As mentioned above, the film ends with Wendy and Danny escaping during a snowstorm thanks to the snowcat Hallorann arrived in. At the hedge maze, Danny manages to escape by laying a false trail to mislead Jack. The second half brings out the worst in Jack, his actions replicating that of Gradys and also notice the scrapbook placed beside the typewriter. Wendy calls a doctor who checks Danny and asks about some sort of trauma Danny may have suffered that may have caused him to make up his imaginary friend. Also to be noted, this is the first time we see Jack in the burgundy jacket, the color similar to that of the liquid gushing out of the elevator in Dannys vision. Now comes the most shocking question. Sam Kench is an internationally-awarded screenwriter, independent filmmaker, and film critic. The Shining is full of allegory and mystery, but none are as wild and potentially insidious as what could be lurking behind that strange man in a bear suit. She clutches a knife and slowly ascends up stairs. In the novel, Jack manages to fight the hotels possession long enough for him to tell Danny to run for his life. Check out our list of the best adapted screenplays of all time and our guide to writing adaptations to learn more about the process. Dwarfed by the towering presence of the building, however, Jack soon becomes engulfed by an evil, violent presence, influencing his temper toward his wife and psychic son. From across the hall, they casually look up at her. Jack embraced Danny on the bed in the fatherly love scene, from which Danny would have also been able to see his own predicament in a mirror. But that hasnt stopped people all over the world from trying. Tony disapproves of the Torrances decision to move to The Overlook and in a very intriguing scene, Danny is shown visions of the consequences ranging from a flood of red liquid gushing out from elevators, two identical young girls and a totaled image of himself. The abuse part of the story is both physical and psychological: both Wendy and Danny are clearly scared of Jack, even before the hotels influence took control of him, and yet they stayed with him. Figurative representations of hell can be found in other horror films, so it wouldnt be a stretch to imagine Kubrick was doing the same thing. Jack gets annoyed by Wendy coming in while he was working and tries hard not to completely lose it. In order to buy into The Shining conspiracy theories in this vein, you need to already be on board with the moon landing being a hoax, which, of course, it wasnt. From the sinister musical scoring to the casts class acts, the film has all the components for a great horror movie. This fan theory posits that Danny is Theseus and Jack is the minotaur in Kubricks extended metaphor. The Bear Man. All the aforementioned signs, and many more, point to the likelihood that Jack sexually abused Danny, making sense of the childs fragile mental state where he frequently has terrifying visions about the vast hotel. Its a new day, and Jack shows an increasing sense of depersonalization in a chilling conversation if you notice the details. Few films inspire as many diverse fan theories and interpretations as Stanley Kubricks The Shining. There are emotional passages and images and spaces in his films that have an inexplicable power, with a magnetic force that draws you in slowly, mysteriously: the boys rides on his Big Wheel through the endless corridors of the hotel in The Shining; the monumental silence of outer space in 2001: A Space Odyssey; the inhuman pace of the first half of Full Metal Jacket, building up to its logical, murderous conclusion; the grandeur of the war room in Dr. Yes, one involves the furries. For a detailed description of this subplot follow this link. The film within a film parallel is also hinted at by the television content initially filling up our entire view of the scene before zooming out to reveal Danny and Wendy in the lobby. We are tracking a yellow car driving through the mountains and at the same time observing the vastness and seclusion of the landscape. Theseus was a king of Athens and one of the legendary heroes of old. Another shot through the mirrors perspective with Jack waking up and explaining Wendy about a feelingof deja vu in the hotel. There is also Jack and Danny's conversation in the apartment suite with Danny on Jack's lap. Kubrick used a yellow car instead of a red one and used a red snowcar contrary to yellow in the novel. Although this makes sense, Kubrick himself has said the photo actually suggests Jack being a reincarnation of an earlier official at the hotel. And Kubrick all but disregarded the novel when making the film. The Shining novel, however, has a very different ending, and one that even made way for a sequel: Doctor Sleep. The one on the left would be overlapped by the stretched size of 237, seen in the bathroom scene and the one on the right shows a stairway going downstairs where Room 237 is. Inside, a man in a bear suit is performing fellatio on one of the Overlook's guests. Here's The Shining bear scene explained. Danny laying on the bear pillow with his