I have only seen the movie version of "The Shining" once, when it first hit movie theaters in 1980.
Shawn RyanI was so excited. Not only was it one of my favorite books - which celebrates the 40th birthday of its publication Saturday - I also was a huge fan of director Stanley Kubrick.
I left the theater knowing one thing: I hated the movie.
Kubrick took what was a truly terrifying story that blended the supernatural and the psychological and turned it into a visually interesting but mostly bland film that, after all is said and done, was mostly a chase film with Jack Nicholson wielding an ax while Shelley Duvall screamed her head off. What's the most famous scene in the film? Nicholson cutting through a door and saying, "Here's Johnny!" More humor than horror.
Sure, there were supernatural elements in the movie, but Kubrick treated them almost as afterthoughts because he was more interested in the psychological elements, the breakdown of a man's mind, an angle that King addressed in the book but only as one of the elements.
Certainly, the film stylistically was another of Kubrick's stunningly visual feats - Danny pedaling his Big Wheel along the hotel hallways; the elevator opening to unleash a rolling tsunami of blood; the overall production look.
I also agree with King's observation that Nicholson was absolutely the worst choice to play Jack Torrance. When you see Nicholson in almost any film, the first thing you think is: He's right on the edge of crazy. The same was true in "The Shining" film. But in the book, Torrance is not crazy; he's troubled but basically a decent guy trying to deal with his personal demons. His slow descent into insanity is part of the plot's horror.
When the film first came out, King didn't care for it, saying it didn't examine many elements of the book that he thought were critical. He's since lessened his criticism and has given it slight praise. But he was disappointed in Kubrick's version enough that he produced a TV miniseries in 1997.
I have never watched Kubrick's "The Shining" again since that first time; I think I probably should. I might appreciate elements of the film more than I did 36 years ago. At least it's worth a try, I suppose.
Contact Shawn Ryan at sryan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327.