Shelley Duval had such a unique beauty.

THANK YOU for giving Shelley the props she deserves - ! People are so hard on her performance, which to me is blasphemous. In a film which demands her to be at the HEIGHT of the most extreme human emotions for half of her screen-time - I find her performance to Be NUANCED, complex, controlled and entirely committed! Where Jack Nicholson is mugging (and - whether you’re on the side of “I love the mugging” or “I hate the mugging” - he IS mugging )- Shelley is grounded in whatever moment Wendy is in. Her Wendy has faced endless criticism for being “weak” , “a misogynist portrayal of a hapless woman” and (IDK why anyone thinks this word even classifies as worthy of being included as critique- but it OFTEN is -) “ugly”. (Err I guess all that is faulted to her and/OR sometimes Kubrick); I could not disagree more. Her Wendy is sharp, intuitive- she bravely fights for herself and her son, as reality slips away from the very few people around her. Duvall was small, she had a high-voice and a very trad-fem demeanor-- those traits do not make her performance WEAK. I think she finds just the amount of fragility you’d expect to see in someone surviving within this (if not ALWAYS abusive-) wildly UNSTEADY marital home. ((ESPECIALLY as a woman, 70s-into the 80’s ; like THE WHOLE COUNTRY WAS MISOGYNIST)). In the wrong hands, the film (particularly the violence) could strike far too close to the UNCANNY-GOOFBALL side -dark CAMP -material - but Shelly is so sincerely FEELING, so sincerely desperate for the man she loves to appear from within that monster and prove she is safe!! (which of course we all see she is not) - She keeps those scenes against Jack N, which could be garish and laugh-able-- ABSOLUTELY TRAGIC. Her performance reminds viewers what so many horror flicks tend to forget entirely : that violence has consequences. There’s terror, yes, but also real grief and extreme trauma - the devastating loss of the family unit - ; as Shelley’s Wendy pulls herself thru the film, we watch her slowly realize she’s witnessing the end of life as she knew it ; she watches the death of her own fairy-tale. As Wendy fights to save herself and her son, she slowly accepts and then mourns the life she thought she had; the vision of her sure-future, frozen for all time in that maze. For, certainly (live or die), the world will never be the same - Any mask of safety and trust has been shattered, and (if she gets out) it will take years to fully unpack what the fuq she went through in that hotel - she’ll have to question what it implies abt her entire life/marriage before the Overlook. THAT devastating tragedy , THAT is all in Shelley Duvall’s performance. It’s heartbreak. And I think her contribution is what reallllyyyy lifts the shining up to be just as powerfully-disturbing as it is; YES It’s spooky-ooky-creepy, but HER devastating-realizations elevate the story to Fully-Upsetting. I think she’s the absolute heart of the film (Scatman brings warmth, but is absent for most of it); without her the film could feel soulless. - ALSO, i think she’s goddamned LOVELY.

the detail that shows that all of this is not just in jack's head is when he was left out of the food pantry... how did he get out if it was all in their mind?

At 30:09 - Regarding Charles and Delbert Grady, it is possible that they are two different people (assuming that they were ever there). Charles was the caretaker in the 1970s who killed his eight and ten year old daughters and wife. Delbert was a butler in the 1920s, perhaps an uncle of Charles, who had and killed his twin daughters and wife.

Joe Turkel and Philip Stone were brilliant in this movie. Their understated yet terrifying performances were a stark contrast to Jack Nicholson's manic energy. They were never leading men but both left an indelible impact on cinema.

My take on Hallorann is that he sacrificed himself. The hotel was going to claim the boy as the price for Jack selling his soul. The devil takes the role of god here, where Jack is Abraham and Danny is Issac. That makes Hallorann the lamb (the scapegoat). Halorrann's shining would surely have enabled him to know what was in store for him. He is the hero of the film.

