My take on the end of The Shining

I can't say you haven't done your research, though I'd disagree that "many theories" involve the moonlanding. Room 237 the "documentary" might as well be in the comedy section.

Genocide supports many more theories and more credible ones; both specific to Native Americans and genocide/slaughter as a concept that Kubrick dwelt on. I mean, Kubrick came up with the hotel being built on an Indian Burial ground; that may be a cliche today but it wasn't back then, and it doesn't seem subtle. And correct me if I'm wrong, but all the Native American influences in the film (decorations, music) were not in the novel. He also wrote and shot a short sequence involving a passage/poem written by a Polish Jew killed in the Holocaust (it's a pain to cite that but I will happily do it if asked).

The information about the other Overlook and the Socialists is interesting but personally doesn't sell me on it in terms of a grand hidden meaning. As you mention, Stephen King came up with the name The Overlook, and if Kubrick cared about that name it's more likely a hint that America has a history of "Overlooking" murders, genocides, massacres, committed by "the best people" and slowly forgotten.

As for the occult, yes Jack's photo pose resembles Baphomet, but it also resembles a dude waving at a party. I mean, it's a film about ghosts and haunted minds, where's the occult knowledge? This relates to the cut last scene and Kubrick's reputation as a perfectionist. Yes he made actors do hundreds of takes, yes he was a genius with the details of composition. His films also contain plenty of continuity errors, like the disappearing chair in Jack's scene with Wendy and the scrapbook. He was a perfectionist in the efficiency of his storytelling- he would rather choose a shot with a tiny mistake if it was more efficient as part of the film.

Why'd he cut the last scene? Who knows, I think it was because it resulted in a better, unforgettable film with a last shot that makes you think until you realize you're just thinking in loops.

What I find interesting about the cut scene is that it involves Mr. Ullman giving Danny the same red ball as before, basically confirming that Ullman was a "ghoul", part of the timeless host of the Overlook. Unless there's evidence otherwise (like a more complete original script), this means that Ullman's performance in the first scene was intended to be bookended by him revealing himself in the last scene. That's why Ullman is subtly creepy; that's why Kubrick went through the trouble of placing an impossible window behind him.

To end my rambling: Don't look for big answers or secrets in The Shining. It's an amazing film because it draws you in with hints and contradictions, and it was beautifully crafted with great acting. But the most amazing thing is that it was completed at all. One of his massive sound stages burned down- Kubrick laughed it off. The film was over budget, so Kubrick cut the need for a hundred extras in the Gold Ballroom scene by adding the red bathroom scene on the fly. Vivian's documentary shows Kubrick fretting over the script and rewriting after shooting had begun, and Jack Nicholson remarks that the script changed so often he started to ignore the new drafts. And of course, the director had to send out teams to theaters to physically cut out a relatively impactful scene.

It was a film made in the midst of adversity and chaos, and yet Kubrick produced a masterpiece.

Thank you for the interesting post.

/r/kubrick Thread