Jack Torrance looking at a table-top replica of the hedge maze

Let's play a game: name the most talked about horror movie in the last 40 years. Five seconds. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Give up? Let me remind you of an iconic scene from that movie: blood gushing out of an elevator… The Shining.

The Shining is widely believed to be one of the best horror movies of all time, partly due to Jack Nicholson's superb performance, but also because director Stanley Kubrick's unique take on the Stephen King novel on which the movie is adapted from.

Initially, this 146 minutes long movie met with negative to mixed reviews from critics and audiences. Not to mention that Stephen King hated this adaptation. Later, a 120 minute version of the film was released. The latter one is the most popular version.

Since you're reading this article, you've probably either 

  • seen The Shining and couldn't understand why this boring movie is so hyped, or 
  • you've watched it for the 237th time in your life just a few minutes ago… and still kind of enjoy reading all these fresh articles about the movie.

Column A? You're gonna re-discover the beauty of this movie after reading this article. And if you're in column B — there, there, I know, I know, the Overlook Hotel has really got inside your head, isn't it? Here is a detailed analysis of The Shining.



10. Kubrick’s Musical Choices: 

Jack Torrance drives a yellow beetle in 'The Shining'

Sometimes the music in a film can connect with the audience much better than raw dialogues can. Remember the opening scene? The helicopter shot follows a yellow car driving through the mountains. It's a picturesque landscape—a perfect stock footage—but the background music says otherwise. The hymn is subtly suggesting something ominous.

Side note: The opening music, titled the 'Dies Irae,' is borrowed from a medieval hymn which literally describes the Last Judgment Day.

Another example of how Kubrick’s musical choices elevates the horror in his four-decade-old classic is when little Danny talks with his father at the bedroom:

The music that plays here is Béla Bartók's "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta." Notice how there's a rise in melody when Jack asks something, followed by a fall in melody when Danny answers. Kubrick's music editor arranged the music in such a way that it reflects the cadence of these dialogues. It's this music that sets up a feeling of dread. You wouldn't mistake it as a normal conversation between a son and father.

The last example is one my favorite scene from the movie:

In the scene where Danny rides his big wheel through the empty halls, there's no background music—only the tricycle mimicking a heartbeat as it glides over the carpet: Lub… Dub.. Lub… Dub.. This suspenseful atmosphere recurs when Jack throws a ball against the wall and when he encounters a lady in room no. 237. In the latter scene, you can actually hear two heart sounds... 

Jack encounters a lady in the room no. 237

...one of which might just be yours (lol).

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