starts the visual mirror idea (reflection of the mountains in the water), setsup the snow and expresses the idea of the character driving on the edge of the road (he ready to fall of cliff...life anytime. "Basic Instinct" later used this same idea)
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Very interesting. But whatever happened to just enjoying movies for the way they look and sound and feel instead of ripping them apart and piecing together everything that seems similar and trying to find a deeper meaning and understanding. It's a movie for God's sake, meant for entertaining for a few hours
@cdawghimself Nothing happened to it. I watched Inception last night and enjoyed it as a simple piece of sci-fi entertainment. However, surely you understand that some films (not many) are too complex and deep to be fully appreciated in a casual viewing - think Hitchcock, Lynch, etc. Nobody is focring you to watch my vids - they're labelled "film analysis" so really you shouldn't click to watch them if that isn't what you want :)
@KajiCarson Rob may not, but I do. There are too many references to the number 528 in Inception. 528 hertz is said to be a healing frequency. It is part of the Solfeggio Scale, the tones of which are used in Gregorian chanting. The fact that many of Nolan's films are about illusion/appearance versus reality would suggest he is trying to say something. Also, can it be just an interesting plot device to include Tesla(look up his connection to the HARRP machine) in the plot of The Prestige?
@robag88 Brilliant deconstruction, as a fan of The Shining and philosophical topics, I really enjoyed this. It's such a shame that you have to contend with airheads who should've clicked on videos of Take Me Out or X Factor and instead came here and began whinging..
@robag88 speaking of lynch, have you thought about giving an in-depth analysis to some of Lynch's films? I would ver much enjoy an analysis of "Eraserhead," and "Muholland Drive."
@F1brawfa Non sense. If 'they' wanted him dead, they would of killed him when he made DR Stranglove as it is mucch more blatant in what it is trying to say. Heck, there's even a Nazi in it blabbing on about the master race!!
@BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff I simply cant agree remember that "Eyes wide shut was hevly edited by Warner just days after Kubrick's death i think it's not insanity to say there was a chance they had to remove Kubric as he got stranger and stranger over the years aspecially his wife is even today saying she is not sure why he actually died
@F1brawfa Smoking for 40 odd years may of had something to do with it. I jest, but even in an elementary way, 2001 has an anti elete message. The details were lost on me when I saw 2001 as a kid, but I knew Bowman beating HAL was a 'f**K U' to the authorities, so SK's intentions in later films were still descernable. Also, why give a man who makes a film like Dr Strangelove another chance? Do him in, silence him straight away. I just don't buy it. No disrespect to your own views though.
@BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff You see that is the point , Kubrick culd do mroe than other directors but remember that he leave USA just after 2001 and spend the rest of his life in England almoust never left his house he wasnt yeasy to get , i belive he just crossed the line with eyes wide shut and even if they didnt kill him , the movie was still edited all Kubrick movies are a midlle finger to the "pyramid". Thanks for the replay
Alright, some of this stuff would make sence, like the maze. But other things do not make very much sense at all. I am aware of Kubrick's films and how intelligent he is. Example, the music with Danny being chased in the maze does not closely resemble the carpets. Also, the distorted maze point made also doesn't have enough points that I could believe it was on purpose. For all we know, the window in the office could have been there for lighting. Also the point about All sounding like A11 was c
apollo 11 on danys jumper...at 2.23. because nasa helped stanly...for space oddersy...and kubic helped nasa for apollo 11 moon landing, hehe
MrUkbeats 1 day ago in playlist More videos from robag88
Hey Rob,
The New York Times mentioned you.
PhiloBedo 3 days ago 3
8:00 The part about the racket ball and the guy getting killed is nuts especially the thing with the teddy with a red clothe draped over him. Sharon tate manson family victim had a cloth draped over her face in this same way, the very cloth used to write the words pig and helter skelter in blood much like Danny does during the Redrum scene. A reference to occult like sacrifice.
parsleysprigs 1 week ago
Just watched Jay Weidner's film "Kubricks Odyssey" - very interesting
youtube.com/watch?v=O1xytPs-ZRI
funkytripper 2 weeks ago
4:34 it's the monolith at the end of the hallway!
GooDay2USir 2 weeks ago
Excellent work. Shining new light onto a classic in cinema, pun intended. I've never read the book, but I am going to make a point of reading it ASAP.
jackdylan43 3 weeks ago
i see swastikas in the overhead view of those hedges
nibfu 4 weeks ago
Hey everybody. I just uploaded a new video in reference to Shawn Fella's Shone Report. Check it out! (I reference the Illuminati a few times.)
HayduMan1 4 weeks ago
Though I must say I haven't actually tried it myself because I don't have any software that allows me to play videos in reverse. If I could however, I would cite more examples than what is seen in that video I mentioned in my last two comments. Also, I think I'm going to send this in a youtube message because it may be a bit messy to spread this out in three comments lol. And sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes over these three comments. Ok I'm done. This is the last comment (I think).
VikTalks 1 month ago
In fact, in the video I mentioned in my last comment, which are the "bear blowjob scene" and the scene where Danny is sitting on a bear pillow talking about Tony, come at the same time when played simultaneously forwards and backwards. This CONFIRMS the theory in your written analysis on the parallel between these scenes. Maybe you should try to play it forwards and backwards (if you haven't already) to see if you can confirm your other theories on the movie and find something new as well
VikTalks 1 month ago
Rob Ager. People say that if you play the movie forwards and backwards at the same time, the scenes match up to a point where it has to be intentional. Search "shining forwards backwards" and click on the first video for an example. I read your written analysis a while back (which, by the way, are you going to finish or is it on one of your DVD's?) and forgot if you've mentioned the symmetry of the film or not. So, if not, I'd like to hear your thoughts on it. (if so on the other hand, nvm)
VikTalks 1 month ago
The brilliant thing about Kubrick is how so many years after these films were made, is how we are still speculating, dissecting and ultimately trying to get to the underlying truth of what his intention or implications were. His mark of genius is our continued fascination with him.
Righton2000 1 month ago
God there's so much to be analyzed about this film. Btw, the old lady in the bathroom is one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen.
Ryu12543 1 month ago
I'd like to see Mr. Ager review The Shone Report by ShawnFella, and get more out of that. Also, these three reviews fail to mention Mr. Ullman being- allegedly- a symbol of John F. Kennedy. It seems inconsequential; until you consider that his reference to his predecessor would have to be a reference to Dwight Eisenhower if it were to be an intentional symbolism. Yet Ike is never mentioned in any Shining analysis. Have any actions of DDE ever been compared to events in The Shining?
HayduMan1 1 month ago
I just noted an interesting feature which many of you probably have not noticed it is right at the end as wendy and danny get away and it really shows how good Kubrick was at hiding things in the film. As i watched just after Jack died I was not paying attention so I rewinded and as I did the reverse audio revealed that the jibberish Jack appears to be talking is not jibberish it is actually him saying HHHHHHHEEEEELLLLLP MEEEEE in reverse if you reverse the audio you will also notice .
MrPoshyandjoinc 1 month ago
@MrPoshyandjoinc Of all his films, I think The Shining is most autobiographical- more so than Eyes Wide Shut- in terms of Kubrick's affairs with the Illuminati. Of all his films, do you believe The Shining is actually the most revealing?
HayduMan1 1 month ago
@HayduMan1 Autobiographical? We all are one - it reveals a few aspects of human nature, known only to those once required to access them under stress, or similarly, placed in that sad dilemma somehow, like George Orwell before him in print, Stan The Man Kubrick could seamlessly channel his own intimate knowledge of dark recesses of the mind on to permanent film, and that prior to Chronenburg's own access to the dark side of himself. Plenty of dark film in the past but psychology has come on now.
SmileyGarrish 1 month ago
Final observarions about 'Marvin Garden' - I promise! There is a shot of a radio being intentionally broken similar to the CB being destroyed. Also, Jack's brother is in trouble with the law and his employer -- similar to Jack's predicament in Shining (novel hints at a poor job history, a drinking/driving accident, and legal problems if he breaks his contract with Ullman). View this movie as if the two brothers are different aspects of one character and you end up w/ Jack in The Shining!
schitjob 1 month ago
The similarities just go on and on -- references to beastiality (sex with a dolphin in one, sex with a dog in the other), two related women (similar to the twin girls), and a member of the family does not survive the movie in both flicks. The main thing I simply couldn't believe was the ending -- the ending shot was of Jack's grandfather watching a home movie of younger Jack! Both movies end with shots of Jack's character as seen in the past, captured on film! Definitely worth seeking!
schitjob 1 month ago
There are just so many similarities, I know I am missing a bunch, but here are a few: Nickolson is shown in a tuxedo (much like the end shot of Shining); there is a shot of him casually looking up at the clouds that somewhat reminded me of the ground shot looking up at his face in the freezer in Shining; unique electric vehicles used on the boardwalk (akin to the snowcats in Shining); a shot of a large statue of an elephant that reminded me of the animal-shaped shrubbery in King's novel...etc
schitjob 1 month ago
Nickelson's character is a frustrated writer in the movie. He talks about how no one is reading and how his literary needs are not being met, so he has moved on to reciting his ideas into a cassette recorder he uses for a radio show. He starts to make up a story about a being trapped in a cabin in the woods, surrounded by so much snow that the roads are impassible (!) before he is interrupted.
schitjob 1 month ago
Cruthers wants Jack's character to work for him, essentially to be the caretaker, if you will, of his quasi-illegal affairs. This conversation takes place in both an industrial kitchen and on a barstool (slightly similar to the shots of Jack and bartender Floyd), and behind Cruthers are pictures of illuminated ladies similar to those of the paintings on black velvet we saw in Cruthers' room in Florida after he left the Overlook.
schitjob 1 month ago
First of all, both films star Jack Nickolson and Scatman Cruthers. Cruthers plays a character named Lewis, who at one point acts as if he is not Lewis (similar to Grady/Not Grady). The bulk of the story takes place in an old hotel. It's not deserted, but the elderly people residing therein move through it like wraiths without ever interacting with the main characters. The hotel has grand white pillars and some surprisingly red columns and plush red furniture.
schitjob 1 month ago
robag88, I wonder if you have ever seen 'The King of Marvin Gardens'? It was essentially a slice of life film with a pulpish undercurrent about two brothers in Atlantic City. Both storywise and imagerywise, there are some ASTONISHING similarities between that film and 'The Shining'. I will list some of them with the hope that your interested readers/viewers will seek out that movie for a deeper understanding of The Shining. (I have sought out other film reviews since seeing yours here.)
schitjob 1 month ago
I've read your Shining analysis on collative learning: no offense, but the idea that there is no supernatural presence in the overlook and that "when [Danny] senses a new threat from his father, the anticipation manifests. . .through symbolic visions" can't be correct. I did not see this answered on the site--Halloran shines as well, and Danny communicates with him telepathically over 1000s of miles. They aren't symbolic visions, it is clairvoyance. He isn't just crazy, the hotel is haunted.
apwill4765 1 month ago
@apwill4765 my father thought that Wendy's observations towards the end such as the blow job scene, ocean of blood, waiter were all in her head.I explained that the hotel was haunted most likely because it was on an indian burial ground as Mr. Ullman stated during the tour of the hotel.
msmithstud 1 month ago
You are over analyzing it man. This is just ridiculous. The film is great but you have to accept that the movie has it's flaws. You could find subliminal messages in my shit FOR CHRIST SAKE! . You're putting meaning behind things that were never intended.
