The Shining: Fear Eats the Soul
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Personally, I consider this roughly 10 minutes scene (1:43:44-1:53:08) is a quintessence of Stanly Kubrick’s films. In this essay, I am going to argue three technical aspects of this clip that are from Sound, Photography and Mise En Scène respectively.
With harsh electronic sound effect, danger befalls. Jack says, ‘how do you like it?’ in a gentle voice while Wendy is shocked by Jack and screams. That is an apparent comparison that shows Wendy’s fear towards Jack. After that, the rhythm of percussion is accelerated in order to augment a feeling of repression. Jack afterwards thumbs the paper, with two sets of ‘Da Da’ sound effect played by certain string instruments, which is on the same tempo as Jack’s right hand’s up and down, and it is like a signal to indicate
that a ‘rainstorm’ commences. Then relentless pizzicato seems to be questioning Wendy, and imposes pressure on her, which makes Wendy vulnerable. Suddenly, the scene is cut to Danny, and Jack’s voice is superposed, yet sounds surreal,which emphasizes his authority and horror. As Jack is moving towards Wendy, the soundtrack is becoming increasingly sharp and high-pitched. As said in the textbook, “High-pitched sounds are generally strident and produce a sense of tension in the listener. Especially if these types of noises are prolonged, the shrillness can be totally unnerving.”(Giannetti and Leach 214). Wendy starts to stammer out of breath, and her voice tone rises at each end of a sentence, which shows her fragility and innocence while being pushing to a breakdown gradually by Jack. It brings some comedic effect while Jack is mocking Wendy’s way of speaking, and this also shows his chauvinism and psychoneurotic symptom. With harsh electronic sound effect fading and appearing, Wendy’s situation is at stake, because of Jack’s hysteria. Jack emphasizes the word “MY” several times while speaking, which implies that he wants to retrieve his status and dignity, and that also implies white men’s crumbling dominant social status at that time. During the whole scene, Jack speaks loud
and fast with a tone of questioning that clearly shows his wrath. Subsequently, violin’s sound alleviates the tension between them. Jack starts to talk expletives with gentle tone and bizarre smile, which enhances his psychoneurotic personality. The volume of the electronic sound becomes louder as they are moving towards the top of the stairs, and it seems that things are going to a critical threshold. Furthermore, Jack says something to coax Wendy in a very hilarious way, like “Wendy, Darling, light of life”, no wonder Kubrick himself said this movie is a comedy. Wendy keeps saying the same sentences like “stop it! Stay away from me!” in a hysteric way, which illustrates that she is going to collapse immediately. Suddenly, a harsh sound played by tuba penetrates the whole situation ,with Wendy hitting Jack’s hand, and then another sharp electronic sound is played right at Wendy’s bat hitting Jack’s head,which boosts dramatic effect. Stuffy tuba sound and sharp violin sound are played simultaneously, along with Jack’s felling down the stair and Wendy’s crying, which demonstrates a sense of tragedy. Then, the scene changes while the soundtrack stops except some rumbling and Jack’s moan, thus everything is kept in suspense. After Jack being locked into the storage, he is isolated
from the whole scene, and only his roaring sound appears outside the scene. It expands the space on the 2D screen, and seems another dimension exists, which enhances Wendy’s helplessness. The buzzer keeps going, accompanied by percussion and pizzicato, empathizing Jack’s bizarre and horrible laugh. Finally, with a set of “don don” sound effect, like Wendy’s heart beating, it heightens the ambience of horror.
