Danny is traumatized, Jack is an emotional and physical abuser, Wendy is mousy, weak and in denial. AND the hotel is supernaturally haunted and able to influence/possess the occupants into doing violence and feeling fear. The difference this family has is Danny's power. Danny's shining enables them to escape the supernatural forces and their emotional and physical abuser. So many are making this an either/or situation. It's not. It's obviously both right from the start. It's made clear right off the bat that Jack has been violent and his demeanor screams he has not changed. Wendy is super nervous and weak right off the bat and Danny's supernatural ability is explicitly shown to be real.

I'd entertain the no ghost theory if i got a satisfying answer to who let Jack out of the freezer

At 7:40 Wendy is carrying a mannequin. Kubrick was protective of the young child actor and did not want him exposed to too much extreme conflict while shooting. The boy actor did not know it was a horror film until he was a teenager.

NEVER thought about jack rolling the ball to Danny

You know Kubrick was a great artist when the themes of his movies are still relevant and discussed today.

Also - note that Jack’s encounters with ghosts are when he’s facing a mirror? He’s not talking to ghosts - he’s talking to himself!

Jack Torrence has always been a low level servant whose duties include keeping those lower in the hierarchy in their places.

Thematic symbolism of the hedge maze: When you're being abused there seems like no way out. Jack is unable to escape his internal madness and the abuse he's trapped himself into and freezes to death

I don’t believe that Jack was the one to abuse Danny in room 237, largely in part because Danny stated it was a woman, and Jack sees a woman in there as well. While he is certainly an abuser, the Overlook is undoubtedly filled with malevolent spirits.

Sir, this is a fascinating, humane, and very insightful analysis of The Shining. Well done. This is the most socially-conscious commentary on this movie I've ever heard, with a special compassion for Danny. My only thought is I don't personally think Henry totally gives in to fantasy at the end of Eraserhead. My interpretation of Eraserhead is that the whole thing is a dream Henry is having, and, at the end, he is released from the earthly realm of lust, relational struggles, and loneliness, and he enters a pure state where he finally can be embraced by heaven and be at peace. I should add that I don't see Eraserhead as approving of suicide, only that the film is sympathetic toward the hard aspects of life, and the Lady in the Radiator is a metaphor for everything that gives us hope and the will to keep living. I don't see the baby in Eraserhead as a literal baby, or as symbolic of children. Rather, I see the baby as symbolic of the tough aspects of the human condition. By the way, Stanley Kubrick had everyone who would help him make The Shining join him in watching Eraserhead, so that they could see the mood he was after.

"I even love Shelly Duvall in this film "? Why wouldn't you ?

"See, it's okay, he saw it on television" Now this remark from Jack was at least sarkastic. Jack was well edugated man, teacher and a writer. He considered TV as an intertainment of idiots.

The ghosts were real, but Kubrick left that up to the viewer to determine that. The one place where Kubrick reveals the true nature of the ghosts is when Jack gets let out of the freezer.

Again, this analysis was blocked worldwide off of a copyright claim, but considering that this is fair use and I've had to contest these claims with each video at this point, I'm hoping that the claim will get dropped. Until then, watch it while it's still available!

Absolutely brilliant. I've watched The Shining for what seems like hundreds of times, and I've checked out a lot of analysis of it, and you've constructed a beautifully reasoned explanation of its many mysteries. Very impressive. Also, as a survivor of trauma, I appreciate your perspective and glad you've survived as well. Thank you.

The only kind of person who says analysis is bad, is a person who wants to dumb people down. Stories are supposed to teach moral lessons. That's why reading comprehension is taught and encouraged in school. All art is supposed to be interpreted and analyzed. Otherwise, there would be no reason to bother. It's meant to provoke emotion.