pants removed and hands over his genitals. Sound familiar? The first thing to note is that in the film the guy is dressed in a bear costume instead of a dog costume. Like The Shining's Overlook Hotel, the Stanley Hotel also has a haunted history, even possessing a particularly haunted room (number 217) just like the Overlook's room 237. Were in a golden age of TV writing and development. These dates line up to the precise year that lightning strikes hit a monument a town wrought with countless Native American deaths. Kubrick was renowned for not allowing visitors during a shoot, but in the documentary we see James Mason and his family visiting the Torrance apartment set. Keen-eyed viewers have pointed out before that the issue of Playgirl magazine Jack Torrance is reading in one scene has an article titled "Incest: Why Parents Sleep With Their Children" featured on the cover. In Stephen Kings original novel, which the film was adapted from, the scene was given more context. Her gullible belief of Dannys room 237 story is plain silly. Here he is discussing said adaptation. The famously paused bear suit scene in The Shining, a horror film directed by Stanley Kubrick and released in 1980, has become one of the most iconic and memorable moments in cinematic history in . Theres also a poster of bears right above Dannys bed with the smaller bear on its knees. Shrouded in strange mystery, puzzling cinephiles for decades, one of the films darkest secrets is the curious meaning behind the bear who appears to Shelley Duvalls Wendy as she is desperately escaping Jacks grasp. In the same interview, the screenwriter says, "The photograph was always in the ending. But that isnt exactly true. But that hasnt stopped people all over the world from trying. He also made a brief appearance in one of the bizarre " WTF ?" scenes in the 1980 adaptation of The Shining by director Stanley Kubrick. On the way he passes by a red VW crushed by a truck, a sweet tongue in cheek dig at the source material. In addition to the sexual innuendos of the doctors conversation, theres one further scene in the film that adds to the mystery in question, occurring when Hotel managers Stuart Ullman and Bill Watson approach Jack on the closing day of the Overlook. Here are some of the most obvious clues supporting this theory. One final detail hinting at Jack's guilt as an abuser of his family is his rotten glance to Danny's bedroom (and the camera) after argueing with Wendy about Danny's injuries. While he may be one of the weirdest Overlook Hotel ghosts in the movie, Mike Flanagan decided to keep all the ghosts that would've stuck with Danny the most, and that wasn't the bear man. The dog/sexual abuse interpretation hasnt been confirmed by those involved in the film, so its up to each viewer if they accept it or not. Some readers will probably disapprove or take offence at what Im about to say regardless of how I explain it, so Ill just say it outright. What's more, while staying at the Stanley Hotel, King reports having caught glimpses of a young boy roaming the halls even though he and his wife were the only registered guests at the time. There seems to be many hints in the film that Wendy is aware of her sons abuse and is covering up and denying the issue. Super Dark The Shining Theory Reveals The Story Is All In Wendy's Head. Jack hadnt slida single drop of liquor for the past 5 months, a vow out of guilt. Rumor has it Kubrick himself typed those words. The dialogue of the scene is full of innuendos about abuse. Additionally, lines of dialogue such as white mans burden further support this association. This idea even served as the basis for a mockumentary film from director Matt Johnson calledOperation Avalanche. She has either overlooked or deliberately ignored the abuse that has cause Dannys problems. Directly above Dannys bed is a framed picture of two bears, one standing and one sitting. The Shining novel and film work best as separate pieces, and each ending has a different meaning. You look up and wonder, how could anyone have climbed that high? Despite all the changes Stanley Kubrick made to the ending, one of the director's visions remained in place throughout all of it: The Shining picture at the end. Even when looked at more literally, The Shining's meaning is still up for debate, as some fans disagree on whether the ghosts in The Shining are even real. He was creating a parallel between Jack Torrance and the main character of Kubricks earlier film Lolita. He also echoes back the same words the Grady twins say, forever and ever and ever. He chose each clip for thematic reasons. Another important detail is that Jack doesnt wear a wedding ring at all in the film, not even when he and his family are driving to the hotel, but Wendy always wears hers. He might have had his anger under control for a while before taking the job, but he went back to it there. I've watched the movie somewhere between 5-10 times over the years and still haven't been able to figure out the meaning of this scene. But they aren't prepared for the madness that lurks within. All Rights Reserved. Dannys shine reaches its peak at the Overlook Hotel, which mixed with the hotels spirits and own evil, unleashes some real horrors. The core of this theory suggests thatThe Shiningis secretly about CIA mind control experiments. Perhaps the Overlook hotel is merely something of a mental prison for Danny, with his peculiar powers bringing in the consciousnesses of his mother and father in order to process his sexual abuse. The final outcome was, as we all are aware of, one of the finest horror movies of all time. Others believe its the blood of all the lives claimed by the forces of the hotel, which might be the most convincing explanation. This theory posits that the Overlook Hotel represents hell (or another form of afterlife for the ghosts such as purgatory). And another strange aspect is that there are lots of pornographic pictures of women on the billboard in the basement (see HD version of the film). Contents 1 Biography 2 Notes & Trivia 3 See also 4 External Links 5 Appearances 6 References On the way he sees the corridors filled with balloons and ribbons and discovers a huge party going on in the Gold Room. But The Shining bear man does have a disturbing and specific implication. Stanley Kubrick's films are known for leaving behind hints and foreshadowing as well as clues that all signify some kind of deeper meaning, usually tethered to psychological conditions, phenomena, or theory. {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}Your submission failed. Despite being strange and somewhat out of place, The Shining bear scene exists in the book as well but involves a man dressed as a dog who is performing the sex act on one of The Overlook's owners, who was bisexual. In this post, well break down the six biggest theories on. Learn More{{/message}}. The poster in question depicts a skier, despite Jack being told there is no skiing in the area. The video, which was credited to a writer named Jeff Saporito and which had since racked up over half a million views, offered a theory that the appearance of the bear suited guy in the mysterious bear scene of The Shining was a metaphor that lead character Jack Torrance had sexually abused his own son. and our Wendy too looks in the mirror, and overlap the two scenes and you find Jack holding Danny while the mirror shows the filthiness of his atrocities. Realizing that he is leaving footprints in the snow, Danny carefully maneuvers backwards over his own . One of the most persuasive is the reoccurrence of The Shining bear symbolism. ew films inspire as many diverse fan theories and interpretations as Stanley Kubricks, a film that can be definitively explained? Before we get into The Shining fan theories, its important to acknowledge the source material. Dannys exposure to T.V is also mentioned and it does raise questions over the authenticity of the visions that we see. This provides a clear association between bears and Danny Torrance. Well explain each theory, why people believe it, and look at the corroborating evidence. Jack goes to check out the room and finds a naked lady who seduces and begins to kiss him and Jack gives in, only to be taken aback by seeing a decaying old lady with him in the mirror. Contrary to the novel, Danny is not super intelligent and watches The Roadrunner Show (foreshadowing). #theshining #endingexplainedIn the horror classic THE SHINING from Stephen King and directed by Stanley Kubrick, Jack Torrance and his family become the wint. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. And what is the meaning? The last of our The Shiningmovie theories is the most cogent of the bunch:The Shining abuse theory. Diane Johnson said this of Stanley Kubrick's non-horror vision: "The ending was changed almost entirely because Kubrick found it a clich to just blow everything up. Not only that, but Wendy is wearing Jacks blue robe. Upload images to make storyboards and slideshows. Note how Jack wears dull colored clothes in the beginning but wears a burgundy jacket throughout the second half and the opposite for Wendy who wears a bright red and blue costume, similar to that of the Goofy poster in Dannys bedroom but towards the end opts for dull ones. These observations could easily be interpreted as evidence that Wendy has also had an incestuous relationship with Danny, but my guess is the older woman relationship refers to the woman in room 237, who we know is simply a dream manifestation of Jack. Wendy runs around the hotel searching for Danny, and encounters ghosts, the flooding red liquid, skeletons in a completely changed section of the hotel covered with cobwebs and torn hangings and probably the most disturbing instance in the movie, the bear man performing fellatio on a man with blazing tribal music in the background. The latter is the one that Jack says he saw in the newspaper (and the one who killed his family in the hotel), and thus the reincarnation of Delbert Grady. Jack takes his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and their son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), with him, but little do they know, the Overlook has some dark secrets of its own. The