From my own perspective, Kubrick is a maverick of photography in filmmaking. He has some idiosyncratic talent on color and camera. With the camera moving along the dark green wall like moving a curtain, massive depression looms over. After that, there is a deep-focus shot with a clear focus of everything in the scene to present the whole condition. Shortly, Jack’s face turns red, and then is his medium shot, with long lens focusing on him, ignoring the distance between him and the camera, blurring other things in the scene in order to concentrate on Jack. As he steps into the hall, the pale light from the window makes him like a “God”, but the reality is the opposite. As to Wendy, the camera is neutral with eye level, and the bat is sort of a MacGuffin, like her last straw to clutch at, which shows that she is considerably vulnerable. The blurring red wall in the
background implies that Wendy is in danger. Subsequently, the close-up of Danny’s face shows up. Pink wallpaper coordinates Danny’s pink face (which is the dominance of the screen) and his red sweater (which is the subsidiary contrast area),and delivers a sense of fear. Afterwards, the camera gradually zooms in Danny’s face, and then cuts to another scene using red filter so as to enhance the sense of fear. The camera then aims the door with “redrum” on it in a low angle in order to show a feeling of pressure. Later, it turns that Wendy steps into the pale light whereas it shows complete different meaning compared with Jack’s corresponding scene. It merely enhances Wendy’s fragility and helplessness. Intense front-light shining from Jack’s back composes a low contrast picture with vague gradation, which compels me to focus on Jack’s emotion. Furthermore, red light corresponds Jack’s wrath and slight low angle shooting emphasizes Jack’s authority. As Jack approaches step by step, Wendy is pushed at the corner and has to choose whether backs into a dark room or a warm tone light stairs. As a result, she chooses the stairs, which implies that she steps into a “bright future”. As to Jack, shooting him from a high angle means Jack is in inferior position, and what he does is merely a
duel of trapped beasts. As the two protagonists gets closer and are about to break the safe social distances, the red light on Jack’s face is becoming increasingly intense, which makes him look like a “Yaksa”. As said in the textbook, “Red is also the colour of danger, violence, and blood.” (Giannetti and Leach ci-4). On one hand, it shows Jack’s psychoneurotic personality. On the other hand, it indicates Jack is in danger. Behind Wendy, there is a block of warm tone light, which indicates that she is going to be safe soon, and the whole scene is filmed with long lens and medium shot. After Jack fell down the stairs, the short lens establishes the whole scene afresh. From the background to the foreground, everything is within the focus so that it delivers a sense of stereoscopic space and emphasizes Jack’s tininess in the middle. Subsequently, the scene is changed into another place: the storage. The camera is shooting Jack from one of his side in a neutral way to minimize the audience of empathizing Jack. Then, the camera aims Wendy in an oblique and low angle with extremely closed form in order to heighten the instability of the whole situation and emphasize Wendy’s panic. A close-up from a slight low angle on Wendy makes more tension on the screen. Then comes Jack’s POV, he watches Wendy
from low angle, which shows that he is extremely helpless.
About the Mise En Scène, Kubrick also did it in an offbeat way. In the establishing
shot, Jack’s shadow is in the foreground while Wendy and the table is in the middle, and background is warm yellow tone light from the second floor. After that, Jack’s back is facing the audience, which emphasizes his uncertainty and mighty power. He is moving slowly towards Wendy, and eventually, he stops at somewhere. He is standing at the Golden Ratio Point, which indicates that a formal “talk” begins. During Jack’s questioning process, his shadow gradually occupies a majority of the scene, like a big mouth to swallow Wendy. After the two protagonists reaches the top of the stairs, Wendy stands is a dominant position on the left while Jack is shorter compared with her and accounts smaller area of the whole screen, which outlines that he is vulnerable now. After hit on the head by Wendy, Jack falls down the stairs and they return to safe social distances. The scene is then cut to the storage. Jack is dragged into the storage by Wendy half-unconsciously. The doorframe composes a closed form that traps Jack, and the two shelves and the falling boxes together are like an intangible net compassing Jack. After
that, Jack occupies almost the whole screen with a extreme closed form and a low angle, which brings a sense of suffocation, and maximize Jack’s weakness. As said in the textbook, “Closed forms are often used in scenes dealing with entrapment or confinement.” (Giannetti and Leach 135). Finally, Wendy is at the golden ratio point of the screen, and the lock is like a pistol aiming Wendy implying that she is in danger, and the clock on the background symbolizes that time is running out.
In a conclusion, the Overlook Hotel in The Shining represents the American society and its male chauvinism in miniature at that time. The whole society is built on social vulnerable groups’ nightmares. Defeated by anxiety, Jack is eventually sealed in limbo, and becomes an example of the disillusioned American dream.
Works Cited
Kubrick, Stanley, dir. The Shining. Perf. Jack Nicholson. Warner Home Video. (2007) (USA) (Blu-ray) (DVD).
