Theorist Application: The Shining

There are four very important theorists to the horror genre, each bringing their own ideas to the table which sometimes contradict each other, but allow us to look at films in a range of different ways. The film we have looked at is Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining' (1980).

The theorists used are Vladimir Propp, Claude Levi-Strauss and Roland Barthes, Tzvetan Todorov and Bordwell and Thompson.

Propp - Most of the characters outlined in Propp's list of typical horror characters exist in 'The Shining'. There is no princess or princess' father, but this obviously has wide application and very few films will contain every character, or they would become too stereotypical of the genre. The use of Propp's analysis helps us to see through other areas of the film.

Strauss/Barthes - Opposing forces were a theme in Strauss and Barthes' theories, and in our group we came up with life and death, love and hate, sanity and insanity, and society and isolation. Instead of using a framework which is already there, this theory lets us apply the analytical method to the film to come up with our own ideas.

Todorov - The equilibrium shows the family as a whole at the start of the film, which is disrupted with Jack's new job at the hotel. There is no resolution to the equilibrium at the end of the tale, which we had a big discussion about in class as to whether the death of Jack was a resolution or not. The use of this theory is that it helps to describe the genre.

Bordwell/Thompson - Bordwell and Thompson's theories make sense, as there are changes which occur in the film, such as the overall mood of the piece, the weather, hallucinations and flashbacks. As the film progresses, the events seem to be more random, such as the big flashes of time on the screen, which say what day it is. This gives viewers a sense of confusion, similar to Jack's.

Danny has the best sweaters ever.