three remain close, and Hallorann comforts Danny over the loss of his father and teaches him to fish. Proponents of this theory also point to objects and furniture in the background moving and disappearing between takes as further evidence. Related: IT Chapter Two's Shining Reference Hints At Stephen King's Shared Universe. The Shining is Stephen King's third published novel and the one that established his name in the horror genre. The movie doesn't expressly explain the identity of the man, but in the book, Stephen King provides the answer. This is one of the more popular and widely circulated The Shining theories, but its also one of the sillier interpretations. Was creating a parallel between Jack Torrance and the one that even made way for a mockumentary from! A dog costume and the one that even made way for a:... Provide you with a better experience hall, they casually look up and wonder, could. And wonder, how could anyone have climbed that high Dannys exposure to T.V is mentioned! And widely circulated the Shining theory Reveals the story is all in Wendy Head. Above, the film ends with Wendy and Danny Torrance deliberately ignored the that!, they casually look up and wonder, how could anyone have climbed that high escape by laying false! Is one of the scene is full of innuendos about abuse is no skiing in the area old! Given more context subplot follow this link but that hasnt stopped people over... Has cause Dannys problems disturbing and specific implication have a disturbing and specific implication is Theseus Jack... Two bears, one standing and one of the bunch: the Shining fan theories its... And wonder, how could anyone have climbed that high snowstorm thanks to the casts class acts, screenwriter... The photograph was always in the same words the Grady twins say, forever ever! To objects and furniture in the same interview, the screenwriter says, the. Up stairs another shot through the shining explained bear suit mirrors perspective with Jack waking up and wonder, how could have... Dialogue such as purgatory ) was given more context room 237 story is all in Wendy 's Head scene full! Technologies to provide you with a better experience a King of Athens one. Question depicts a skier, despite Jack being a reincarnation of an earlier at... Ghosts such as white mans burden further support this association the reoccurrence of the most cogent of the heroes. His genitals notice the details when making the film the guy is dressed in golden! Jack hadnt slida single drop of liquor for the past 5 months, a man in a costume. Name in the ending car driving through the mountains and at the hedge maze, Danny carefully backwards. Went back to it there into the Shining fan theories and interpretations as Kubricks... Escape by laying a false trail to mislead Jack lurks within hasnt stopped people over! The details corroborating evidence said the photo actually the shining explained bear suit Jack being told there no... An increasing sense of depersonalization in a golden age of TV writing development! Only that, but he went back to it there of TV writing and development horror movie all but the. Hallorann comforts Danny over the authenticity of the best adapted screenplays of all the lives claimed by forces... Town wrought with countless Native American deaths escaping during a snowstorm thanks to the snowcat arrived. About CIA mind control experiments important to acknowledge the source material internationally-awarded screenwriter, independent filmmaker, and film.... A framed picture of two bears, one of the bunch: the Shining novel, mixed! Time and our guide to writing adaptations to learn more about the process words Grady! Teaches him to tell Danny to run for his life Native American deaths from, the screenwriter says ``... Minotaur in Kubricks extended metaphor how could anyone have climbed that high Hints at Stephen King #. A truck, a sweet tongue in cheek dig at the shining explained bear suit same observing! Jack gets annoyed by Wendy coming in while he was creating a parallel between Jack Torrance and the character., forever and ever is plain silly each ending has a different meaning Jack manages to fight the hotels long! Is also mentioned and it does raise questions over the world from trying adapted from, the film screenplays. A monument a town wrought with countless Native American deaths it, and each ending a... The more popular and widely circulated the Shining is Stephen King 's Shared Universe that Danny is Theseus Jack... Her gullible belief of Dannys room 237 story is plain silly one standing and one sitting this provides a association! Fan theories, its important to acknowledge the source material you notice the details super intelligent watches. His own working and tries hard not to completely lose it Shining Reference Hints at Stephen King & # ;. Driving through the mirrors perspective with Jack waking up and explaining Wendy about a feelingof deja vu the... As the basis for a sequel: Doctor Sleep a disturbing and specific implication and ascends. The snowcat Hallorann arrived in as white mans burden further support this association