BLOODTheChosenOne 1 month ago
jeez, and i thought I was an overly-analytical douche
pockmarkedbuttocks 2 months ago
your reviews rock! you realy understand cinema.
nosferatu309 2 months ago
like to see the critical analysis of the Shining being compared to the fake Apollo moon landings...
Broooose 2 months ago
It is interesting to note that in the book, Stuart Ullman is simply known as Mr. Ullman. The name 'Stuart' is very relevant to the critical American experience theme in Mr. Ager's analysis. The duties of Jack Nicholson, as described by by Stuart Ullman, are very simillar to the watchman duties given to colonial charters by the Stuart dynasty.
brcx300 2 months ago
@TheMarkSasuke64
You're a dumbass.
rotflmfaololzomg 2 months ago
It's like I'm really in church. Seeing sheep try to find meaning where there is only matter.
TheMarkSasuke64 2 months ago
Great analysis. Really entertaining to watch. I have always wondered though, the reason for these subliminal effects and techniques. It seems that a lot of thought and effort goes into these sort of techniques yet you will not see their direct effect on the casual viewer. It's only through vids like these we can apprecite their existence.
I love this film but is it because of these subliminals and their effect on me or are these subliminals just a form of Kubricks expression.
bwm5150 2 months ago
Your review is very interesting. I was aware that Kubrick prefigures nearly key scene in the movie with a precusor, and the layout of the film is very formal and divided, almost like a grid pattern or a maze. I must admit that I didn't think about the office and wendys flight through the overlook being part of the shifting games the hotel was playing. Do you really think thats the case, or could it be a continuity error? I know Kubrick was a perfectionist so its unlikely but no one is perfect.
BelatedCommiseration 2 months ago
@BelatedCommiseration There's another video on my channel called ... Film Psychology THE SHINING spatial anomolies and set design. It covers the topic in a lot of detail :)
robag88 2 months ago
@robag88 Thanks for the response. One of the reasons I love this film is because of its spatial awareness and exploration of space. Even the carpets tell the story of a 'maze of monsters' with unsettling feelings of shifting shapes in garishly rendered colour that makes extensive use of red as you know. Also the characters seem to encounter mental/spiritual trangressions in hallways, echoing a claustrophobia, but when they interact with them they are in spacious areas, usually near mirrors.
BelatedCommiseration 2 months ago
Thank you for your amazing analysis! I have read them sooo many times! Shining is my favourite movie of all time! There are two chapters on your homepage which cannot be read yet. Are they going to be available anytime soon?
dcrated 2 months ago
Not much of an explanation, I know, but Leon Vitaly went on to say that Kubrick was really open to ideas and suggestions and not really the on-set dictator he was frequently described as being.
Kasti77 2 months ago
@Kasti77 Yes, the dictator reputation was nothing to do with shouting, but more about persistence in getting the shots and performances he wanted regardless of how tired and impatient the crew became .. oh and his underhanded manipulation tactics with certain crew members. When I shot my first feature film I was encoding a hidden narrative which the cast and crew only knew small parts of, but to my surprise they often offered suggestions that fitted in with the subliminals i was working on.
robag88 2 months ago
About the sound of the tricycle wheels on the hotel floor, I remember reading an interview of Leon Vitaly (actor in Barry London who then became a close assistant from Stanley) in a french cinema magazine (Cine Live) shortly after Kubrick's death / releasing of Eyes Wide Shut. He said that Kubrick at first did not want to keep the sound of the wheels in the final cut, but when one of the the technicians said he/she liked that sound, he decided to keep it anyway...
Kasti77 2 months ago
Can you make more movie analysis of a whole bunch more please? I really enjoy watching them. Most of the movies you have done I love, but I never noticed and probably never would have noticed many of the points you make. Keep up the great work!
mattster323 2 months ago
Hi, Mr. Ager.
Once again, I love the analysis of this film. The Shining is definitely one of the most psychologically profound horror films. The soundtrack could not be better, either. Having heard you describe the sound effects in "Dies Irae" (the opening theme), I listened to the composition in its entirety. Apart from the Native American chanting and "screams of a terrified woman", I also discern, towards the end, the voices of men in agony... Quite chilling, to say the least.
globetrekker86 2 months ago
I love horror movies, and there are a whole lot of horror's ive seen. And only a handful of those movies scare me. This is one of them.
