All films are created with the intent to achieve different goals. Part of the beauty of cinema is the inherent uniqueness that each film possesses. However, the vast majority of movies fit into separate genres.
Before one can place a movie into its respective genre, one must first understand and recognize what qualities characterize the said genre. Each genre is defined by different aspects, and to be a part of a genre a film must meet some of these standards in some capacity.
I chose to write about The Shining, a revolutionary film adapted from the novel of the same name by the late Stanly Kubrick. This film redefined what the genre of horror can achieve, as the visionary mind of Kubrick crafted a claustrophobic, suspenseful film that evoked a sense of dread within audiences for decades to come.
The genre of horror is known for its aim to create fear and terror in the audience. Kubrick achieves this through a variety of different tactics. One of the most prominent examples is his creation of the setting, the Overlook Hotel.
When we are first introduced to this place, it is presented as a picturesque hotel that is brightly colored amidst a beautiful mountain range. Even during the first ariel shot of the hotel, the beauty and bright scenery of the hotel is juxtaposed against ominous music that makes the location and its remoteness intimidating.
With the setting, Kubrick conveys one of the key themes of this film- isolation. The remoteness of the hotel conveys an overpowering sense of dread and preys on the very human fear of isolation.
As we go throughout the film, the interior of the hotel is filmed in such a way as to give it a maze-like quality. Through his presentation of the hotel as a vast maze full of turns and corridors, Kubrick can create a sense of claustrophobia and dread in the audience.
Another key way in which Kubrick is able to create dread within the audience is through his presentation and story of the main characters. The hotel is presented as an almost haunting presence, with a personality of its own that preys upon the minds of the very human family that finds itself in its thrall.
As the film goes on, Jack Torrance becomes increasingly unstable, and his mental health seemingly deteriorates with each passing minute. Despite it being presented as if the hotel is a haunting presence that is corrupting Jack, the film manages to build upon the overarching theme of isolation that defines this film.
Kubrick is able to create such dread in the audience because it makes them question what such isolation would do to a person in the real world. The evil present within this film is not clearly defined and is up for interpretation.
Was the hotel the true monster or was this a very human story of the effect isolation can have on a man with a troubled past. The greatest films are often those that are the most relatable; the audience can put themselves in the shoes of the Torrance family and can question if this foreboding atmosphere would have the same effect on them.
Perhaps the greatest achievement of this film is the way it is filmed. Kubrick films the movie in such a way that the audience questions what is real and what is not, and this uncertainty manages to make this overarching sense of dread even more potent.
As the film goes on, the hotel itself almost seems to represent Jack’s deteriorating mental state, as the interior becomes more disorienting and paradoxical. The film is intercut with unexplainable “visions” that are left up to interpretation by the audience, and this sense of uncertainty also helps to create a sense of dread and confusion.
The mystifying and ambiguous atmosphere is what makes this film so successful in its ability to create horror within the audience. Sometimes, the scariest thing is not what is shown but what is not shown. The lack of answers the film gives to the questions and mysteries the film presents is perhaps its most terrifying, unnerving quality.
Works Cited
Barsam, R. M., & Monahan, D. (2010). Looking at movies: An introduction to film. New York: W.W. Norton & Co.
Kubrick, S. (Director). (1980) The Shining [Film] The Producer Circle