One interesting thing I noticed about this film is at 9:37 that's the first shot in the film where it's just Jack and Wendy. And I mean JUST Jack and Wendy. All previous scenes with them, there's another person onscreen with them. Heck, even when they're talking on the phone at the beginning of the film, they're not onscreen together. But here in the bathroom of their apartment at The Overlook is where it's finally just the two of them. What's so significant about that, you might ask? Because the bathroom is THE LAST TIME THEY'RE EVER TOGETHER. This is the room where Jack tries to kill Wendy, before he leaves to go deal with Halloran. After that, Jack and Wendy never see each other again. Not only that, but for the conspiracy theorists out there, notice that Jack is on the left while Wendy is on the right... which is exactly how Jack and the 237 woman are positioned on-camera. Also, when Jack went into the bathroom with Wendy, he looked into the tub... while Wendy stands next to the sink where her knife would end up. Also, you can see that Jack is standing in front of the bathroom window, as if he's blocking the escape.

Gesub ek se. 8:38 I think they are all feeling a bit groggy from the higher altitude. Wendy is sleepy. Jack has a slight headache. Danny is hungry.

The You're Distracting Me scene was based on an actual event in Nicholson's life whien he was married to Sandra Knight.

Fantastic overview and analysis. I absolutely agree that Shelley is the one carrying the entire film on her shoulders. I cannot imagine any other actress being as perfect for that role.

29:15 an alcoholic never forgets where he put the bottle He’s just fighting the urge

Jack Torrance also has the 'shining'. This film is so much deeper and far more complex than can be unpacked in a mere 3 viewings. Watch it a few more times...and then a few more.

How can you “write off” the importance of the Shine when the title clearly tells us that that is what this entire story is about!?

18 minutes in, felt like 5 minutes. Watched every second, this is an amazing/ underrated full analysis of the shinning. Just the video I’ve been looking for to help with my strange obsession with this film. 👍🏻

I appreciate the analysis taken deeply from face value and combed over everything. Seems like there’s too many vids trying to impose theory over the script and not appreciating the movie for a thorough horror. Good stuff

"Man takes a drink. Drink takes a drink. Then, the drink takes a man."

The movie was filmed in England the first short were filmed in USA

The ghost of the former undertaker speaks to Jack as if Jack is "the owner of the manor" instead of the current undertaker. He appears before Jack dressed as a butler and tell's Jack that he needs to "deal with his family."

Thank you for your work and time in putting this video analysis together. You discussed the necessity of Dick Halloran as a character and about the necessity of having him die. If you watch the analysis by Malmrose Project, the analyst gives an excellent explanation and rationale about the significance of Dick Halloran as a character. I would be curious to know your thoughts on this matter. Keep in mind that Kubrick used King's story as a jumping off point to explore themes of abuse and trauma, whereas King's story is a haunted house story and an exploration about alcoholism. When Kubrick adapted novels, such as Lolita and A Clockwork Orange, he made changes to explore themes that he wanted to highlight. Most Sincerely, Chris Howley, Wollaston, Massachusetts

It clearly has supernatural in it the ghosts are real they are after Danny but they know Jack is the easiest to corrupt because ha already has that contempt for his family. When Hallerin dies that when Wendy starts seeing more because the hotel has taken his shine a feeding off that energy

I’ve always been a bit amused by people who want to discount all supernatural elements from the film. They say, well it’s all just in their heads etc. The thing is, it doesn’t explain many aspects of the film such as the conversation between Dick and Danny about the shining gift or even Grady opening the door for Jack (and actually many many others). The reason this is so silly is that this film is a STORY OF FICTION! It’s not a flippin documentary. It’s Kubrick making an admittedly ambiguous film,in which he explores many ideas including psychology AND the supernatural! He himself stated he was even exploring ideas like reincarnation, to look at why Jack was in the picture. Instead of bringing one’s own preconceived notions about these things, just take the narrative on its own, ALL of it.

Why are there so little views for such a well made video?

Oh no!! Another 'The Shining' interpretation!!!

how do you only have 740 subscribers? This is an amazing video essay

great video, interesting insights and speculations. Like the opening theme from the Sopranos says "you have to burn to shine" food 4 thought.