MovieCriticCinema 3 months ago
Outstanding! The Shining was already my favorite horror movie but this just deepens my appreciation of it exponentially. I'm gonna have to go rewatch it now(nevermind that i gave my girlfriend her first viewing of it not two weeks ago), probably two or three times just to catch all the underlying themes/foreshadowing/etc. The hardest part will be to keep my mind on these things and not get caught up in the suspense of the story!
mikethemotormouth 3 months ago
@mikethemotormouth Yeah, the subliminals are generally too complicated to follow in a straight viewing. It's like trying to see the source code of a website it's loading.
robag88 2 months ago
Do you believe Kubrick intended all of these symbols, these foreshadowing? Just wondering
jeapiat 3 months ago
i recently saw a documentary which asserted that Jack Nicholson is Stanley Kubrick during his involvement with the moon landings. Thus we see Apollo 11 in Dany's shirt, room 237(changed from Steven King's 217), representing the distance from earth to moon. While the documentary is very speculative it is still interesting. check it out, you'd appreciate it. it's called Kubrick's Odyssey.
gator153 3 months ago
@gator153 I saw Kubrick's Odyssey a few months ago, found it highly speculative with some downright fibs thrown in.Check out those supposed facts, clue: one is the date release date of the premier of the Shining LOL
Humannondancer 2 months ago
Some of these are cool, but most of it, I feel, are looked too much into.
cadetwolf1234 3 months ago
That part about the teddy bear is amazing; I never even noticed it before.
ilikee1 3 months ago
Your literally giving no signified answers. Chef scene with Danny, the noise in the background was the crew.(blooper). The scene whcih illustrates Danny and his Mother walking into the maze (signifier), which cuts to Jack glancing over the model maze (signified) Puzzlement, despair, the loss of navigation are traits of the Mother and sons knowingness, cut to the Father, determined, God like (looking down over the madel maze) knowing what way out of the maze....etc
EndorPheonix 3 months ago
@EndorPheonix But i subscribed :-)
EndorPheonix 3 months ago
Stanley Kubrick was to the motion picture what Michelangelo was to canvas, as Rob Ager's analysis more than proves.
wb4ever1 3 months ago
An analysis that is useful and based on minute observations from the movie. Very rare to come by these days.
baroh2413 3 months ago
Thank you, Mr. Ager, for your work on films like this. The analyses simultaneously help explain the symbolism and add to the mystique of the work. I appreciated The Shining as a fine piece of work prior to reading and seeing the review, but now I am certain to obtain a copy for myself.
globetrekker86 3 months ago
The colour of the typewriter changes from white to blue.
tool619 4 months ago
Really insightful. Thanks for posting!
globetrekker86 4 months ago
It may probably be nothing, but to my mind the pattern of lights behind Jack in the bathroom when him & Grady are talking seems a little bit weird. Like I said, it's probably nothing but you never know...
wiljjHeigl 4 months ago
I need to watch part 2 and 3 of this because I honestly didn't get it.
rad3xl 5 months ago
@rad3xl You can't get what you haven't watched :)
robag88 3 months ago
@robag88
I actually watched most your videos that night when I posted that and I felt quite pleased I did watch them. I find your material very interesting and well presented. So now I get it.
rad3xl 3 months ago
@rad3xl Yeah, you've gotta watch the movie first. It's on YouTube, you can find it easily.
MinamuTV 3 months ago 2
This is good, but it's not a structured analysis but more a listing of cross-references within the film and repeated techniques of cinematography...but still good:)
Amotarzi 5 months ago
@Amotarzi See my website for an extensive structured analysis.
robag88 3 months ago
Actually I find that 'scream of a women' sound you noted at the start to be more like a whale to my ears.
Andyp12 5 months ago
Wow, analyzing this movie is almost like analyzing a piece of music or something.
TheZaius 5 months ago
I love in-depth analyses like these. They always want to go back and watch the movie again and catch all the stuff I missed.
Ashtwan 5 months ago
@Ashtwan I totally agree with you. :)
globetrekker86 3 months ago
Hmm, some things are just too far fetched. A nice entertaining view though.
BigLebowski2000 5 months ago
@BigLebowski2000 Not quite. I shot my first feature a while back and it's got as much symbology in it as this review.
robag88 3 months ago
@robag88 Well, that's your opinion ;-) I like the video though. Nice watch!
BigLebowski2000 3 months ago
how did you figure out all this stuff that part where your mentioning the tennis ball and everything seemed so spot on. how long did it take you to figure this out its amazing its like you spoke to him personally
Tips247 5 months ago
@Tips247 I started putting subliminal stuff in my own films years back after studying hypnosis and psychology. Then I noticed a lot of the same techniques already being used Kubrick's work.
robag88 3 months ago
mad respect my friend. There is an art to makeing movies, and there is an art to watching them.
Entropy11223344 5 months ago
I notice at 2:35 you mention the character's echoing voices illustrate the isolation, and then your voice echoes. :) Nice little touch.
This is defenitely a great interpretation and I love it. BTW, what do you think of the symbology behind twins here? IE The two coffee cups on Ullman's desk that he's drinking from, the symmetry, the twin girls, etc?
ImpureSoul100 5 months ago
Not sure if you picked up on this in the written version, as I havent read the whole thing yet, but I've always noticed how the bathroom that Jack & Grady go into looks alot more modern than the rest of the hotel. Might not mean anything but I just noticed how the red and white color scheme is the same as an early scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey, when Heywood Floyd is being questioned about an epidemic by some colleagues. Anyway this may be a coincidence but it just stood out to me. :)
IRobertMarah 5 months ago
@IRobertMarah I hadn't thought about that before but yes they do appear similar.
robag88 5 months ago
I love this. Thank you so much :) I really appreciate what you're doing, this is a lot of work and deep thinking.