Giannetti Louis, Leach Jim. Understanding Movies. Fifth Canadian Edition. Pearson Education, Inc. 2011. Electronic Book.

With harsh electronic sound effect, danger befalls. Jack says, ‘how do you like it?’ in a gentle voice while Wendy is shocked by Jack and screams. That is an apparent comparison that shows Wendy’s fear towards Jack. After that, the rhythm of percussion is accelerated in order to augment a feeling of repression. Jack afterwards thumbs the paper, with two sets of ‘Da Da’ sound effect played by certain string instruments, which is on the same tempo as Jack’s right hand’s up and down, and it is like a signal to indicate
that a ‘rainstorm’ commences. Then relentless pizzicato seems to be questioning Wendy, and imposes pressure on her, which makes Wendy vulnerable. Suddenly, the scene is cut to Danny, and Jack’s voice is superposed, yet sounds surreal,which emphasizes his authority and horror. As Jack is moving towards Wendy, the soundtrack is becoming increasingly sharp and high-pitched. As said in the textbook, “High-pitched sounds are generally strident and produce a sense of tension in the listener. Especially if these types of noises are prolonged, the shrillness can be totally unnerving.”(Giannetti and Leach 214). Wendy starts to stammer out of breath, and her voice tone rises at each end of a sentence, which shows her fragility and innocence while being pushing to a breakdown gradually by Jack. It brings some comedic effect while Jack is mocking Wendy’s way of speaking, and this also shows his chauvinism and psychoneurotic symptom. With harsh electronic sound effect fading and appearing, Wendy’s situation is at stake, because of Jack’s hysteria. Jack emphasizes the word “MY” several times while speaking, which implies that he wants to retrieve his status and dignity, and that also implies white men’s crumbling dominant social status at that time. During the whole scene, Jack speaks loud
and fast with a tone of questioning that clearly shows his wrath. Subsequently, violin’s sound alleviates the tension between them. Jack starts to talk expletives with gentle tone and bizarre smile, which enhances his psychoneurotic personality. The volume of the electronic sound becomes louder as they are moving towards the top of the stairs, and it seems that things are going to a critical threshold. Furthermore, Jack says something to coax Wendy in a very hilarious way, like “Wendy, Darling, light of life”, no wonder Kubrick himself said this movie is a comedy. Wendy keeps saying the same sentences like “stop it! Stay away from me!” in a hysteric way, which illustrates that she is going to collapse immediately. Suddenly, a harsh sound played by tuba penetrates the whole situation ,with Wendy hitting Jack’s hand, and then another sharp electronic sound is played right at Wendy’s bat hitting Jack’s head,which boosts dramatic effect. Stuffy tuba sound and sharp violin sound are played simultaneously, along with Jack’s felling down the stair and Wendy’s crying, which demonstrates a sense of tragedy. Then, the scene changes while the soundtrack stops except some rumbling and Jack’s moan, thus everything is kept in suspense. After Jack being locked into the storage, he is isolated
from the whole scene, and only his roaring sound appears outside the scene. It expands the space on the 2D screen, and seems another dimension exists, which enhances Wendy’s helplessness. The buzzer keeps going, accompanied by percussion and pizzicato, empathizing Jack’s bizarre and horrible laugh. Finally, with a set of “don don” sound effect, like Wendy’s heart beating, it heightens the ambience of horror.
