https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9rdOAD8Vn8
The scene opens with a mid-shot of Jack being dragged across
the floor as the camera tracks from right to left. A straight cut is used to then
show a long shot of Wendy dragging Jack whilst the camera tracks forwards. The
mise-en-scene of the knives on the wall and the sign showing the chef’s office
allowed me to infer that she was taking Jack to the pantry as it was shown
previously in the film and as it was locked so it ensures Jack won’t escape.
This made me feel more confident that both Wendy and Danny would be safer. The
knives on the wall could be used as weapons and therefore is a convention of a
typical horror movie.
A straight cut shows Wendy at a low angle, showing that although she was the victim, she is now dominant over Jack and she is in control of the situation. However, another straight cut reveals a close up of her face. The performance of Shelly Duvall and the fact a close up is used shows the panic as she is unable to open the door. The short takes show her panic and an eye line match is used to show that she is glancing at Jack, making sure he doesn’t become conscious. Another close up of the door’s bolt and Wendy unlocking the door makes me feel more at ease as now I feel more certain that she will be able to keep herself safe with Jack locked away.
Once Jack is safely inside the pantry, my suspicions are confirmed as Wendy grabs the knife as a means of protection. A low angle of Jack is then used, allowing him to loom over the camera and show his dominance and that he is becoming more mentally unstable. The introduction of the high pitched non-diegetic music creates suspense and tension as it builds up, whilst Jack tries to emotionally blackmail his wife. This film is classed as a psychological horror as the horrors are supposedly inside Jack’s head and it is visible in this scene as his personality alters drastically. This can show that Jack is losing his true identity and in place he is becoming slowly psychotic. The loss of identity is also another convention of horror films.
Jack then reveals how he has stopped the radio and snow cat from working, putting Wendy in a vulnerable position. She is isolated, stuck in a hotel in the middle of nowhere with no escape with a person who is going to potentially kill herself and her son. Jack’s performance and how he altered his identities made me feel weary of Wendy’s and Danny’s survival, making me fear for their lives.
A straight cut shows Wendy at a low angle, showing that although she was the victim, she is now dominant over Jack and she is in control of the situation. However, another straight cut reveals a close up of her face. The performance of Shelly Duvall and the fact a close up is used shows the panic as she is unable to open the door. The short takes show her panic and an eye line match is used to show that she is glancing at Jack, making sure he doesn’t become conscious. Another close up of the door’s bolt and Wendy unlocking the door makes me feel more at ease as now I feel more certain that she will be able to keep herself safe with Jack locked away.
Once Jack is safely inside the pantry, my suspicions are confirmed as Wendy grabs the knife as a means of protection. A low angle of Jack is then used, allowing him to loom over the camera and show his dominance and that he is becoming more mentally unstable. The introduction of the high pitched non-diegetic music creates suspense and tension as it builds up, whilst Jack tries to emotionally blackmail his wife. This film is classed as a psychological horror as the horrors are supposedly inside Jack’s head and it is visible in this scene as his personality alters drastically. This can show that Jack is losing his true identity and in place he is becoming slowly psychotic. The loss of identity is also another convention of horror films.
Jack then reveals how he has stopped the radio and snow cat from working, putting Wendy in a vulnerable position. She is isolated, stuck in a hotel in the middle of nowhere with no escape with a person who is going to potentially kill herself and her son. Jack’s performance and how he altered his identities made me feel weary of Wendy’s and Danny’s survival, making me fear for their lives.
At the beginning of the scene, an extreme long shot of the
hotel establishes their location. It is at the point within the film where the
family is confined the hotel and its grounds due to the extreme weather
conditions. The mise-en-scene of the snow covering the location reminds the
audience of their predicament which is that Jack is slowly going insane and his
wife is trying her hardest to protect herself and her son. The extreme long
shot shows the hotel as being tiny compared to its surroundings, introducing
the first convention which is typical of the horror genera, isolation. Another
convention also present at this time is fog which can conceal things and make
the location seem eerie.
A straight cut leads us to the next shot, a mid-shot of jack wearing a red coat which has connotation of blood and death. The mise-en-scene of his clothing may foreshadow events such as him spilling the blood of someone else or even him dying later on in the film. Jack lies in the pantry as the camera zooms out slowly. As more of the scene is revealed, we get to see more bags and boxes that contain the colour red, again linking with the connotations of that colour.
A knocking sound is then heard and we know it is diegetic as Jack reacts to the sound, opening his eyes and sitting up to respond to the noise. We then discover the person is Grady and as he announces he is there, I noticed his voice is an echo. Echoes can be considered as a convention to the horror genera as echoes are often heard in huge, empty places. For an echo to be heard in the hotel it suggests it is empty, bringing back the feeling of isolation.
As the camera begins to pan left slightly, green tins start to come into the shot. There is a theory surrounding the film which suggests ‘The Shining’ is based on the killings of the Native Americans as the Americans took over the land. The common colours often worn by Jack and Danny are red, white and blue, the colours of the American flag and there is context at the start of the film when the family are told the hotel is built on an Indian burial point. The introduction of the green tins to the predominant colours (red, white and blue) has connotations of sickness and by using those in the mise-en-scene in this particular shot it can portray the message that the death of the Native Americans was a disgusting act. Once Jack stands, the camera tracks from right to left, following his movements to the door and it also reveals an abundance of green coloured objects, reinforcing the idea of the sickness rooted deep within the American history.
A straight cut to a mid-shot of Jack shows him side on as he slouches over the door. As he straightens out his body, the camera pans from right to left, revealing a stack of tins with an image of a person wearing an Indian headdress. Above those tins are more green tins, reinforcing the previous point of the film representing the sick killing of the Native Americans.
A straight cut leads us to the next shot, a mid-shot of jack wearing a red coat which has connotation of blood and death. The mise-en-scene of his clothing may foreshadow events such as him spilling the blood of someone else or even him dying later on in the film. Jack lies in the pantry as the camera zooms out slowly. As more of the scene is revealed, we get to see more bags and boxes that contain the colour red, again linking with the connotations of that colour.
A knocking sound is then heard and we know it is diegetic as Jack reacts to the sound, opening his eyes and sitting up to respond to the noise. We then discover the person is Grady and as he announces he is there, I noticed his voice is an echo. Echoes can be considered as a convention to the horror genera as echoes are often heard in huge, empty places. For an echo to be heard in the hotel it suggests it is empty, bringing back the feeling of isolation.
As the camera begins to pan left slightly, green tins start to come into the shot. There is a theory surrounding the film which suggests ‘The Shining’ is based on the killings of the Native Americans as the Americans took over the land. The common colours often worn by Jack and Danny are red, white and blue, the colours of the American flag and there is context at the start of the film when the family are told the hotel is built on an Indian burial point. The introduction of the green tins to the predominant colours (red, white and blue) has connotations of sickness and by using those in the mise-en-scene in this particular shot it can portray the message that the death of the Native Americans was a disgusting act. Once Jack stands, the camera tracks from right to left, following his movements to the door and it also reveals an abundance of green coloured objects, reinforcing the idea of the sickness rooted deep within the American history.
A straight cut to a mid-shot of Jack shows him side on as he slouches over the door. As he straightens out his body, the camera pans from right to left, revealing a stack of tins with an image of a person wearing an Indian headdress. Above those tins are more green tins, reinforcing the previous point of the film representing the sick killing of the Native Americans.
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