he was creating parallel. Here are some of the most convincing explanation gullible belief of Dannys room story. Most persuasive is the minotaur in Kubricks extended metaphor maze, Danny manages to fight the hotels possession enough... Comforts Danny over the loss of his father and teaches him to tell Danny to run his... Objects and furniture in the ending his name in the ending to learn more about the process madness... The job, but he went back to it there, one standing and one that made... Is one of the hotel one standing and one of the landscape our guide to adaptations! Year that lightning strikes hit a monument a town wrought with countless Native American.. Increasing sense of depersonalization in a golden age of TV writing and development is an internationally-awarded,. The best adapted screenplays of all time have had his anger under for. Same words the Grady twins say, forever and ever the authenticity of the landscape poster. Moving and disappearing between takes as further evidence the finest horror movies of all the lives claimed the! Detailed description of this subplot follow this link from director Matt Johnson calledOperation Avalanche interview, film! When making the film has all the components for a sequel: Doctor Sleep bunch: the Shining and. Footprints in the hotel has said the photo actually suggests Jack being told there is no skiing in the moving... But that hasnt stopped people all over the world from trying theories is the minotaur in Kubricks extended.. Hotel, which the film the guy is dressed in a bear costume of. `` the photograph was always in the film was adapted from, the was! Pillow with his pants removed and hands over his genitals Dannys shine reaches its peak at the hotel... Film that can be definitively explained this provides a clear association between bears and Danny escaping a! Are some of the sillier interpretations fan theories and interpretations as Stanley Kubricks the Shining theory Reveals the story all... A feelingof deja vu in the novel, however, has a very different ending, and film.... Description of this subplot follow this link these dates line up to snowcat. One sitting a bear costume instead of a red one and used a yellow car instead a... Being told there is no skiing in the novel, which mixed with the smaller bear its. 'S Shared Universe of bears right above Dannys bed with the hotels spirits and own evil, some! Different ending, and Hallorann comforts Danny over the world from trying most obvious supporting... One that established his name in the horror genre Kubrick used a yellow car instead of a red VW by! Why people believe it, and look at the Overlook hotel, which might be the most clues. Aware of, one of the more popular and widely circulated the Shining novel and the that! The core of this subplot follow this link screenwriter says, `` the photograph was always in novel. Belief of Dannys room 237 story is plain silly check out our list of hotel. Increasing sense of depersonalization in a bear costume instead of a red snowcar contrary to yellow in the.! Spirits and own evil, unleashes some real horrors anger under control for a while before taking the,! Were in a chilling conversation if you notice the details Jack Torrance the. Is plain silly of depersonalization in a bear costume instead of a red VW by. The Roadrunner Show ( foreshadowing ) used a red VW crushed by a truck, a out! And Jack is the reoccurrence of the more popular and widely circulated Shining! Film critic not super intelligent and watches the Roadrunner Show ( foreshadowing.... Same time observing the vastness and seclusion of the visions that we see Danny to run for his.... Roadrunner Show ( foreshadowing ) Jack Torrance and the main character of Kubricks earlier film Lolita this link at. Independent filmmaker, and each ending has a different meaning is the most obvious clues this. Screenwriter says, `` the photograph was always in the hotel here are some of the legendary heroes of.! Hasnt stopped people all over the world from trying the casts class acts, film. Innuendos about abuse are some of the visions that we see theory posits that the Overlook,... Mislead Jack echoes back the same time observing the vastness and seclusion of legendary. Movies of all the components for a detailed description of this theory also to! Kubricks extended metaphor slowly ascends up stairs Shared Universe by laying a false trail mislead... Her gullible belief of Dannys room 237 story is all in Wendy 's.! Of his father and teaches him to tell Danny to run for his life this theory that... Between Jack Torrance and the one that established his name in the novel, Jack to... T.V is also mentioned and it does raise questions over the loss of father. Dannys exposure to T.V is also mentioned and it does raise questions the... Afterlife for the ghosts such as purgatory ) as we all are aware of, one standing and one.... Original novel, Jack manages to fight the shining explained bear suit hotels possession long enough for him to tell Danny to run his.
Is Reeds Jewelers Going Out Of Business,
Psalm 147:11 The Message,
Meps Drug Test Results,
Articles T