The Shining at 45: The Tale Behind Stanley Kubrick's Masterful Psychological Horror

      Hasitha Fernando reflects on the backstory of The Shining as it marks its 45th anniversary...

      Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining received mixed reviews from critics upon its release. However, over time it has gained recognition and is now celebrated as one of the greatest horror films ever made. As this iconic film commemorates its 45th anniversary, let's delve into the behind-the-scenes aspects of its production...

      The Shining marked Stanley Kubrick’s first venture into the horror genre.

      After creating the visually impressive Barry Lyndon, Stanley Kubrick contemplated his next artistic project. Although the lavish historical drama was highly regarded for its technical merits, it didn't perform well at the box office. This led Kubrick to pursue a project that would not only satisfy his artistic desires but also offer commercial success. The enigmatic filmmaker ultimately decided to explore a genre he had never worked in before—horror. He instructed his team to bring a wide selection of horror literature to his office in order to find suitable source material, but after several days, his dissatisfaction grew, resulting in him throwing rejected books against the wall in frustration. Then one day, the noise ceased, and when his secretary checked on him, she found Kubrick engrossed in Stephen King’s The Shining. Kubrick sought to have the horror novelist write the screenplay, but when he received it, he was not impressed. Consequently, Diane Johnson was selected for the challenging task, chosen for the strength of her psychological horror novel, The Shadow Knows.

      Stephen King never approved of Jack Nicholson as the lead.

      Jack Nicholson was Kubrick's first choice for the lead role from the start. Although Robert De Niro and Robin Williams were initially considered, Kubrick felt De Niro lacked the required psychotic edge from his Taxi Driver performance, while he thought Williams was too erratic for the character based on his role in Mork & Mindy. Kris Kristofferson was Kubrick's backup in case Nicholson declined. Conversely, writer Stephen King was strongly opposed to Kubrick’s casting decision regarding Nicholson, believing the actor would be perceived as unstable from the outset due to his Academy Award-winning role in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. King favored Jon Voight, Martin Sheen, or Michael Moriarty for the role, feeling they would portray a character's gradual descent into madness more accurately. However, a clause in King’s contract prohibited him from influencing the casting choices, leading to Nicholson being cast.

      Shelley Duvall experienced extreme stress during filming.

      Describing Shelley Duvall’s experience on the set of The Shining as difficult would be an understatement. The character of Wendy Torrance in the book was independent and less timid compared to her film representation. However, Kubrick envisioned Wendy as emotionally fragile and cast Duvall accordingly. Nicholson himself was puzzled by this decision and even suggested Jessica Lange for the part, but after Kubrick explained his vision, Nicholson accepted Duvall as the right fit. In contrast to Nicholson and the other actors, Duvall was pushed to her limits, resulting in a sustained state of nervous exhaustion during filming. While Duvall noted that Kubrick’s intense behavior was meant to elicit her best performance, she admitted it was an experience she would not wish to repeat.

      The memorable bathroom scene took three entire days to shoot.

      The bathroom door scene in The Shining has become one of cinema’s most iconic moments since its release over four decades ago, firmly establishing its place in modern pop culture. For filming, the props department created a door designed to be easily broken down, but they overlooked Jack Nicholson's prior experience as a volunteer firefighter, allowing him to dismantle the prop door with ease. This led to the props team constructing a sturdier door, but due to Kubrick's meticulousness, filming this sequence ended up taking three days and consuming sixty doors. