The Shining (1980) ‘Review’

It’s been almost a week since I have watched my second Stanley Kubrick film, 1980’s The Shining. Why have I waited nearly a week to post my review? Well work has kept me away from thinking about it in great detail, but also because I just don’t really have a clue what to say about this movie. Sure, I can do my normal thing and just say “I liked this movie. I think it was well directed, Jack Nicholson was great, and it was a great thriller worthy of everyone’s time.” But I feel like that is not doing it justice, and I wanted to understand it more. And therein lies the problem: I just… don’t understand some of the things that happen during this movie. Stephen King’s story just perplexes me. I can follow a lot of the movie, and sometimes I can draw conclusions based on what the story is telling me. But then there are other things that are completely over my head, and I would love it if someone would be able to help me out with that.

I’ll get to my review, but I have a few things that I just cannot figure out: The ending, of course, was so bizarre, and I just have no way of knowing what it meant. I did some research and discovered a possible solution, and it makes a lot of sense, and made me realize just how good one of the dialogues was in the movie was (the one between Jack and Delbert Grady in the bathroom). Also, why was a bulldog-face guy giving fellatio to that gentleman? And why could Wendy see the things that her son Daniel could see, and why could Jack see things too? Dementia? Cabin fever? The Shining? Maybe. But nonetheless, as I watching this movie I kept saying “Alright, I am starting to get this” only to have my mind change by the next scene. But all this, of course, does not mean I dislike it.

Like I said, The Shining was excellently directed. Oddly enough, Kubrick was nominated for a Razzie Award for the movie, leading me to believe that the movie did not take off right away. His direction added to the suspenseful story that Stephen King wrote, who has been known to go for the abnormal when it comes to his horror stories, such as mutant dogs, evil cars, and sinister clowns. It might be over my head sometimes, but it is still enjoyable to watch. It wasn’t a scary movie, really, it was definitely a thriller. The hedge maze was just the perfect device for making me sit on the edge of my seat. Jack Nicholson was great as well. At first I thought his character of Jack Torrance was boring, but when he went crazy, he REALLY went crazy. His acting was very believable, and it was fun to watch, because as you may or may not know, I love watching the bad guys. However, on the bad side: Shelley Duvall. Wow, she ranged from annoying to stiff during the movie. She was nominated for Worst Actress at the same awards show, and she probably could have won it if not for Brooke Shields in Blue Lagoon. Thank goodness for Nicholson and also for Scatman Crothers as Dick Hallorann, as both of them were very good actors and helped even it out.

So at least for the purposes of my blog, I can say “You should watch this, if you have not already, because it is an example of a true classic in this genre”. I’m sure most of you have at this point, as this blog is quickly changing and it should probably be called “Hey! Look at the GREAT movie Mike Night hasn’t watched yet!” But I am home for the weekend, and I already have a couple newer movies lined up to review.

Final review: “It’s very Stephen King-y.”

Full Metal Jacket (1987) ‘Review’

My friend from work, Nick, gave me a collection of Stanley Kubrick films: One that I will review by next week, and Full Metal Jacket, a Vietnam War film that I have heard a lot about, but have never seen. Although after watching it, I have heard a lot of it. I feel like this is one of the most quoted films I have seen, from R. Lee Ermey’s insulting rants to many of the monologues that are spoken during it. FMJ was one of those movies that, as I was watching it, I was really thinking about what it all meant. I took the time period into consideration, remembered what I learned about the Vietnam War during history and broadcasting classes, and really listened and dissected what I was hearing. It turned out to be a movie that I regretted not watching sooner, because of how much I enjoyed it. And I enjoyed it on a number of different levels as well.

The first ten minutes was a lot of fun to watch. While I understood the intensity and reasons for all the shouting going on, R. Lee Ermey’s Gny. Sgt. Hartman was really excellent. The insults, rants, and ways he said things really got me hooked. And again, while it wasn’t meant to be funny or anything, some of them elicited a chuckle. And then the intensity really ramped up in a big way. There is a certain part where the movie goes from watching some new recruits try to hack it in boot camp, to something far more deep. The movie almost feels like two separate films: Boot camp, and the war itself. But everything is linked together nicely, and Kubrick’s direction and (Oscar-nominated) screenplay really make you understand what is happening in some of the character’s heads. One line in particular really encapsulated the theme of the film, and you can see it on the poster above. I won’t explicitly say it here, in case you want to figure it out for yourself, but it, to me, was apparent. This one all-encompassing thought shows itself throughout the ending moments, and was a goosebump-inducing ride. The final monologue, combined with the visual and aural images really bring everything together, and I highly recommend you check this out so you can see what I mean. If you have seen FMJ, then maybe you already know what I am talking about.

The movie is a bit depressing, and I believe it takes a good look at what the troops thought about the situation they were in. It took a hard look at just what was going on during the war, which did not always go well. Actually, it rarely went well, as they even mentioned that legendary anchor Walter Cronkite called it “an unwinnable war”. There are some disturbing images, but I think it was an accurate portrayal. One of the men in master control even said that the boot camp scenes were completely accurate to the conditions they were in. This is only the second Kubrick film I have watched, the first being Dr. Strangelove. Like I said, I will watch another one soon, but I know I want to see some others like A Clockwork Orange and 2001: A Space Odyssey. But next time I’ll watch The Shining so look out for that.