Billed as a masterpiece of modern horror, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980) was an ill-received offering at the time of its general release that garnered much disdain from author Stephen King along the way. True, Kubrick’s vision of King’s writing departs in many ways from the author’s original intent. In fact, Kubrick practically re-conceives the novel from the ground up – keeping only the most superficial details and fleshing out the tale immensely with dark cinematic touches. But who could blame Kubrick for improving so maliciously upon an already brilliant psycho-drama when what emerged from his exculpatory address was ever nearer to cinematic perfection?
The screenplay by Diane Johnson and Kubrick begins in earnest with The Torrance family’s arrival to the palatial appointed retreat, The Overlook Hotel. Husband Jack (Jack Nicholson) has been hired on to manage daily custodial duties and maintain the property during the long winter months when the hotel is closed to the general public. He also hopes that the quiet solitude will afford him the opportunity to work on a novel.
Together with his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and their son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), Jack settles into his daily routine. The family’s only occasional visitor is Dick Hallorann (Scatman Crothers), a jovial supervisor who initially senses a strange supernatural ability in Danny to channel psychic energies that can communicate with the dead. Soon however, Danny’s ‘abilities’ begin to cast a reign of terror on the entire household. He sees visions of slaughtered children, dead guests rising from their watery bathtub graves and envisions buckets of blood spilling forth from the gaping elevator doors.
Traumatized by Danny’s nightmares but unable to help, Wendy’s concerns shift to Jack after she begins to sense a growing psychosis in her husband. What she initially perceives as his ‘stir craziness’ eventually blossoms into unobstructed madness. What none of the family is aware of yet is that their scenario is nothing new to the history of the Overlook. Decades before, the hotel’s janitor ran amuck with his own wife and children, murdering them and then killing himself in a fit of uncontrollable rage.
Chronic rewrites and re-shooting throughout the schedule necessitated the removal of the film’s original ending in which Wendy is seen lying on a hospital bed while being told that Jack’s frozen body could not be located anywhere on the Overlook’s property.
At 146 minutes, The Shining is one of the longest horror movies ever made – but the public did not initially take to it as either director or studio hoped. Cut and re-cut, the version the public eventually saw made back its initial investment, though its reputation as a cinematic masterwork would take a few more years to take hold. Eventually, the film was re-cut for tighter continuity.
Yet today, Kubrick’s pacing is so quiet, unassuming and easily sustainable that it sneaks up with uncharacteristic dread before bursting forth into the more gory details. An interesting aside: although the Timberline Lodge was used as actual exteriors of the hotel, virtually all of the rest of the film was shot on imposing soundstages built at Elstree Studios in London England.
Kubrick went way over time and over budget on The Shining - nearly 14 months of shooting that strained the patience of his backers. But like most of Kubrick's masterworks, the suffrage was worth it in the final analysis. The Shining is a superior work of fright from start to finish. If you haven't seen it - you should. If you don't own it - you must.
Especially on Warner Home Video’s reissued Blu-ray that recreates the widescreen aspect ratio North American audiences originally saw during the film’s theatrical release. When Warner took to restore the film in 2001 they released a ‘full frame’ version on DVD that infuriated most who purchased the title, even though Kubrick insisted that his intension was to frame the action in a 1:33:1 aspect ratio. This is how The Shining was screened for British audiences and, in fact, the rest of the foreign market. In North America, however, the ratio was always 1:75:1.
And that's exactly how the film appears on Warner's stunning Blu-ray release. Colours are bold. Fine detail in this tru-1080p transfer will confound and astound. Truly, this is an exceptional, reference quality presentation with absolutely nothing to complain about.
The audio is a 5.1 DTS remix and quite aggressive. Extras include several documentaries on Kubrick and the making of the film and a thorough audio commentary that leaves no stone unturned. Highly recommended!
FILM RATING (out of 5 - 5 being the best)
5+
VIDEO/AUDIO
5+
EXTRAS
3.5
0 comments:
Post a Comment