HindiWannabe 5 months ago
Comment removed
HindiWannabe 5 months ago
Great Anaylsis i enjoy this movie alot!
teletran8 6 months ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
This overanalysis is utter garbage.
lemoncrushed 6 months ago
@lemoncrushed And your argument is?
robag88 6 months ago 21
@robag88
Not arguing. Making a statement.
lemoncrushed 6 months ago
This is pretty great... the foreshadowing of the axe swings? Excellent.
DamienFerland 6 months ago
@robag88 The only part of this that I didn't find interesting was the carpet-floor-maze part.
TheSevenCamels 4 months ago
Rob I have one question for you!The scene with the sceletons at the end of the movie was at the original verion of the film...because yesterday i watched the film once (different torrent) again and i saw for the first time the sceleton's scene...when all lights of the hotel switched off... ? ? ?
AcidRainAgain 6 months ago
I am digging this video so far. the only problem i've noticed so far is @ 2:40
at that time, there are still people cleaning and preparing to leave the Overlook
l1qu1dm3t4lIV 7 months ago
Hi Rob,
Just noticed a visual clue which I'm not sure you've picked up yet. When Wendy is in the boiler room and hears Jack screaming she walks past the Billboard that you have already mentioned in chapter 16 of your written analysis as Jacks work (i.e. he put up that naked chicks etc.)
Look close at the HD version you will see that the piece of paper that says "king" actually says "chOking". And not only that, inside the O there's a drawing of what appears to be a boys face.
arnemyggen 7 months ago
@arnemyggen Well spotted. It is in the article, but well done anyway :)
robag88 7 months ago
@robag88 Hehe, I must be getting old cause I've actually read most of it but that somehow didn't sink in. Well then let me take the opportunity to say that I really like your site!
arnemyggen 7 months ago
I listened to a Vincent D'Onofrio interview recently on the Opie and Anthony radio show. (Same show Andrew Breitbart leaked Anthony Weiner's weiner. Vincent was there during that part also)
They talked about Kubrick and his obsessive nature and when asked about the excessive amount of takes Kubrick would do, Vincent stated that that was a myth. He did not take that many takes.. At least during full metal jacket. I wonder now if that whole thing about many takes is accurate or not.
jimmynorton1001 7 months ago
While it is a interesting Analysis. I do have to say bottom line this is just a good horror movie and that's all. over analysising everything is about as bad as listening to a film Critic like Roger Ebert who over does things instead of just relaxing and enjoying a movie.
Astraldragon1 7 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Hey Rob how do you explain that Grady opens the door when Jack is locked up in storage room? this is the one thing in the film that I'm confused about, I have theories but nothing solid, your take?
Mikeol2006 7 months ago
this is a great analysis mate really sort of confirmed my theories on the film too.
what a genius Kubrick was
Mikeol2006 7 months ago
Kubrick leaving clues that he was involved in faking the moon landings?
Kubrick's Odyssey: Secrets Hidden In The Films Of Stanley Kubrick
watch?v=c5g4jn2CKPE
greenmagoos 8 months ago
If any one mentions the book in posts again, I'll go flipping mad. Let's face it folks. King was a successful, but none the less hack writer. You read King novels when you are in your early teens. Kubrick is more like Tolstoy or someone of that magnatude. King may be a popular author, but he's hardly a great artist.Kubrick on the other hand, GREAT artist. SO to anyone about to mention the book, don't. King is lucky Kubrick turned is slightly pulpy novel into an exceptional film.
BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff 8 months ago
@BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff well King was known for not liking Kubrick's version of the Shining that it went away from how the book was written. The movies great don't get me wrong i love it. but King was not a fan of it which is why he re-did the movie his way fallowing the book. as for King the Writer some fans feel he is more then a Hack writer. but everyone has their own opinion.
Astraldragon1 7 months ago
@Astraldragon1 Stop mentioning the book. As a caveat, Rob says clearly 'this article has nothing to do with the book'. Why mention the book then? King was lucky, end of story. A pulp writer gets the Kubrick treatment. King should just be grateful. The movie of the Shining is as close to art as King will ever get. People read King when they are young, in their teens. There's a sense of nostalgia because of that. You are letting your nostalgia cloud your judgement. Kubrick made the work better!
BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff 7 months ago
Really enjoyed this analysis however I think you a stretching your argument a little when you mention the sound of the trike going over the carpets is like the music when Danny runs through the maze. It doesn't. I'm sure like quite a lot of other happy accidents in the film making process not every single one of them are pre-planned.
Nice work anyway
yazzman13 8 months ago
You'll like this rob, I just figured out another little trick by Kubrick. There's the famous shot at the end, the camera on the dolly zooming in to the picture of Jack at the ball in 1924.My reaction on seeing the film first was @i must go and look at the film in more detail to see if I can see Jack in a picture when a picture comes into shot. By including tat detail, Kubrick is literally saying 'take a much closer look at this film's details'. Stan is the Man!
BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff 8 months ago
Rob, somebody stole your web page! This is blueshift and I can't get to your web page anymore. What gives?
TheDrakeequation521 8 months ago
@TheDrakeequation521 I know... I just noticed now.. What the hell is going on?
savoirjoker 8 months ago
@savoirjoker
Sad to see this (hope it's not what I think), Website-Theft is the warfare of punishing or silencing people who poke into wasps nests.
opiumrebel 8 months ago
@opiumrebel It's back up again, I just looked.
BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff 8 months ago
Stephen King once said he didn't like this adaption because of Jack Nicholson, you don't take him for a normal guy in the beginning.
