A Critical Analysis of the Movies Full Metal Jacket and The Shining By Stanley Kubric

In Stanley Kubrick, Director, Alexander Walker comments that, “violence in Kubrick films is seldom present for its own sake. Here it reverberates with social and cultural references, as Jack Torrence (Nicholson) mocks suburban coziness (“Wendy, I’m home”), children’s bedtime stories (“Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in”), and talk show buildup (“H-e-e-e-re’s Johnny!”). We have not strayed far from other Kubrick moments.” Can you recall other violent or disturbing scenes or moments that are treated in this style in previous Kubrick film and how does the overall method work as opposed to the traditionally violent scenes usually found in other horror films?

From the ancient tales of darkness to the modern day terrorism and disease film was always used as reflection of those fears.

The intent of horror as a genre is to reflect what is happening in our world and what is happening in our mind. We are more afraid than ever and, when looking back on past events, we are safest humans so far.

Stories have always been conducted to scare us into being a good person. And people were always interested in what exactly scares people. Even the church in the 15 century was collecting data, from door to door, surveying on what frightens people universally. Later artists used these findings and established gothic imagery in the literal medium. It incorporated supernatural elements and created fictitious characters such as Mary Shelley Frankenstein, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, all the way to John Carpenter’s Michael Myers and Wes Craven’s Freddy Krueger.

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At the beginning of a film medium adapting feat to film was easy at first. It was enough to project a motion picture showing a train to scare people. But in later period fear was more challenging to apply effectively. Various film and plot techniques are used to convey fear in best possible way. In the late sixties a new wave of horror came along. The film industry was delivering fear in big quantities. Short after filmmakers were challenged to find new way to evoke fear. Scenes incorporated suspense, various plot twists and of course jump-scares. If became evident that waiting for a scare is just as terrifying as when scare finally happens. That’s is why in certain films we hear a recognizable tune or a theme just before the scare. Then there are rare movies that don’t indicate situation of fear but play with viewers mind making the scare an unexpected experience. Kubrick acknowledged those “rules” and created his own suspenseful film. He also finds horror in subject matter that is different from the usual zombie and vampire stories. Breaking the rules made The Shining a specific film. Kubrick projected fear in a slightly different way and this is how he did it.

The aerial shot of the landscapes is made ominous trough the musical score. What would usually be a beautiful establishing shot of a lake and the mountains, when juxtaposed with frightening music has a totally different effect. In fact the use of normally pleasant shots made to look terrifying reoccurs in the film. For example the twin girls suddenly shown standing still in the hallway. It is their stillness and a lack of emotion that is horrifying. Why else would someone be terrified of two pretty young girls who seem to perfectly behave. They are filmed and scored in such way that it evokes such reaction. Also the scene in the hotel hedge maze, which is explained to be a primary attraction of the hotel, but as we see it from Jack’s perspective it becomes terrifying. What is fascinating about the Shining is that Kubrick keeps distorting appearance of this nice hotel, which gradually becomes a character itself. The interior of the hotel is beautifully designed and lit which contributes to this irony even more. The bathroom scene is gorgeous with one point perspective pointing in right directions in right moments. And yet that is where Jack is considering murdering his family. Another example of beauty juxtaposed with horror.

Being in love with long tracking shots Kubrick used steady cam to produce another ominous effect of the camera and the viewer. He plays with it in two scenes thus playing with audience. As we are following Danny trough hallways on his bike, nothing really happens but suspense is building before every turn he makes. Every corner he makes we are anticipating a scare we are expecting a monster or a ghost. Kubrick builds a sort of an anti-climax. Finally third time following Danny on his toy, when we are used to nothing happening, Danny takes the corner, camera follows and then we see twin girls. This is a very smoothly disguised jump scare. Long tracking shots are used to introduce the story and the characters. Especially at he beginning of the film where audience is following the family trough the hotel. The camera is slowly following them from distance so the audience can’t help them.

The shining deals with emotional and psychological themes and yet film uses symbolism of physical entrapment to enhance the feeling. Along with the maze outside the hotel, the interior is also confusing with its long hallways and even the pattern on the carpet. Jack’s isolation and struggle with alcoholism made him susceptible to supernatural manipulation. He is not a typical family man and yet his lines of dialogs look very pleasant on paper. His one-liners look like there were written for a “nice dad” type of character and not from a man driven down into madness. In general contrast seems to work as a stylistic expression in other Kubrick’s films like it did in Dr. Strangelove when juxtaposing a pleasant song “We Meet Again” in last scene where the whole world is devastated by atom bombs. Marines were singing the Mickey Mouse song after murdering a young sniper girl in Full metal jacket. Alex and his gang were dancing to Singing in the rain while beating up and raping a couple. Contrast is a recognizable tool in Kubrick’s film achievements which he uses as a signature along with other specific techniques. An interesting approach to this genre leaves a unique experience. Stanley Kubrick was a competitive person. He realized that horror genre was at its peak in the seventies. Other films like The Exorcist (1973) Halloween (1978) and Jaws (1975) made a lot of money and he decided to make an ultimate horror film. Substantially changing the adaptation from its original novel by Stephen King resulted in stylistic and symbolic expression never seen before. It is no longer a typical ghost story. It is a story of balance between duties and responsibilities, a family and work. In The Shining the whole family crumbles down. Nothing seems normal after the breakdown, the pleasant rapidly becomes scary. The Shining underlays a rather unpleasant theme of family violence. The Torrance family is dysfunctional and carries violence as a cycle that begins and ends with human relationships, making this film a display of fear not only through a ghost story but through a story of a “typical” family.