Jack was once a boy who shined. Like Danny. Jack is a man who was driven insane by his ability to shine. Danny is horrified by his father in the present and by an understanding that the shine could make him insane when he reaches his father’s age. The hotel is a living thing that shines. The tennis ball is the Overlook Hotel’s way of “playing” with the Father and Son. It serves as a way to stoke rage in Jack and fear in Danny (both of which it feeds on). Jack is an Evil man, so he can’t connect with Danny, even though they both have the ability to shine. Halloran is a good man, so he can connect with Danny. Danny’s horror is knowing he’s in an evil place with an evil man. Jack went to the overlook hotel not to get away, but because that’s where he belonged. Wendy and Danny were the price he had to pay for admission. (Just like Grady before him. And all the others who “reside” there)

Great analysis. I just realized after watching this film for the thousandth time the symbolism behind the naked woman in the bathtub scene. The scene is symbolic of what Jack thinks of his marriage to Wendy (at least, that's my interpretation). The woman in the tub is at first beautiful and sexual, just as Jack might have viewed Wendy at the beginning of their relationship. By the time they get to the hotel, Jack has gotten to the point where he is no longer sexually attracted to her, hence, the beautiful woman turning into an old corpse woman. That's how he sees Wendy at this point. This movie is so amazing that I'm still realizing some of the symbolism. For example, when Wendy sees the dog costumed dude performing felacio on the tuxedo guy, it's symbolic of Wendy realizing for the first time that Jack sexually abused Wendy (or, rather, the hotel is attacking her for not doing anything about Jack's sexual abuse of Danny). All of the ghosts in the hotel seem to exploit specific psychological weaknesses in the characters. The twins, for example, represent, in part, Danny's lack of a true childhood - that's how they are trying to tempt him - by asking him to come play with them as most normal children would do).

I enjoyed this, love the shining. I didn't agree with everything you were saying but I think that's what so great about Kubrick, no one answer and lots to interpret.

Very interesting analysis, I apreciate the effort you put into this.

Fab analysis! One thing I would add: No one ever mentions that Grady is British. This adds subtext his statement that Jack "has always been the caretaker" and that he should know because "he's always been there."

"White Man's Burden" was a poem written about America's entry into colonialism, and was meant to be sarcastic, not racist.

If Delbert Grady's appearance is reflective of him as he may have been in 1921, it's more likely that he would have been Charles Grady's grandfather, maybe even great-grandfather.

This is a good analysis (seriously, you're brilliant especially in the second half), but I don't understand why you put down the child actor who plays Danny, as well as calling the character not smart. It never crossed my mind that Danny was not smart, or that the child's performance was lacking somehow. If he was directed by Kubrick, chances are the child was quite aware of his performance.

U are blowing my mind! I don't know how I didn't see this before. Great video.

couldn't the film be a representation of jack's fantasy life that he wants and the perfect murder location of his family

No one should ever say it’s bad cause it’s not like the book cause that’s the point of an adaptation to be different but still well made and with a theme

I disagree with your interpretation of the 237 scene. Rather I think it’s a metaphor for Jack’s relationship with not Wendy but Danny. He’s in the role of his son and the woman is him. When he goes to the woman and starts kissing her it’s meant to represent the typical love between parent and child. Then when she turns ugly that’s supposed to represent the abuse.

When you were talking about him not being a great guy from from the start and how you wouldn't expect it from a nicer guy. I'm currently rereading the shining and I think the nice guy is working more for me. I know what he is going to do and its terrifying to pick up the clues that he is slowing going insane

11:40 Incorrect. Jack is traumatized by the transformation of the woman in room 237, in a mental reciprocation of the trauma he subjected Danny to in the same room.

Enjoyed your analysis and commentary. One scene that you did not mention, which adds some credibility to your analysis in Jacks psyche and views on marriage and family, is very quick and many miss it. But I believe body language says a lot. View the scene where the Torrence family without Danny are getting the tour of their living quarters. Jack is the last to enter the room just after the two beautiful girls are descending the stairs behind them. Mr. Ullman and the girls say goodbye. Jack is last to enter the room, yet before he does, he leans back, slows his pace just long enough to get a good eye full of the two pretty girls. Now as a guy, a wandering eye may be normal for most, but men very seldom do so whilst in the presence of their wives for fear of getting "caught". Jack doesn't seem to worry about getting caught. Just an observation and opinion on my part.

the shining being a metaphor for abuse is spot on-it’s exactly what I thought when I first watched it. I think dick had been abused as well, and was trying to reach out. Wendy doesn’t see the shining because she’s so committed to denying her husband is abusive or hurts danny. When she finally sees the ghosts, that shows she finally confronts her husband being an abuser and dangerous.

