THE SHINING - SOMETHING IN THE RIVER OF BLOOD (UPDATED)

While writing an article about The Shining I found a bizarre detail in the river of blood. I've reached my conclusion about it, but have tried to present multiple interpretations in this video so you can draw your own conclusions. Stanley Kubrick was a master of subliminal encoding and, as always, he's crammed enough detail into this one shot to justify a video analysis in itself.

IMPORTANT: please watch the WHOLE video before commenting.

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Category:

Education

Tags:

• the
• shining
• something
• hidden
• river
• of
• blood
• stanley
• kubrick
• tony
• danny
• elevator
• dead
• body
• subliminal
• rob
• ager

[TheSoftGlimmer]

It is not a reflection because you can see form,the blood splashes over it not directly to the floor. I am not sure if this is a body,but it would make sense because the door cant open alone. Maybe the reason he shot the scene so many times was an attempt to cover up the guy who falls out after opening the door.MAYBE he was too noticeable in the other shots.

[robag88]

@TheSoftGlimmer I'd go with that. He was probably trying to get a shot where the body (if it is a body) is slightly visible, but only on close observation.

[jaredneedsalife]

did you seen the guy who made a video answering your question...Its a reflection in the blood. I think you are choosing the right films though for rigorous analysis. What I find most interesting in the Shining (among many things) is the doubling in the film and Freud's notion of the Uncanny executed so very well. The use of mirrors and the twins and the symmetrical shots of Halloran all being key in this area. Keep up the good work. I enjoy anyone discussing The Shining.

[robag88]

@jaredneedsalife Yes, the guy, whoever he is, has tried for months and months to discredit the idea of an object in the blood. Watch his 3D rendering again. His blood is as thick as treacle so it reflects. The blood in the film splashes like water ... that is except for the solid area highlighted in the video. Why would a small area at the point of impact with the floor reflect while the rest doesn't? Only a large bubble could do that, but the shape lasts too long to be a bubble

[culturewarrior2012]

i can swear i see a head and arm and even fingers... I have a theory that Wendy was pregnant and "Tony" was the ghost of the unborn child. The river of blood represented a miscarriage? i have no idea. Great mental chewing gum, here. I wonder how large the 'person' would be in relation to the elevator? it appears to be child-size. Has anyone else given any thought to Wendy being pregnant with another child? I prefer to have my ideas investigated for me due to laziness. Thanks for the video!

[Kenjitehtiger]

Its okay, I wasn't planning on sleeping tonight anyway.

[bakkabakka12]

@robag88 I'm with the 3D guy. The water splashes about after its hit the floor but it also gushes in a large massive volume like a river just where you'd expect it to, at the bottom of the open door, enabling a smooth reflective surface. The shapes in the room correspond very well to the shape in the water.

[bakkabakka12]

Also wasn't this a miniature? That would mean its a midget's body?

[shuloopie]

This video is actually really creepy; with the constant shot of the elevator and the music, I actually find this hard to watch

[ObakeDragon]

I would say its a warning to Danny about how dangerous the hotel is, because remember Tony is living in Danny's 'mouth' which is shown as the elevator, so it could be a body that signifies Tony, and that they won't be safe, so I think that theory is quite reasonable

[bunnyonfire0]

I do believe that the river of blood scene is symbolizing Dannys face, but I really don't think there is any more to it.

[zippeduniform3]

I think I know exactly what that object is!! Kubrick the wise man he is, has used some form of device with a decline in order to make the blood seem like flowing whilst saving in the amount of blood he's using!

[zippeduniform3]

Not to disagree with the fact that kubrick did in fact use subliminal messages in his films, but I think the so called object which can be seen in this scene its a device of some sort (as simple as a box) that breaks open a greater volume of blood to be directed towards Kubrick's desired point of direction!! Maybe he was just trying to control the flow of the blood?

[evanbohn]

people need to let the detail hunting on this one go. let it go. kubrick was legendary for his pedantic detail fixing and hounding of employees/colleagues, but he was a slouch in his own right; Full Metal Jacket; Crazy Earl reloads his rifle and shoots some escaping Viet-Cong, just before the Surfin' Bird montage. there is a massive editing glitch in Kubrick's editing in these few shots, keep your eyes on Crazy Earl's rifle magazine. Kubrick, the great orchestrator, could screw up too.