From my own perspective, Kubrick is a maverick of photography in filmmaking. He has some idiosyncratic talent on color and camera. With the camera moving along the dark green wall like moving a curtain, massive depression looms over. After that, there is a deep-focus shot with a clear focus of everything in the scene to present the whole condition. Shortly, Jack’s face turns red, and then is his medium shot, with long lens focusing on him, ignoring the distance between him and the camera, blurring other things in the scene in order to concentrate on Jack. As he steps into the hall, the pale light from the window makes him like a “God”, but the reality is the opposite. As to Wendy, the camera is neutral with eye level, and the bat is sort of a MacGuffin, like her last straw to clutch at, which shows that she is considerably vulnerable. The blurring red wall in the
background implies that Wendy is in danger. Subsequently, the close-up of Danny’s face shows up. Pink wallpaper coordinates Danny’s pink face (which is the dominance of the screen) and his red sweater (which is the subsidiary contrast area),and delivers a sense of fear. Afterwards, the camera gradually zooms in Danny’s face, and then cuts to another scene using red filter so as to enhance the sense of fear. The camera then aims the door with “redrum” on it in a low angle in order to show a feeling of pressure. Later, it turns that Wendy steps into the pale light whereas it shows complete different meaning compared with Jack’s corresponding scene. It merely enhances Wendy’s fragility and helplessness. Intense front-light shining from Jack’s back composes a low contrast picture with vague gradation, which compels me to focus on Jack’s emotion. Furthermore, red light corresponds Jack’s wrath and slight low angle shooting emphasizes Jack’s authority. As Jack approaches step by step, Wendy is pushed at the corner and has to choose whether backs into a dark room or a warm tone light stairs. As a result, she chooses the stairs, which implies that she steps into a “bright future”. As to Jack, shooting him from a high angle means Jack is in inferior position, and what he does is merely a
duel of trapped beasts. As the two protagonists gets closer and are about to break the safe social distances, the red light on Jack’s face is becoming increasingly intense, which makes him look like a “Yaksa”. As said in the textbook, “Red is also the colour of danger, violence, and blood.” (Giannetti and Leach ci-4). On one hand, it shows Jack’s psychoneurotic personality. On the other hand, it indicates Jack is in danger. Behind Wendy, there is a block of warm tone light, which indicates that she is going to be safe soon, and the whole scene is filmed with long lens and medium shot. After Jack fell down the stairs, the short lens establishes the whole scene afresh. From the background to the foreground, everything is within the focus so that it delivers a sense of stereoscopic space and emphasizes Jack’s tininess in the middle. Subsequently, the scene is changed into another place: the storage. The camera is shooting Jack from one of his side in a neutral way to minimize the audience of empathizing Jack. Then, the camera aims Wendy in an oblique and low angle with extremely closed form in order to heighten the instability of the whole situation and emphasize Wendy’s panic. A close-up from a slight low angle on Wendy makes more tension on the screen. Then comes Jack’s POV, he watches Wendy
from low angle, which shows that he is extremely helpless.
About the Mise En Scène, Kubrick also did it in an offbeat way. In the establishing
shot, Jack’s shadow is in the foreground while Wendy and the table is in the middle, and background is warm yellow tone light from the second floor. After that, Jack’s back is facing the audience, which emphasizes his uncertainty and mighty power. He is moving slowly towards Wendy, and eventually, he stops at somewhere. He is standing at the Golden Ratio Point, which indicates that a formal “talk” begins. During Jack’s questioning process, his shadow gradually occupies a majority of the scene, like a big mouth to swallow Wendy. After the two protagonists reaches the top of the stairs, Wendy stands is a dominant position on the left while Jack is shorter compared with her and accounts smaller area of the whole screen, which outlines that he is vulnerable now. After hit on the head by Wendy, Jack falls down the stairs and they return to safe social distances. The scene is then cut to the storage. Jack is dragged into the storage by Wendy half-unconsciously. The doorframe composes a closed form that traps Jack, and the two shelves and the falling boxes together are like an intangible net compassing Jack. After
that, Jack occupies almost the whole screen with a extreme closed form and a low angle, which brings a sense of suffocation, and maximize Jack’s weakness. As said in the textbook, “Closed forms are often used in scenes dealing with entrapment or confinement.” (Giannetti and Leach 135). Finally, Wendy is at the golden ratio point of the screen, and the lock is like a pistol aiming Wendy implying that she is in danger, and the clock on the background symbolizes that time is running out.
In a conclusion, the Overlook Hotel in The Shining represents the American society and its male chauvinism in miniature at that time. The whole society is built on social vulnerable groups’ nightmares. Defeated by anxiety, Jack is eventually sealed in limbo, and becomes an example of the disillusioned American dream.
Works Cited
Kubrick, Stanley, dir. The Shining. Perf. Jack Nicholson. Warner Home Video. (2007) (USA) (Blu-ray) (DVD).
Giannetti Louis, Leach Jim. Understanding Movies. Fifth Canadian Edition. Pearson Education, Inc. 2011. Electronic Book.