I read an analysis somewhere saying the most important scene was when the chef and Danny sat down to eat ice cream. He tells Danny he has an ability called “the shining.” He can communicate telepathically and there’s a theory they Danny is the one who created hallucinations or at least has the special capability to summoned the spirits. He’s been abused by his father, who he wants dead. The kid had been abused so badly he has to talk to his finger, a little person he made up to cope with the abuse. The bear references: the bear by his side when he was being examined by the doctor. The guy in the bear costume. The bear picture above the boy’s bed.

Jack is also a narcissist, a loafer. He lets others do the heavy lifting. He is not a responsible man. He does not take charge. He rages when someone reminds him of his inadequacies.

Jack was mocking TV, in real life Nicholason feels the same.

I always though it was a little weird that Jack never actually laid a finger on Wendy considering he tried to kill her

There are many KZfaq videos on The Shining, but I think this one is the most original & insightful.

Interesting....ive seen a few of these shining analyses by now....generally i think people read WAAAAY too much into this movie but still, interesting.

Interesting that one of the earliest conversations in the film revolves around television (more or less), and the most famous line is taken from the Johnny Carson Show.

Truly excellent analysis!!! I learned so much. Thanks for your explanation of the date on the final photo!

A wonderful and well-thought out piece. Thanks for sharing your efforts. This analysis has made me reassess the film, making it feel like even more of a remarkable achievement. I want to watch it again right now. Glad I stumbled across your channel. Very impressive work. I didn't find that Room 237 discouraged all film analysis, but saw it as an example of how people can overreach with their interpretations, but your criticisms of it were solid enough to send me back to reassess that as well.

I find it very telling, especially in light of this analysis, that even Jack Nicholson said Kubrick with a completely different director with him than he was Duvall. It has been said he was basically abusive to her during the filming, so much so that her hair started to fall out.

This is great! Felt I learned a lot more than I already did from other analysis videos. Thank you :3

Wendy dresses like an abused woman. He clothes cover her all the way to her wrists. Her body language when she’s talking to the Dr. is really telling. I used to think Shelly Duval was just a bad actor in this. But Wendy is hiding her abuse from the Dr. and the acting is brilliant.

Hi Malmrose, I've read the book and seen the movie, and while I enjoy both, I've really tried to understand King's criticism of the film, which has been pretty vicious. I compare the book and the movie a lot, and I think maybe Kubrick saw a lot of themes you brought up that could be used to criticize these larger issues, where King put them in there because one of his strongest influences were the series from pre-CCA horror comic publisher "EC Comics," especially the "Tales from the Crypt" series, which I'd bet dimes to dollars would have contained those themes uncritically. I think King's books do have criticism of American culture, especially small town America (see "It" and "Salem's Lot"), but that wasn't really the purpose he brought to the Shining. Those themes were incidental to the primary story. The "built over an Indian burial ground" bit was probably there to give a feeling that the hotel was creepy, haunted, or built under nefarious circumstances. King wrote the Shining during his alcoholism to introspect and face his own negative emotions towards his family. It's pretty well known King hated Kubrick's version of the Shining, even describing Wendy's portrayal as misogynistic, and I think because Jack Torrance is essentially a critical author insert. King does a very literal critical author insert in the last book of the Dark Tower series, where the characters actually meet him and find him an underwhelming, selfish idiot, so this wouldn't be the last time he did something like that. King writes that he was worried that he might get drunk and strike his children (if such ever happened, it's not been made public) I think the core of King's criticism would probably stem from Jack Torrance being irredeemable, whereas King used the book to struggle with his own internalized toxicity. In the end of the book, Jack finally throws off the hotel's influence and literally blows it up. Jack Torrance becoming irredeemable makes it as though King himself is irredeemable. You mentioned that framing abusers as sympathetic can frame abuse as sympathetic, but this wasn't King's purpose in the novel--the abuse was unsympathetic and awful, and a nefarious influence (which King stated came from alcohol as much as the Hotel), it was rather an abusive person succumbing but ultimately overcoming their abusive tendencies. And this would've been a highly personal journey for King, since he poured his own concerns that sometimes he felt his relationship with his children and wife was adversarial into the book. While I disagree with King's criticisms, this analysis really made me think about them hard and understand them a little better--those criticisms were stemming from a personal place. Kubrick's rewrite, to King, said King himself was irredeemable. I've only seen a couple thinkpieces on this criticism and why King despised the movie so much, and the only one that gave King any leeway was saying "Kubrick is an aesthete, whereas King is a character writer," which I thought was unfair to Kubrick, because he, too, carefully depicted his characters. (Most just slam King for disliking a good movie.)