The only intentional continuity error is when the Gold Room sign says “Cold Room.”

Whoever came up with this theory has a woefully inadequate understanding of how much a dedicated alcoholic can consume. Edit nor would a deducated alcoholic forget about a bottle stashed away. One bottle would not result in the events of the film... btw its definitely the latter, Duvall being abused by the director...

Charles Delbert Grady!

there are different theories as to how Jack Torrance got out of that walk in and I enjoy knowing about them .

The infamous "stair" scene, has the record for the most 'retakes', it was reshot on camera 127 times & the axe scene, Jack Nickolson had to destroy more than 70 times. Scatman Crothers, rumours also mentioned his kitchen scenes with Danny was shot more than a hundred times. But I am sure, ANY other director, that was satisfied with 3-5 retakes, would have made a movie, which wouldnt still, in 2024, be discussed & analyzed as insanely many times as Kubrick's masterpiece. His small hidden messages & his very strange death, just before the premiere on "Eyes wide shut" + his filming of the fake moonlanding + the 25min of footage, missing when they mixed his last movie. With appearance of members of the Illuminati... But thats a research worth, if it sounds to far out or to much of a conspiracy.....

I like that you tied ADSR to story structure. And jump scares compared to that. Nicholson doing scary is a natural; if you think about it, his least successful films are of him being a lover or tender. Shining video after video and no one mentions Jack set aside 5 months in isolation for a story outline. Also, Ullman refers to Grady as his predecessor, not a former caretaker.

oh! forgot... great video!

Stephen King would disagree with you, he made it very clear that Jack deteriorated over time because of the hotel and it’s evil.

Excellent analysis!

Okay, new sub...

I've always viewed the booze as metaphorical and indeed ghostly. He mentions a beer for his soul and gets "Jack Daniels" instead. (Lets call it "Jack Danny" for short.) I'm of the mind that the ghosts are real enough and Jack bumping into Dalbert Grady is quite the bridge between psychology and the (malevolent) supernatural.

There's very disturbing image @ 5:50 If look on left of "Danny " i believe it confirms that Jack was sexually abusing Danny because there's a image of Danny or ,(could be a different boy ). However, has the profile of danny giving "HEAD" looks like a "glory-Hole " or is could it be jack"?? "Unbelievably FKN " disturbing!!!! Ive watced this movie like 100 times and I just now noticed that disturbing image WOW!!!!

Please put a bit of pause between sentences. It is too many rushed words.

Perhaps Jack Torrance's novel is The Shining. My initial reaction was that the film meant one does not want to married to Stephen King. If Dick Halloran doesn't die, Jack is just a looney who might deserve sympathy. Deliberate Black man dies to demonstrate threat trope. Where in the world does Jack's sudden explosion about The White Man's Burden come from? His anger is directed at his wife and family. In both The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut, characters have dreams simultaneously to similar actions elsewhere.

Lol, the original Halloween, an honorable mention.

Adsr is key. But ... From scratch plucks are my jam boy

both the Shining an Silent Hill are stories I will enjoy always I'm interested in horror myateries . I believe that Hichcocks work lives on in certain movies as if his legacy continues makes me think of the horror game Doom Eternal without the classic todays version wouldn't exist . 👍👍

25:48 didn't Mr Grady have a british accent or was that another character?

I personally see the shining as a psychological horror about various forms of abuse and how we’re doomed to repeat the sins of our past. I think that most of the “ghosts” we see in the film are caused by the psyche of the characters as they go insane because of the isolation.

25:05 “Does she have pants to fall back on?”

When alleged supernatural occurrences happen in real life, sceptics look for a rational explanation. How one interprets such events depends largely on what one believes. In that sense, the film is similar to a real life occurrence. Some people would take Wendy's account at face value, while others, such as the police, would rule out supernatural causes before determining what happened.

