There were many options for scene selections in this film. Director Stanley Kubrick is known for his numerous retakes and compulsiveness. Kubrick originally wanted approximately 70 takes of the scene where Halloran gets killed by Jack Torrance, but Jack Nicholson talked Kubrick into going easy on the 69-year-old Crothers and stopping after 40. At one point during the filming, Crothers became so exasperated with Kubrick's notorious, compulsive style of excessive retakes that he broke down and cried, asking "What do you want, Mr. Kubrick?" (IMDB) The scene where Wendy is backing up the stairs and swinging the bat was said to have take 35-40 takes as well. This film also sets the world recond for takes with the scene where Danny is eating ice cream with Halloran, which was said to have been shot 148 times. All of this footage gave the editor numerous choices for each scene to select the best. The editor chooses the segments that provide the most powerful, effective, or significant visual and sound effects and eliminates inferior, irrelavant, or insignificant material. (The Art of Watching Films pg 187)
There were several different transitions throughout the film. For example they transition from Jack looking at the scale model of the hedge maze and then cut to Wendy and Danny running in the center of it. Also they transition from Danny to his visions or "shining" when he sees the past or present. The time for time movie is compressed as well, it will cut to a black screen showing the days of the week i.e Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. There is also flash cuts when Danny is having a vision and Jack is in room 237.
The dialogue of this film was great. Here's Johnny is something everyone who has seen the film remembers. The music throughout the movie builds the suspense for events to come and what is happening in the present. Wendy Carols and Rachel Elkind wrote and performed a full electronic score for the film, but Stanley Kubrick discarded most of it and used a soundtrack of mostly classical music. Only the adaptation of Hector Berlioz"s "Symphonie Fantastique" during the opening credits, the music during the family's drive to the hotel, and a few other brief moments (such as Halloran's plane trip) survive in the final version. (IMDB) At the end of the film the song Midnight, the Stars and You by Jimmy Campbell is played showing a picture from 1921, but the song was recorded in 1932.
As far as the acting in the this movies, I think that Jack Nicholson was amazing as well as Danny Lloyd. Shelly Duvall was not so great, she seemed to be the weak spot in the acting. The main characters in this film, with the exception of Wendy all had the same first name. Kubrick had considered Robert De Niro and Robin Williams for the part of Jack, but chose neither of them. I would have to agree that he made the right choice with Jack Nicholson, he made us believe. The characters had to do action acting. This type of acting requires a great deal in the way of reactions, body language, physical exertion, and special skills, but does not draw on the deepest resources of the actors intelligence and feelings. (The Art of Watching Films pg 329)
This Shining is a fim that is based upon the novel by Stephen King. King was first approached by Stanley Kubrick about making a film version of 'The Shining' via an early morning phone call (England is five hours ahead of Maine in time zones). King, suffering from a hangover, shaving and at first thinking one of his kids was injured, was shocked when his wife told him Kubrick was really on the phone. King recalled that the first thing Kubrick did was to immediately start talking about how optimistic ghost stories are, because they suggest that humans survive death. "What about hell?" King asked. Kubrick paused for several moments before finally replying, "I don't believe in hell." (IMDB) Kubrick changed the script in the film from room 217, which was used in the book, to room 237. And also opted to leave out the hedge animals that came alive in the book and give the film a hedge maze. This show that he made small changes but tried to keep as close to the story as possible. Basically he put his own spin on a story that was already told, but must have enjoyed to want to put it to the silver screen.
He Came As The Caretaker, But This Hotel Had Its Own Guardians - Who'd Been There A Long Time
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