Your Kubrick analyses are inspired! I especially enjoyed this one because it shone light on some completely new themes and meanings in the film. I must say I agree with almost everything you said (not only on that my top 10 starts of the same way as yours with 2001 followed by the rest of Kubrick's). Keep up the great work!

I have watched quite a few videos analyzing this film, and read many articles as well. Your analysis is the best because you link it to the events in the film. Very well done and reasoned. The depth you and Rob Ager bring to the analysis of this film is on a different level from others I have seen. Most Sincerely, Chris Howley, Wollaston, Massachusetts

Terrific, intellectually honest work. Fantastic content. There are little bits along the way that I disagree with, but with the utmost respect.

The devil hates being called the devil.

I believe that the film is subjectively open to interpretations based on the deliberate continuity errors and misleading set design of the hotel’s interior and exterior by Kubrick to trick the audience. If you observe the scenes throughout carefully it has various elements of a dysfunctional family related to trauma,alcoholism,abuse,lust,denial and violence projected by the visuals created within the characters minds. In addition another fascinating factor about the direction is the foreshadowing of scenes through symbolisms and props as if they are setting the tone for the upcoming events like jack playing with the ball in the lobby and colorado lounge as axe swinging and murder of Dick Hallorann. My interpretation is the chain of violence throughout history shown in the film.

I would just like to thank the creator and narrator of this analysis. It is so well thought out, well articulated, balanced and humble. The shining is also among my top four films; the others being Fight Club, Barton Fink and There will be Blood. I must say, at this very moment, I am experiencing what I believe is a fairly severe, yet survivable infection of either covid or a bad case of the flu. Over the past few days I have been doped up on NyQuil most of the time and drifting in and out of consciousness. So I decided the best use of my time would be to put KZfaq on in the background and play a healthy dose of shining analysis and just let my mind wander. I came up for air with this analysis playing and it really got a hook in me and I'm going to play it again. Keep up the good work.!

Very insightful analysis and thanks for sharing! Very glad you added that little bit about Room 237 at the end. I watched it and probably every Shining fan has. I started off okay but then got kookier and kookier (I borrow your word here because there is no better). Analysis is good and, yes, we all do it when we watch movies, TV, read books, listen to music, view art, etc.

It is very interesting to see commentary on The Shining from different perspectives in time. I've noticed each generation applies their political and social views to the movie, regardless of it's time period of production. Older generations cite pedophilia, spousal abuse and demonic influence, young generations cite racial and gender privilege. This is what keeps the movie relevant. It is a mirror to see whatever you want to see.

This is the best analysis of The Shining that I have ever heard. The Shining is one of my favorite films of all time, and I have spent many viewings trying to find the true meaning of the movie. Your video has a clarity and logic that I have never achieved in all these years.

This essay stands out among a bunch of Shining Analysis vids. I won’t presume to know whether it is the “best” or not but I really benefited from it and find the tone a lot more palatable than the norm in this niche. It is well considered without coming off like a self-congratulatory jerk creating video evidence that he has won a game of chess.

Great review. Excellent job. You are very intelligent and brought a unique and well thought out view of an excellent film.

This is really good. Pair it with the sexual abuse theme, and we have complete analysis of the movie’s horror.

