What's Interesting About 'The Shining'?

Almost everyone is familiar with Stanley Kubrick's horror classic The Shining. Jack Nicholson and axes and "Here's Johnny." All great stuff. But there's more to this film then Nicholson creeping the hell out of everyone. The next time you watch it, keep your eyes centered in the middle of the screen. You'll notice throughout almost the entire film everything is framed in the middle of the shot. From Scatman Crothers to the wave of blood getting off at the 2nd floor, everything is centered. Look at the two little girls above. Right in the middle.

This, of course, is no accident. Kubrick purposely framed the film like this. Here's why: It's weird. Traditional editing and framing techniques are designed to make cuts between shots seamless. We are not meant to notice when one shot cuts to another. In The Shining, however, the cuts are obvious. Our eyes never have to leave the center of the screen. Using a traditional cut (i.e. following the eye line of the character and repositioning the image) is relatively unnoticeable, making the viewer more comfortable while watching the film. Doing the opposite is awkward, and makes the viewer particularly uncomfortable. It just isn't smooth. And Kubrick uses this technique to make the viewer as uncomfortable as possible. Awesome.

Also, a shot of a character placed in the center of the frame, then cut to another character placed in the center of the frame is going to result in the two characters staring directly at the audience. Their eyelines are looking center frame to center frame. I personally don't want any of the characters in The Shining looking directly at me. What if a scene in a movie was of one Mona Lisa talking to another Mona Lisa? Creepy, right? That's the affect Kubrick achieved.

These elements bother the audience subconsciously, making an already disturbing image (maybe of two little girls bloodied and hacked to pieces in a hallway?) into a scene that leaves the viewer unsettled in every way possible. Well done, Mr. Kubrick. Well Done.

For more on The Shining, check it out on IMDB http://bit.ly/tKLqY

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