The Shining: A Complete Breakdown of Stanley Kubrick's film (SPOILERS)
Paul Whittington
18,986 views
A video essay that explores The Shining through the relationship between the psychological and the supernatural, rather than treating them as opposing aspects. It examines how ideas from Stephen King’s novel were reshaped by Stanley Kubrick/Diane Johnson, and how those changes alter the story at a fundamental level. I also offer my own subjective take on the film’s events, including my preferred way of filling in the gaps and making sense of the narrative.
As a longtime fan of Kubrick’s film, this is a project I’ve wanted to tackle for quite a while but never had the time due to a busy schedule. After suffering a back injury in early 2025 and being unable to work, I decided that if I didn’t undertake this video now, I likely never would.
Just a quick clarification:
This essay was written by me and reflects my own thoughts on The Shining - AI was used only for the voiceover. I would have preferred to read the essay myself, but I’m not good with audio and don’t have much of a reading voice.
20 Comments
all thought he could be one of those evil beings with certain intentions not good and Danny keeping other abilities a secret from both of his parents .
the horror goes back decades long before that hotel was rebuilt and only those who shine could ever know about these stories .
The truth is that both are equally true. We are shown that Danny's powers are real from the start. This is backed up by Halloran, who KNOWS there are bad echoes of psychic elements in the hotel. Halloran IS summoned by Danny psychically. AND Wendy is harrassed by ghosts as she runs around the hotel at the end - characters which are referenced in the experiences of Jack, who does not share his visions with Wendy. Ergo, what we see as ghosts and psi powers are REAL. But it's also the story of how these spirits drive Jack bonkers by working on his fragile ego and dependency problems. This is so driven in the end by Jack's mental breakdown that it almost seems as if the whole thing is in his mind. But it clearly isn't if you're paying attention and watching things from Danny's perspective.
Incidentally, I don't really care about the departures from King's novel. The book was the book, the film is the film. King's subsequent whining about Kubrick, and especially his "Shining" remake, only added to the original ilm's lore.
The Shining: A Complete Breakdown of Stanley Kubrick's film (SPOILERS)
Paul Whittington
18,986 views
A video essay that explores The Shining through the relationship between the psychological and the supernatural, rather than treating them as opposing aspects. It examines how ideas from Stephen King’s novel were reshaped by Stanley Kubrick/Diane Johnson, and how those changes alter the story at a fundamental level. I also offer my own subjective take on the film’s events, including my preferred way of filling in the gaps and making sense of the narrative.
As a longtime fan of Kubrick’s film, this is a project I’ve wanted to tackle for quite a while but never had the time due to a busy schedule. After suffering a back injury in early 2025 and being unable to work, I decided that if I didn’t undertake this video now, I likely never would.
Just a quick clarification:
This essay was written by me and reflects my own thoughts on The Shining - AI was used only for the voiceover. I would have preferred to read the essay myself, but I’m not good with audio and don’t have much of a reading voice.