I love this movie, largely because it's so rich in meaning. I think your interpretation is spot-on, but it speaks to the richness of meaning in this film that I've seen other interpretations, quite different, that strike me as just as spot-on.

Absolutely brilliant! Thank you so much for your hard work - and for posting this.

At 27:11, the ghost or image or spirit or whatever of Jack is seen as the present Jack walks by. He is in the background, same jeans and dark red jacket that Jack wears in the rest of the movie, and he is vigorously cleaning in an almost crazy kind of way.

This reading is rock-solid. So much of the latent meaning which always fascinated me in this film has been elucidated. Too bad the web, and this comments section, is overrun by reactionaries who think it's their duty to be dismissive, their loss.

Jack reacted positively to the supernatural because it aligned with his social aspirations

Great video. I like your perspective. I agree with everything, but I do enjoy hearing other opinions and points of view on this movie. Thanks for taking the time to make it. 💛

It is implied that the hotel itself is trying to feed on people's shining. However, it can only do so in minuscule amounts and can never get very far on its own. It can only get the jackpot if people with shining die in its presence. That's why it uses its ghosts to get physical humans to do its bidding. If you listen to dialogue between Jack and the hotel's ghosts, you hear them make references to a third, more powerful party, e.g "Orders from the house", "I and others", etc. Of course, you may ask why hasn't it killed Halloran already if it wants his shining so badly. Answer: It can't. Halloran is implied to possess too little shining for the hotel to feed off. What little it got from him is only enough for it to affect Danny and more importantly, Jack. It's stated that the shining is hereditary, and while Danny got a lion's share of the gift, Jack had a little. Little enough that the hotel can barely consider touching, but enough for Jack to perceive the hotel hauntings. Wendy on the other hand was a complete rube. (Dr Sleep reference) You can see all this in action throughout the movie. When Danny moved in with his family, the hotel began feeding on him at once. But yet again, never in large amounts that the hotel would like. Danny would have to die for the hotel to feed properly. When Danny resisted the hotel's attempts, (the twins, Room 237) the hotel began working on Jack instead. After all, it had obtained enough shining to show itself at last except to Wendy who was by all accounts, normal. Once Halloran was killed by Jack however, the hotel was able to feed on all the shining he had. Notice on how Wendy began seeing the ghosts and hauntings only after Halloran was killed. The hotel had succeeded in turning Jack, but the movie played out as it did. The hotel got Halloran, but Wendy and Danny through determination and resourcefulness escaped Jack and the hotel's clutches. As the hotel wasn't destroyed in the film unlike the novel, all it could do was wait. Wait until another victim approached it's grounds once more... But that's a Doctor Sleep story :P

I've listened to a lot of different theories of this movie but yours was the most thoroughly done and explained. Awesome job kid

This was intelligently presented. However, the fact that Danny's behavior/acting is meant to convey that he has deep emotional issues feels so obvious I don't see how it bears any other interpretation. The idea that "shining" is a metaphor for trauma is not accurate. "Shining" is simply a term for psychic ability. There really is nothing mysterious about "what it is." Halloran recounts nurturing, positive experiences of the "shining" with his grandmother, so it is not inherently traumatic. Halloran is explaining that "shining" is inherently neutral. It can be experienced in positive ways. On the other hand, the fact that Danny "shines" means he is picking up the negative emotions and underlying abusive tensions in his family and the residual energies of historical events in the Overlook. Since these experiences are frightening, they are traumatic. The impact of "shining" is situationally determined, not universally traumatic. I do completely agree that abuse and trauma are essential themes of this movie.

