These dates line up to the precise year that lightning strikes hit a monument a town wrought with countless Native American deaths. The second half brings out the worst in Jack, his actions replicating that of Gradys and also notice the scrapbook placed beside the typewriter. But some take the theory farther and interpret the film as a representation of sexual abuse. This broader theory became directly connected to The Shining as Kubricks subtle way of validating the claims. The movie doesn't expressly explain the identity of the man, but in the book, Stephen King provides the answer. Stanley Kubrick's epic, bizarre, somewhat controversial adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining was released 40 years ago this week. His name is a rightful synonym for perfection, with even his errors draining the life out of you in deciphering the genius behind them. The most disturbing aspect of the movie and something that creeped me out after thinking about it (I am an avid horror movie fan but this aspect is just terrifying). Jack had been researching the incidents that took place in the hotel quite possibly for his story and uses this information to conjure up a plot. The biggest reason for the sideways panning when Ullman shows the hotel is to let the viewers sink in every corridor and direction, before he changes the set design completely, creating an anomaly to disorientate the viewers.Theres also an EXIT sign cleverly put on the left end of the hallway leading to Torrances apartment where the bathroom is, strange foreshadowing. Here's The Shining bear scene explained. You dont know Jack and neither do I. Well explain each theory, why people believe it, and look at the corroborating evidence. All of this corresponds to Wendy's horrified reaction to seeing The Shining bear man in the hallway, which Ager suggests may or may not imply that she has realized, at that moment, what's been happening to Danny in The Shining movie. Theres barely any ambiguity about the end, since it only exists if we are certain of any one explanation, but there isnt one in this case. Theres no doubt that amongst Stanley Kubricks influential body of work, his 1980 horror The Shining remains his most disturbing film, with eerie atmospheric film suggesting something deeper to be running through the haunted floorboards of the Overlook hotel. Some details supporting the latter is that Jack leers at other women several times in the film. What's more, while staying at the Stanley Hotel, King reports having caught glimpses of a young boy roaming the halls even though he and his wife were the only registered guests at the time. Jack has clearly gone haywire and absent-mindedly proceeds to the Gold Room. Tony disapproves of the Torrances decision to move to The Overlook and in a very intriguing scene, Danny is shown visions of the consequences ranging from a flood of red liquid gushing out from elevators, two identical young girls and a totaled image of himself. I've watched the movie somewhere between 5-10 times over the years and still haven't been able to figure out the meaning of this scene. The Shining novel, however, has a very different ending, and one that even made way for a sequel: Doctor Sleep. published July 29, 2020. Stanley Kubricks The Shining is regarded by many as one of the greatest films ever made, and one that to this day continues to be the subject of many debates and discussions. Danny escapes the maze and reunites with Wendy, and they escape in Hallorans snowcat. Danny writes REDRUM with a red crayon on the door of the bathroom while Wendys sleeping and starts repeating it to wake her up. Whilst a framed picture of two bears can be seen hanging above Dannys bed at the start of the film, the most obvious reference to the terrifying animals can be seen when the boy is speaking to the psychiatrist after he faints in the bathroom. Jack had a history of anger issues and violence, mainly against his family. Theres an evil side to it. The costume originates from a vision of the past that keeps merging into our timeline. The visual imagery along with the symbolism, sound and production design, character mannerisms or dialogues have their own story to telland every single one of them could take you down through a different path, like a maze except theres no area of convergence. On the way he sees the corridors filled with balloons and ribbons and discovers a huge party going on in the Gold Room. Danny on the other hand after the physical trauma goes into a semi-conscious state, Tony taking hold of the reigns and keeps on repeating the word redrum in a very mechanical trance. In the novel, Jack manages to fight the hotels possession long enough for him to tell Danny to run for his life. Talking about The Overlook, the epicenter, Ullmans room is very strange. There are many reasons why Stanley Kubricks The Shining is considered one of the most influential horror movies of all time. But it is clear that there is no Jack Torrance left, his insanity has reached its zenith. The sexual abuse theme is even communicated in the making of documentary. Either way though, it's a haunting moment in The Shining, as the dynamic between the two men is uncomfortable, to say the least. Well, a 102 minutes long documentary titled Room 237 was made focusing only on explaining the events that take place in the movie incorporating multiple perspectives, and yet I think it couldnt come to a totally justified conclusion. In this post, well break down the six biggest theories on The Shining, including our own theory that its actually a Christmas movie! There were many controversies regarding the adaptation taking its own course halfway down the line, and is still lambasted by King and many bookworms. Both Jack and Humbert are writers. The Shining Caretaker Explained. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. He even sought to create an alternate adaptation of his novel in the form of a television mini-series in the '90s. Another tracking shot, where Danny finds Room 237 and is about to open it before changing his mind and quickly wheeling away. This is one of the more straightforward and most believableThe Shiningtheories in circulation. The poster in question depicts a skier, despite Jack being told there is no skiing in the area. In Doctor Sleep, Adult Danny Torrance is forced to head to the Overlook in order to unleash a greater evil on villain Rose the Hat, but while there encounters the ghost of his father. The Shining novel and film work best as separate pieces, and each ending has a different meaning. (Rob Ager's work plagiarized) Collative Learning 214K subscribers Subscribe 4.1K 167K views 5 years ago Watch my new Shining analysis video. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Although only 13 seconds, this scene was an eerie moment that is enough to disturb viewers and keep them questioning even 40 years after the film has been released. Stanley Kubrick. The Shining Caretaker Explained, Every Shining Character Who Returns In Doctor Sleep. All the aforementioned signs, and many more, point to the likelihood that Jack sexually abused Danny, making sense of the childs fragile mental state where he frequently has terrifying visions about the vast hotel. The young woman had inexplicably transformed into an old lady who walks after the frantic Jack laughing all the while. Jack is a recovering alcoholic and relapses at the hotel. In researching the film I have found three thematic interpretations of the bear man scene and I believe Kubrick intended all three of these metaphors as part of the subliminal narrative. Inside, a man in a bear suit is performing fellatio on one of the Overlook's guests. Notice how Ullman even points his finger at the magazine as if informing us of its significance. Interestingly, in the 1997 Shining miniseries, which King himself wrote, there's a brief epilogue in which a graduating Danny is visited by the ghost of Jack, beaming with pride, suggesting that Jack's spirit was fully freed when the Overlook blew up. The Shining bear suit scene is one of the most confusing and mysterious in the movie. Without Kubrick around to spell out his intentions, the answer is, . Danny who witnesses this screams from the cupboard he was hiding in, runs towards the maze when Jack starts getting closer. First few seconds and we are already given a taste of the mise en scne. In this interview, Stephen King supports the notion that the Overlook Hotel could represent hell. Now starts a series of intentional continuity errors and weird set designs, that are prevalent throughout the movie. He might have had his anger under control for a while before taking the job, but he went back to it there. First of all theres the obvious homosexual innuendo, but the story titles featured on this particular issue include the following: INTERVIEW: THE SELLING OF (STARSKY & HUTCHS) DAVID SOUL. It's considered one of his best novels to date and one that has gone through all types of analysis thanks to the various themes it addresses, such as family, addiction, isolation, and mental health. On its own, this again seems more like a tiny error rather than an intentional clue. Spiked with sexual innuendo, this conversation holds several clues to the truth behind the relationship between Danny, his father and the imagery of the bear, with many suggesting that the animal is symbolic of Jacks predatory control over his family and sexual abuse of his son. The same physical abuse evidence is used alongside other interpretable details. Dick tells Danny that many people shine but arent aware of it and demands him to not explore Room 237. While some fans felt this missed an opportunity to add some meaning to The Shining bear suit, Flanagan felt trying to give the bear from The Shining a backstory would disrupt the rest of the movie. The latter is the one that Jack says he saw in the newspaper (and the one who killed his family in the hotel), and thus the reincarnation of Delbert Grady. Dwarfed by the towering presence of the building, however, Jack soon becomes engulfed by an evil, violent presence, influencing his temper toward his wife and psychic son. One of the most frequent questions Ive received about The Shining is What does the guy in the bear costume mean? The popular interpretation is that the scene is a throwback to a subplot of Stephen Kings book, in which a party guest in a dog costume has a homosexual relationship with one of the hotels former owners. The novel provides Roger and Horace's story as an example of atrocities that have happened in the hotel; in a cruel act of domination, Horace instructed Roger to attend one of the hotel's balls in the costume and behave like a dog for the other guests. The final outcome was, as we all are aware of, one of the finest horror movies of all time. Played with quiet confidence and wounded reservation by "Charm City Kings" star Winston, Kevin starts "We Have a Ghost . Danny laying on the bear pillow with his pants removed and hands over his genitals. Roger in his costume, jumping, running, barking, howling, and absolutely humiliating himself in front of an assortment of celebrators. Directed by modern horror master Mike Flanagan, Doctor Sleep offered an unexpected treat in the form of an extended cameo by none other than Jack Torrance himself, now played by Henry Thomas. Either way, The Shining is not so much a ghost story in a literal sense, but a story about the ghosts (or demons, in some cases) of violence and abuse, and how these can come back to continue with the cycle. Jack Torrance accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy and their son Danny, must live isolated from the rest of the world for the winter. Find out which other movies made it onto our list of the best horror soundtracks, up next. Despite being strange and somewhat out of place, The Shining bear scene exists in the book as well but involves a man dressed as a dog who is performing the sex act on one of The Overlook's owners, who was bisexual. ", Related: What Jack Nicholson Was Really Like Filming The Shining. Theres something inherently wrong with the human personality. As for all the weird stuff Wendy stumbles across while running through the hotel, like the guy in the bear suit blowing the party guest and the lift full of blood, it's like Halloran said earlier in the film: "A lot of things happened in this hotel over the years, and not all of them were good". Simply put, this The Shining analysis posits that the film is just as much about the genocide of Native Americans as it is about ghosts haunting the hotel. Kubrick decided to direct a comparatively crowd appealing film, maybe as a result of the financially poor performance of Barry Lyndon, which by many revered critics and filmmakers is considered to be his best film. ew films inspire as many diverse fan theories and interpretations as Stanley Kubricks, a film that can be definitively explained? Its a new day, and Jack shows an increasing sense of depersonalization in a chilling conversation if you notice the details. In the close up of Danny we see that his pillow has a teddy bear face on it. The film is very different from the novel so much so that Stephen King has said he hates The Shining many times. Kubrick deliberately left many things unexplained, including many details from the third act he did, however, explain why Jack Torrance appears in The Shining picture at the end. On the way he passes by a red VW crushed by a truck, a sweet tongue in cheek dig at the source material. Kubrick replaced the hedge animals in the book with a hedge maze, which like the movie offers endless possibilities but barely any solution. Yes! Introducing aspiring bodypainterCharrar.basPennywise the Dancing Clownfrom Stephen Kings It, the hit book, television adaptation, and film adaptation. Below are the six biggest and most popular theories on The Shining explained. For all of the supernatural twists and turns in The Shining's story, knowing that it's based on a real location makes the film (and its ending) all the creepier, even though King reportedly hated many of the changes. When Shelley Duvall witnesses the bear giving oral sex to another man, she is confronting the true horror and cruelty of her husbands actions toward her son, animating in front of her eyes as a disturbing vision. Jack hadnt slida single drop of liquor for the past 5 months, a vow out of guilt. She was also a contributor for FanSided's BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. 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