The irony is that Kubrick wasn't even on location when they filmed the opening scene, yet I'm pretty sure it was his idea to shoot aerial footage of Glacier National Park in Montana and use it for the opening credits since it was consistent with the rest of the film. Describing this scene as "gorgeous and fear inducing at the same time" is the perfect way to put it, for it foreshadowed what was in store, as the rest of the film's visually arresting scenes suggested normalcy yet were simultaneously coupled with unexplained oddities--for after all this film involved supernatural elements along with a main character who had a few screws lose. And then there was the sexual undertones in this film, such as the man in the bear costume which some say was a visual motif for incest, along with supposed political undertones which have led some to speculate about conspiracy theories involving this film. And then you have Kubrick's strict attention to detail--taking 5 years to make this film, not to mention reshooting scenes multiple times, most notably Shelly Duvall's scene showing her trying to hit Jack Nicholson's character with a baseball bat, had 127 takes. Being more specific about this film's backdrop, the interior of The Overlook Hotel, was comprised of grand ballrooms, enormous lobbies and a seemingly endless maze of corridors, which couldn't possibly fit in a hotel of this size judging by the size of the exterior, which was done intentionally to play tricks on the subconscious mind of a viewer. Perhaps all that needs to be said is, before David Lynch rose to prominence, there was Stanley Kubrick.
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Catbookss (13664)
7 years ago
I guess I never did fall under Kubrick's spell then, because I've never been able to finish watching it from start to finish, although I do love attention to detail. Nor am I Lynch fan.
I did like the build-up of suspense -- to a point. The location and shots of it were great, and the slowly increasing sense of paranoia fueled by isolation. But after that, meh.
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