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Day 10: The Shining (sort of)
Oct. 11th, 2013 04:57 pmSo every few years I watch Stanley Kubrick's version of The Shining, not because I love the film, but precisely because I don't.
It's a much-beloved and highly-regarded horror classic and I've never been able to key into why. I appreciate the technical craftsmanship, but I've always been left with the impression that Kubrick felt like he was above the material. Additionally, I always felt that Jack Nicholson was just hamming his way through the part.
This latest rewatch failed at the 50-minute point for technical reasons -- my HD-DVD player is dying, apparently -- but what I did see left me with a slightly raised estimation of the film. For the first time, I could see Jack Nicholson's performance for what it was -- the picture of a man barely on the edge of civility, frustrated in his writing career, and feeling trapped by his marriage and fatherhood. I still think he's a bit too Jack in places, but you know, there's some bravura work being done if you can move past his usual tics.
The score by Wendy Carlos is creepy as hell and some of the tracking shots definitely add to a sense of unease.
That said, there's still this veneer of artifice over everything. The overabundance of Steadicam shots feels like a child playing with a new toy. The huge cavernous spaces of the Overlook definitely add to the feeling of isolation for the characters, but they also served to isolate me from the proceedings. As the film went on, I started getting an annoyed pang in the back of my neck, so when the disc died... I didn't really put any effort into finding an alternative means of finishing the film.
It's a much-beloved and highly-regarded horror classic and I've never been able to key into why. I appreciate the technical craftsmanship, but I've always been left with the impression that Kubrick felt like he was above the material. Additionally, I always felt that Jack Nicholson was just hamming his way through the part.
This latest rewatch failed at the 50-minute point for technical reasons -- my HD-DVD player is dying, apparently -- but what I did see left me with a slightly raised estimation of the film. For the first time, I could see Jack Nicholson's performance for what it was -- the picture of a man barely on the edge of civility, frustrated in his writing career, and feeling trapped by his marriage and fatherhood. I still think he's a bit too Jack in places, but you know, there's some bravura work being done if you can move past his usual tics.
The score by Wendy Carlos is creepy as hell and some of the tracking shots definitely add to a sense of unease.
That said, there's still this veneer of artifice over everything. The overabundance of Steadicam shots feels like a child playing with a new toy. The huge cavernous spaces of the Overlook definitely add to the feeling of isolation for the characters, but they also served to isolate me from the proceedings. As the film went on, I started getting an annoyed pang in the back of my neck, so when the disc died... I didn't really put any effort into finding an alternative means of finishing the film.