Just a sidenote, what you said about the woman who “survived” 911, she actually claimed that her fiancé died in 911.

The Thing is a great horror film.

Shelley is the only actor to have a character arc. Yet critics attacked her acting in 1980. I think straight men are more likely to identify with Jake and agree with his character mocking Wendy . women are mixed in identifying with or hating Wendy. Wendy defends Jack's dislocation of their son's arm to the Doctor. Danny refuses to tell about abuse. If you watch reactors on KZfaq the Shining works as a ghost story or an abusive family story. My take is Jack is molesting Danny and Tony is the way Danny deals with it. Seeing visions of horror while defending and living Jack. Wendy sees the horror visions after accusing her husband of hurting Danny. The theory that the bear man having sex with the old man is a representative of Danny and jack

Why do nearly all the "ghosts" in this film appear with mirrors or in doorways framed like mirrors? The only time they arguably don't is the twins in the hallway. But notice how reflective the walls are when we see the girls. In fact, notice how much of the Overlook has reflective surfaces on the walls and floors. Everything's very shiny. It shines. Again, why mirrors/refections? What do we see in mirrors?

Bro makes the most fire thumbnails and gets like 100 views 😢

Over the decades, Duvall has said more than once, including in Vivian Kubrick's Making Of, that she and Stanley Kubrick had a productive working relationship and that he did not "abuse" her. He got a bit snippy, and certainly mocked her claim that her hair was falling out in clumps (it wasn't). The subject comes again in the $1500 publication from Taschen, by writer Lee Unkrich, who evidently interviewed her in recent years and she reiterated the claim. This story of the tortured Shelley Duvall is almost as much of an urban legend as Marilyn Monroe's love affair with JFK, based on a jokey "sexy" Happy Birthday rendition at a campaign fundraiser. Also, the movie has ghosts. Source: Stanley Kubrick and Diane Johnson, the screenwriters. Secondary source: Stephen King, who wrote the book upon which the movie was based. It's about ghosts and the boy who has the psychic power to see them manifesting from the past into the present. Of course, if you think there are no ghosts, then Danny's shining (and "The Shining") is complete gibberish. Part of understanding film is understanding the material from which a film might be adapted. It also leads to new insights: what did the director change? What did he keep? Anyway, good luck in the future, and try not to believe everything you hear without researching it more thoroughly.

Oleman looks like JFK, Jack Kennedy. Danny looks like JFK Jr. as a child.

…why do you say the woman in 237 is Grady’s wife?? (I know we can’t take the book as gospel for the film, for sure,) but in the novel the woman in 237 is entirely fleshed-out (pun intended) - she has nothing to do w Grady. Either way, I don’t think there’s any implication of her being his wife in the film at all - wondering why you said that.

Well, this is a fine analysis, but, how could he miss even the slightest mention of Hallorann being, in part, a stand-in for Native Indians?

What is their favorite film since 5/23/2020?

Why is wendy in the boiler room after danny goes into room 237? Is she in charge? Not likely…

What do you think of the Wendy Theory?

It’s a simple re birth sequence movie. Just like EVERY single “horror” film ever made. Dick is important character; he was the “christ” sacrifice. This is a basic movie by no means a “zenith” of esoteric writings brought to film. If you can’t get this movie, you can’t get any other movie. But yes, it was filmed and produced at a high level for its time, I will give it kudos for that. And a few very esoteric manifestations that I appreciated.

A movie is not just story and characters. These two ingredients are nothing without being intertwined with cinematography, sound, music. While listening to "analyzes" (explanations) of Shining and Eyes Wide Shut I have come to believe that Americans are overwhelmingly fixated with the individual and the core family. Therefore themes, currents that hints (or screams) about something wider like mythology, fairy tales, politics, racism, economy and social power get lost as veils, red herrings that hides, symbolizes or only doubles the central family dramas that already are presented explicitly. But where does that leave the fluid, stalking camera movements in the beginning and inside the Overlook and the maze. Just documenting characters as they move around? The dissonant music with choirs performing something ritual-like? Are these just red herrings? And where does that leave the Gold Room with Loyd, Grady and the elite party, the world of the powerful Jack desperately will become a part of? Where does that leave the fundamental, cold "alien-ness" of the different ghosts? And all the mythological associations with wolves, minotaur, Theseus, werewolves, native American spirits, ghosts, shapeshifters, witches, hags, adventurers? Take all this in and the Shining will be an even richer film.