Despite later giving an Oscar-Worthy performance I partly agree, because of his facial features he looks like he's gonna snap from the beginning, you don't believe him in the role of the loving father which leaves the film in a dilemma.
Nicholson can't play the normal guy very well but on the other Hand no one can play the mad guy like him.
opiumrebel 8 months ago
You need to read the book! I read through your analysis on your website and there are so many things you think are symbols which are explained in the book!!! Not all of it but there are certain things. The scene with the typewriter, you point out the scrapbook with newspaper clippings and think it's to do with natives? Nah it's because in the book Jack becomes obsessed with the history of the hotel, I think he finds that scrapbook one time when he's exploring the basement (I THINK I forget).
SpyWhoLovedHimself 8 months ago
@SpyWhoLovedHimself Also, the reason he rips out the paper from the typewriter is because he doesn't want Wendy to see what he's writing. He goes off of his original writing project which was a play, and because he becomes deeply obsessed with the hotel he begins writing about that instead. I don't think in that scene he's writing the "All work and no play" thing... or he might be, but what I do know is his new writing project by this point in the movie is about the hotel... Furthermore...
SpyWhoLovedHimself 8 months ago
@SpyWhoLovedHimself The "bear" in the movie is actually a dog. This is because in the book one of the important people (I forget these things I haven't read the book since I was 13) has this guy dress up like a dog in public and he makes him do things a dog would do. It's not a symbol of Jack molesting Danny, it's a reference to the book. You also say something about Danny saying "just pictures in a book" and wonder if Halloran told him? He did, it's in the book, Halloran tells Danny that.
SpyWhoLovedHimself 8 months ago
@SpyWhoLovedHimself The "bear" in the movie is a dog, it doesn't symbolise Jack sexually abusing Danny, it's a reference to the book in which one of the important guys (I forget... haven't read it in AGES) has this guy dress up as a dog in public and makes him act like a dog. Also Halloran DOES tell Danny what he sees is just like pictures in a book.
SpyWhoLovedHimself 8 months ago
@SpyWhoLovedHimself Hmm appears it wasn't you who did the bear molestation thing? I dunno then someone just linked me to your site about that :p nevermind
SpyWhoLovedHimself 8 months ago
@SpyWhoLovedHimself You didn't read the article on Rob's website enough! Rob says clearly that he is not including the novel in his analysis because the film is an entirely new artistic work. SO you are wrong, the book does not help in understanding the film. Read the full analysis on the web site before you post a question or a statement that has already been answered countless times.
BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff 8 months ago
@BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff
So the dog in the film is either:
a) the guy from the book
OR
b) symbolism of Danny getting assfucked
?
SpyWhoLovedHimself 8 months ago
@SpyWhoLovedHimself In the film and remember, rob is analysisng Kubrick's film, not King's book(In my humble opinion, Kubrick is more of an artist than King, more of an auteur) the dog is symbolic of Danny. Rob is suggesting that Wendy actually encounters Danny giving Jack head.
BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff 8 months ago
@BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff
Yeah I get what you mean but try to see what I'm saying... I understand it's a new artistic work etc but remember it is BASED on the book, so when I see a guy dressed as a dog in the film, my immediate thought is that it's probably a nod to the thing in the book. It makes perfect sense. Same with the scrapbook of newspaper clippings, it makes more sense it's a nod to the one mentioned in the book.
Also Rob shows danny linked to BEARS, that guy is dressed as a DOG.
SpyWhoLovedHimself 8 months ago
jackie cooper...........r.i.p.
coreyagraph 9 months ago
this movie was veryyy loud to my dogs:( i didnt much like it anyways
DtoWnSux1 9 months ago
I'm still not getting the Window conspiracy you have
tylerlovesthebeatles 9 months ago
After watching the movie again, I'm intrigued by the character of Bill Watson. In the European version of the movie, he only says one word 'Fine', yet he shadows Ullman as he brings Jack and family around the hote, a possible hint that his character plays a subliminal part in the many narratives. The look he gives Ullman when Ullman is about to tell Jack of the murders at the hotel is very telling. It sseems to say 'be carful Ullman'. It suggests he is some kind of handler. Thoughts Rob?
BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff 9 months ago
This is such a great look at a movie I've seen so many times and now have a new perspective on! Just some of the foreshadowing mentioned here alone make it worth watching again!
WarriorBoy 9 months ago
hi again would just like to add another bit about the alchoholic theory, there is no way he could sneak enough booze up to the hotel to last all winter hoping that there would be booze at the hotel and got a shock when he finds out that the remove it for insurance reasons. Alcohol withdrawl is no easy feat and this would explain hallucinations and a mental breakdown coupled together with a cabin fever effect would be a potent combination
AYRAYR1 10 months ago
hey rob really enjoyed watching this de-construction of the film and i agree with what you are getting at i would like to put a my slant on it. I think that jack is an alchoholic from the start and that would explain why so far through the film he totally crack's up thats his supply running out and the scene with danny entering room 237 for the first time i think the tennis ball is a projection of danny's fear of jack's rage and violence just an observation. Also like full metal jacket vid too.
