Opening of The Shining

The following analysis was conducted by Laurel



First seen on screen is a wide shot of what appears to be a very remote area. The audience can see a lake with mountains and the sky line in the background. The camera quickly zooms in and sweeps over the lake. This slowly fades into an extreme high angle shot (birds eye view) which looks down on a car travelling along a small road surrounded by trees and water. The camera continues to stay at this high angle whilst following the car on its journey. A quick edit changes the camera to a lower high angle shot which then continues to follow the car. After this another quick edit changes the angle of the camera and the scenery (to a road in the mountains) and again continues to pursue the car. Eventually the audience is able to see the vehicle as the camera overtakes it and swoops off the side of the mountain. Once more, the pattern of the high angle shot tracking the car prolongs. As it maintains this the scenery changes slightly as the car moves deeper and higher into the mountains, for example, the audience can see images of snow capped mountains. The camera then tracks along the road as the car comes closer to meeting its destination and for the opening titles to finish. After two and half minutes of the opening scene and credits we are introduced to the overlook hotel for the first time, we know nothing about it but what it looks like and how big it is. We assume this is where the story is going to take place. By the end of this three minute clip the audience still do not k now who the car that the camera has been following belongs too.
Through the whole opening very bright, ambient and natural lighting is used. Due to the fact that the sunlight is so vivid large shadows silhouette the tall mountains and trees and stretch across the lake and road. This provides the audience with a sense of fear as it suggests that this place is not as nice as it looks or something bad is going to happen to darken the area. It appears to be a very peaceful place, however, due to the music and the vast gulf of isolation we no that this not going to be the case and there is something suspicious about the area.

The music featured on these opening titles is a very effective dramatic device. The piece of music was based on the “Dies Irae” a tradition catholic funeral dirge and is very symphonic. At the start of the opening the music is very deep sounding and single notes are played, with changes in pitch. This continues, where at times the notes get higher, however the music is still very monotone. At approximately forty five seconds through the opening high pitched sounds can be heard through the extremely low notes. This adds to the dramatic and tense feel the music gives to the audience. This follows a few seconds later. Eventually the titles begin to appear. The colour of the font is blue, which is usually seen to be a gentler colour but Kubrick makes this font seem more eerie by the sound he uses of tribal music and screaming women.


In my opinion the music makes the audience feel very uncomfortable and on edge. I think this opening theme music is a good example of having effects on the audience.
The opening of this film allows us to have an idea of the type of complex camera angles that can be used and how a good piece of music can make the opening of the film immediately appeal to the audience and indicate what type of genre this film is going to be.