I Really enjoyed this, thank you very much for taking the time to put this all together. I watched only parts of this film when I was kid, it was on tv on halloween and I'm not sure how much I saw but I do know that it stuck with me...I was 7 or 8. I stole a copy of my sisters Stephen king copy and read it page for page when I was 11, I recorded the tv version of Stephen kings adaptation on VHS after swim team practice (I taught myself how to program the VCR so it would stop recording after I had gone to bed). So yeah this whole story had stuck with me my entire life and I'm still trying to figure out why it's so impactful on my psyche. I love watching these analyses videos and again I think you've done a great job. THANK YOU

Best Shining analysis I’ve seen. (Im a behaviour analyst and btw your psychological insights are very accurate)

this is gorgeous, you have done an incredible job with this analysis drawing a parallel with current events as well... u have shown the main thematic of Kubrick's abusive man to the fullest... not one detail left!! keep up the good work this is truly inspiring! +1 for the critique of anti-interpretation

I really enjoyed this a lot. I’ve only seen the film twice and can’t say if I will ultimately agree with your interpretation, but that doesn’t matter. Now I have to watch it again! Thank you.

I've watched A LOT of analyses on this movie on KZfaq and this is by far the BEST one I've watched. This is my 5th time watching it!

Buddy, you did one hell of an analysis, whether I or anyone agrees with all or some of your interpretations. And my opinion is that many interpretations are possible. If you haven't, I recommend watching the the Apollo interpretations again, because there are more apolllo references and KubrickNjcholson references that you have missed or will not acknowledge; not just the sweater.

They said that when the overlook was built on a Indian burial ground and that they had to rid some spirits. Wouldn’t that suggest that the presence of spirits is possible?

Great analysis, I'm positively surprised by the quality and density

Thank you. Best analysis of The Shining I've heard yet, and helped me to see it in new ways.

I don't know who you are, but you are super intelligent. You need to continue to do more with your gift of analysis and ability to articulate it.

Danny is traumatized cause he's seen the murders that occurred at the hotel.

Finally a decent video essay about The Shining! Thank you. I was a child victim of emotional and one point, physical abuse from my father - who acted a great deal like the father in this movie. As I teen, I was terrified after watching this and had to sleep with the light on for a number of days. We all want to believe that such a man is a good man. That there is no way he would commit "redrum". There's a term "shine" that some black performers used to use. It meant to force a smile at the higher ups. Here, Jack "shines" by acting nice to people who can control him, so it's confusing when others outside of the family hear that he's dangerous. I can tell you how this turns out. Wendy will either have to be in court all of her life with restraining orders against Jack, ones that he will break. Or she will continue to live with him, and lose her psyche until she is just an echo of his ideology. If she does confide in someone in the family, they will not believe it and might even mention it to Jack. The little boy will grow up sickly and have to fight his entire life for his health. Statistically, he is 12 times more likely to commit suicide than those in the average population.

How the hell did Danny’s tricycle fit in the VW bug?

Carl Jung and the concept of the shadow is a huge influence on the storytelling. I believe The Shining represents the collective psychic shadow. Things people would rather not see about themselves and their societies. Danny is smarter and less repressed, so in the end he can recognize and accept his shadow side and utilize it to escape the hotel. I think this is what the cannibalism conversation hints at. Danny is already aware of the horors of the world. He has the advantage of the TV. His generation is more aware of the darkness of humanity. In this sene, one can look at shining as a sense of awareness. Intelligence. The hotel can be seen as the shadow side of America itself.

Spot on about Danny and "Tony". Although controversial, Dissociative Identity Disorder is a real thing to me as an observer. An abuse victim's conscious state develops "personalities" or "alters" which split off to protect the core person. "Tony" is a protective alter personality that takes over for Danny when abuse occurs, or when Danny experiences a post-traumatic trigger. Excellent analysis. Thanks for sharing your story. Be well.

the tennis ball rolls up on danny, next thing hes traumatised, and jack goes from previosuly wearing green to wearing the red jacket when he has his nightmare, your room 237 analysis is just way off / wrong. he Rs in the room.

your analysis is beautiful

I feel you touched on points very well..This critique is what I believe to be the most intelligent and competent observation of the film

It doesn't seem that Jack Torrance thinks talking about cannibalism is okay because Danny saw it on TV first. He rather mocks Danny's statement "It's okay, I saw it on TV."