AYRAYR1 10 months ago
that old woman's face was the most terrifying thing i have ever seen
Thespilloftroy 10 months ago
@Thespilloftroy her face. i was thing more like the old womans ass D:
hollywoodbubbles 10 months ago
@Thespilloftroy You haven't seen mine when I have a hangover!! really scary that is! :)
BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff 9 months ago
you know the only flaw of this movie?? the fact that every time i see the wife i think of her as her role of olive oil...im not kidding, im not saying she didnt do a great job in the movie but i just thinki of her as another character, just like when you see jaleel white you think STEVE URKEL
gmf20002 10 months ago
There are tons of details, foreshadowing, and symbolism in this movie and this analysis shows this person is a fan of the movie and therefore did enjoy it. I think the details he spotted are really interesting and easily missed.
marlee0411 10 months ago
I've started a blog for analyzing pop culture and helping others to do so as well. If you're interested, check it out! It's called Critical Hit!! A Fight Against Cultural Zombieism.
DNAngel2009 10 months ago
I'm sure you've been asked this, but what's your opinion on the theory that this whole movie is symbolic for Kubrick accepting a deal with the US government to direct fake Apollo 11 projects and the moon landing? If you're not familiar with the theory then you can read about it here jayweidner(dot)com/ShiningSecrets.html
mninezerofive 10 months ago
@mninezerofive If there's a Kubrick film that's full of fake moon landing theories its 2001: A Space Odyssey - see the expanded 2001 analysis on my site. Several other Kubrick films contain additional refs to the moon landings (especially the Kubrick spielberg effort A.I.). I don't think it's a central theme in The Shining.
robag88 10 months ago
@robag88 Yeah or in the shining the little boy has a rocket on his shirt
F1brawfa 9 months ago
@robag88 2001 was released in 1968... the moon landing he directed and the world watched was in 1969. connect the dots. consider it his audition
brutallyhonest123 9 months ago
@robag88 , I live in Colorado near the Stanley Hotel this movie was based of. I live about 45 minutes drive from the hotel it's a nice hotel and have taken the ghost tours they have. I've allways been intersted in ghost stories. I grew up in South Calif in San Diego. I used to visit the Whaley house yearly during the Halloween season. it's concidered one of the most haunted houses in America.
Astraldragon1 7 months ago
This is amazing
BKLOUNGE321 11 months ago
The noise the tricycle makes when it goes over a rug was not intended and Kubrick didn't notice it until after they shot it.
It says that in the Blu-ray extras
xMrBubblezz 11 months ago
@xMrBubblezz Who said that on the blue ray extras and how do they know it to be the case? If you read the cast and crew reports on The Shining (and Kubrick's other films) from his biographies they frequently conflict with each other. It becomes very apparent that Kubrick led diff people in diff directions to disguise his own motives. He'd shoot 100+ takes without uttering a word of direction. Encoding subliminals wouldn't remain secret very long if the crew knew what he was doing.
robag88 10 months ago 9
i don't get the translation between no work and no murder?
needley 11 months ago
@needley All work and no murder makes jack a dull boy ... he's miserable until he goes on a kill rampage
robag88 10 months ago
@robag88 No i get that , are you saying all work and no play ..Play = murder in jacks case???
needley 10 months ago
I would love it if you made a video analyzing Magnolia.
afw8g 11 months ago
@afw8g I still haven't watched it but I loved his follow up film Punch Drunk Love ... at least I think that was the same director.
robag88 10 months ago
I disagree. The map of the garden maze looks exactly like the table top model. It's the real areal shot of the maze that follows that is totally different.
luno44 11 months ago
I'm intrigued by two ( Canadian) paintings that can be seen on the walls...native artist Norval Morriseau's "The Great Mother" at the office door when Jack arrives to be interviewed and later in the family's apartment "Horse and Train" by Alex Colville...it may be arbitrary that they are there but I wonder if they fit in somehow with Kubrick's themes
lowryfern 11 months ago
@lowryfern The Morriseau paintings fit in with the native american themes certainly. There's one seen through the same doorway but from inside Ullman's office. It's called flock of fools. The horse and train pic I'm not so sure about but it is a dark picture.
robag88 10 months ago
Umm I'm a writer and I'm glad I don't have to deal with some of the people that are commenting here in the literary world since most literature is heavily analyzed. Yes, it gets a bit claustrophobic at times but it's finding new meanings that makes the whole effort count. A professor of mine once said close analysis is an attempt to retain that feeling of "closeness" with a work of art. I wish more movies could be made in that way, film seems too backwards these days =/
hempgru4 11 months ago
I always thought the maze map was supposed to be simplified to trick people going in there. Not that it was supposed to distort OUR view of it.
luno44 11 months ago
@3:20 and it sounds like a heartbeat!
SuperNewsJunky 1 year ago
Some of these are a bit of a stretch, but some of them are very interesting. I especially enjoy the teddy bear reference close to the end. It's also interesting how Kubrick uses immaculate restrooms in a lot of his films.
kmanfitz 1 year ago
@kmanfitz and there are suggested reasons for that. Look for a website called Kubrick Corner, it has an essay on Kubrrick & bathrooms. In general, it baffles me why people get so angry when someone interprets a film to be anythiing other than an excuse to watch explosions and eat popcorn. Kubrick was an artist & he had a message. Just because youo didn't get it, no need to get angry. The fact you don't get it is not a reflection of stupidity. It just means you haven't looked deep enough yet.
BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff 9 months ago
There's yet another ever-changing maze here: the film itself! It's a mix of objective reality and the subjective imaginations of the different characters, and it switches from one perspective to another, and even mixes perspectives. Just when you think you're dealing with Jack's imagination, you get a hint that it's Danny's or Wendy's dream, maybe objective reality. Example: Halloran both did & did not really come. Is Kubrick playing with our sense of orientation at ALL levels of analysis.
boriato 1 year ago
The idea that "1921 Jack" is trying to warn future generations about the "real" evil of the Overlook society makes a parallel with 2001, which ends with "Starchild Dave" looking directly at the audience, as if challenging us to take note of what we've seen. In the photo, Jack is also looking at us, trying to send us a note to warn us, and we can even see the hand of power trying to restrain him.
boriato 1 year ago
Could the final scene of the film also support the "trapped & helpless" theme, and even give Jack a bit of (much needed) moral redemption? It looks like "1921 Jack" is trying to sneak a message through the photo to his "future self" (the note in his hand) but is held back by someone ("all the best people") behind him. Jack knows he's trapped in a corrupt system, and wants to warn future generations, but the same system prevents him. Its speculation, but does it have the ring of authenticity?
boriato 1 year ago
Good Analysis.The opening shot of the movie also shows the hotel is really far away from rest of the humanity. There's no freakin way she could get help when Jack is in his mad descent. On top of mirroring the idea of maze scene in the climax, it also starts the visual mirror idea (reflection of the mountains in the water), setsup the snow and expresses the idea of the character driving on the edge of the road (he ready to fall of cliff...life anytime. "Basic Instinct" later used this same idea)
nonamechannel 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Very interesting. But whatever happened to just enjoying movies for the way they look and sound and feel instead of ripping them apart and piecing together everything that seems similar and trying to find a deeper meaning and understanding. It's a movie for God's sake, meant for entertaining for a few hours
cdawghimself 1 year ago
@cdawghimself Nothing happened to it. I watched Inception last night and enjoyed it as a simple piece of sci-fi entertainment. However, surely you understand that some films (not many) are too complex and deep to be fully appreciated in a casual viewing - think Hitchcock, Lynch, etc. Nobody is focring you to watch my vids - they're labelled "film analysis" so really you shouldn't click to watch them if that isn't what you want :)
robag88 1 year ago 51
@robag88 Inception analysis on it's way? :)
Love your work and dedication. Don't let cowards stray you out of the Dip.
jmichaelfulton 1 year ago
@robag88 Do you think Inception is one of those films that are "complex and deep"?
KajiCarson 1 year ago
@KajiCarson Rob may not, but I do. There are too many references to the number 528 in Inception. 528 hertz is said to be a healing frequency. It is part of the Solfeggio Scale, the tones of which are used in Gregorian chanting. The fact that many of Nolan's films are about illusion/appearance versus reality would suggest he is trying to say something. Also, can it be just an interesting plot device to include Tesla(look up his connection to the HARRP machine) in the plot of The Prestige?
BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff 9 months ago
@robag88 Brilliant deconstruction, as a fan of The Shining and philosophical topics, I really enjoyed this. It's such a shame that you have to contend with airheads who should've clicked on videos of Take Me Out or X Factor and instead came here and began whinging..
JayArgonaut 1 year ago
@robag88 thanks robag ... have you watched bill coopers interp of 2001 ? ;)
stiggyh 11 months ago
@robag88 speaking of lynch, have you thought about giving an in-depth analysis to some of Lynch's films? I would ver much enjoy an analysis of "Eraserhead," and "Muholland Drive."
themetalman3 10 months ago
@robag88 I don't agree on some things here, is it ok if I make a response analysis?
Swe515 10 months ago
Comment removed
nonamechannel 1 year ago
@cdawghimself I don't think Stanley Kubrick made his movies for mere entertaining.
Slayerplsko 1 year ago
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AyannaShana 1 year ago
All kubrick films alre complicated and have more than one mining , i do belive that he was killed for making Eyes wide shut
F1brawfa 1 year ago
@F1brawfa A lot of people think that. Personally I think he kept the release of EWS delayed until after his death so as not face a media backlash.
robag88 1 year ago
@F1brawfa Non sense. If 'they' wanted him dead, they would of killed him when he made DR Stranglove as it is mucch more blatant in what it is trying to say. Heck, there's even a Nazi in it blabbing on about the master race!!
BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff 9 months ago
@BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff I simply cant agree remember that "Eyes wide shut was hevly edited by Warner just days after Kubrick's death i think it's not insanity to say there was a chance they had to remove Kubric as he got stranger and stranger over the years aspecially his wife is even today saying she is not sure why he actually died
F1brawfa 9 months ago
@F1brawfa Smoking for 40 odd years may of had something to do with it. I jest, but even in an elementary way, 2001 has an anti elete message. The details were lost on me when I saw 2001 as a kid, but I knew Bowman beating HAL was a 'f**K U' to the authorities, so SK's intentions in later films were still descernable. Also, why give a man who makes a film like Dr Strangelove another chance? Do him in, silence him straight away. I just don't buy it. No disrespect to your own views though.
BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff 9 months ago
@BlowDeBloodyDoorsOff You see that is the point , Kubrick culd do mroe than other directors but remember that he leave USA just after 2001 and spend the rest of his life in England almoust never left his house he wasnt yeasy to get , i belive he just crossed the line with eyes wide shut and even if they didnt kill him , the movie was still edited all Kubrick movies are a midlle finger to the "pyramid". Thanks for the replay
F1brawfa 9 months ago
Alright, some of this stuff would make sence, like the maze. But other things do not make very much sense at all. I am aware of Kubrick's films and how intelligent he is. Example, the music with Danny being chased in the maze does not closely resemble the carpets. Also, the distorted maze point made also doesn't have enough points that I could believe it was on purpose. For all we know, the window in the office could have been there for lighting. Also the point about All sounding like A11 was c
raffums99 1 year ago