Aphex Twin...Deepcut... Ha!

3X? Woah Woah Woah Slow Down Speed Racer. Kid I have seen it 50 times

mERCI MR MON HOBBY FAVORI C DE REVOIR SHINING AVEC QQN QUI N L A PAS ENCORE VU

Kubrick was a known perfectionist. Every single scene and shot was intentional...including the 'incontinuities' throughout the film. If you're questioning the necessity of a certain scene or shot, know that it is necessary and ask yourself not 'if?' but 'why?'

People seriously need to stop with this Shelley was abused nonsense,Stanley was a demanding Director who didn't take any shit from method actors who overly complicated everything on set,there are other stories of him doing this on other sets with other actors,this claim of abuse is a modern snowflake wah-man are always victims mindset and it needs to stop being blindly propagated in every Shining review,he didn't hit her,shove her or cuss at her,he just was pushing her to give the best performance,that used to be called good directing,it's no abuse,end of the story.

What's wrong with your accent/voice???

In those clips of Kubrick w Shelley even you take it a bit out of context. Not many directors would have a conversation with their actors to discuss whether a line should be in there. I saw nothing that could be considered “terrible” towards Shelley. He got angry a few times. SO WHAT? Most directors do. Even when he says “don’t sympathize w Shelley”. Just after he continued “because it doesn’t help you.” Sounds a lot worse without the second part but with it it comes off as almost fatherly chiding. Maybe he was too hard on her at times but even she herself says how much it helped her and how positive an experience it was. So maybe people should stop trying to speak for her.

Shelley Duvall should’ve won an Oscar.

I want to thank you now for deciding to NOT include the racial filth. Also, when you mentioned that Jack knew it would have been Halloran instead of Ullman, you are probably right but also Ullman didn't give a rip, and in the novel Ullman is made out to be a real A-hole

I don't know...the REDRUM on the door may have worked in the novel but was groan-inducing in the film. At the end, I couldn't get out of the theater fast enough.

Jack may have suspected Danny was not actually his son. After all, he did, when confessing his troubles to Lloyd the bartender, call Wendy "the ole sp*rm bank."

Whoa, whoa. Stairway to heaven then you deliberately show and TITLE the Song remains the same(no audio)? WTF? Why? Cred from that point forward... sigh

Shelly? I haven't seen her enough to judge her acting but based on limited exposure and the dvd extras, i feel like she's playing a version of herself Maybe it's just me, but i don't see her as a great actor, and certainly not one the outdid Nicholson

NO- it's 🚫🙄😒 📺 BTR!

Zzzzzzzzzzz….

Jack didn't abuse Danny, I thought that, until I realised it was not the same day that Jack was in the bedroom holding his neck (hallucinated by Wendy as she watched an unplugged TV). Wendy was in 237, and that is why jack didn't find anyone when he went to look. The crazy woman Danny saw in 237 was Wendy. Jack probably didn't even hurt Danny's arm either, that's what Wendy said happened.

This may be the dumbest analysis out of all the dumb analyses I've seen. Congratulations.

My huge problem with this analysis is your willful ignorance to certain things for your own preferences. Like how can you say the shining is all bullshit and that you think its just gut feelings? Halloran literally telepathically spoke into dannys mind just before they had their concersation over ice cream. I think its extremely intentional that you chose not to include or even speak about that moment bc it doesn't fit into your biased analysis. Great movie, it is 100% supernatural in the book and in the film, and youre doing it a huge disservice by misrepresenting it as you are

What’s the ambient background music 😊