Thank for this spectacular analysis of the film, I literally spent the night watching your videos (they're not short but worth every second), and just made me want to review Inland Empire to discuss your interpretation, as it's not a film that I have the chance to discuss a lot. I always loved The Shining and I use to joke saying that "is one of these rare cases where the adaptation is better than the book", but actually I believe that this film is made with all the juice that Kubrick thought the book lacked, although is a pretty convincing horror story (we need to give that to Stephen King and his ghost writers) I don't believe that is exactly an adaptation on the typical terms. Although I didn't want to enter into discussion with other people commenting on here, it must confess it offends my "evolved human being ego" seeing how there are certain words that triggers people in a way that when you say them they don't want to hear anything else. Is magic.

The whole room 237 scene is never explained. Was it Danny’s dream, Halloran’s shine or Jack’s encounter with a ghost? Jack said there was nothing there. Which means either Jack lied or it was Danny’s dream.

Excellent summary covering an important angle...there will always be more! I see, feel the trauma ...the dissociation!

I like this movie and feel more could be done with it. more scenes from the evil spirits in it. the power of the shinning mind conversations between Danny and Mr Howland. a movie mistake I noticed in this was knowing Tony had taken over Danny's body saying that Wendy's son had gone away for good. then later on in the film Wendy is called mom once again which seems as if Danny never lost his body to the spirit of Danny Torrance. so is the explanation that Tony decided to act like the personality of Danny Torrance in order to put Wendy's mind at ease? Or has Danny made a choice to fight to keep control of his own body? and yet another theory which is possible is Tony hid the spirit of Danny Torrance as a way of protecting him from any dangerous things. the why and reasons had not even been discussed by anyone. another thing I've noticed is why didn't Wendy ask what Jack was doing in the bar and who he was talking to? plus Jack knocking down objects in the kitchen would have alerted someone in the hotel. and seeing Red Rum looked at on the door as the word Murder was never questioned.

Very intelligent commentary about the abuse, the victims, and Tony. The political views are overpainted however off the mark. Yes Jack is a Racist and misogynist, yes these things exist, yes white man's burden is utilized as Jack's drive and meaning for existence....However this widespread over generalization that society is evil in these ways is ridiculous. This movie simply takes hold of these themes and utilizes them as fodder for the machine in this movie that is EVIL. Evil ghosts, evil minds, evil people, evil behavior and actions with grave and horrific mental and physical consequences. Kubrick was a genius. Thx for the video and analysis.

White Man’s Burden may have a double meaning here. Yes, it may trace back to that Rudyard Kipling thing, but I think what Jack is saying here is an old alcoholic thing to say. White Man’s Burden is also referred to when speaking about alcohol. The scenario I always think of is like the natives seeing the white man struggle with his own alcohol. Like if the white man didn’t consume alcohol, he wouldn’t have a burden. Or, in another way, the native people also have struggled with alcoholism. It could be like the burden that the white man placed on them.

I gotta say. Pretty amazing work dude. I watched all the way through.

Wonderful commentary.

Very interesting and thorough analysis. Especially the social and historical context was invaluable. However, in my view, it could have been half as long and still make the exact same points. The explanations of themes like racism, misogyny, trauma, white pride were largely unnecessary. Still, great work!

Excellent analysis. Perceptive. Thanks. Good luck.

Thank you for the video. I enjoyed your analysis of the movie.

I think you projected your own opinions a little in this analysis

Wow. What a refreshing, intelligent, insightful, beautifully articulated analysis of this masterpiece. This stands in stark relief to so much of the shallow drivel that passes for film analysis on KZfaq. Even though I would quarrel with and/or expand on differently a few of the specific points you make, my hat is off to your very perceptive viewing of the movie.

the main theme is indeed domestic violence leading ultimately to r and murder = redrum (with the booze pun thrown in). the worst most ultimate darkest unthinkable taboo- pd file in cest r, the hotel is just an ave family home, proof- the moment jack turns really nasty and basically decides to kill them is directly after he asks wendy in a calm voice- 'you mean leave the hotel?', this represents battered wife leaving a and taking the kid with her, the exact kinda thing would / could trigger an abusive father to totally ott and kill them- 'you cant leave me and the kid, i'll kill ya before i allow that to happen'. he yells at her, walks and goes and meets grady right then. the indain land / gold rush thing is a sub plot, not the main / primary gist.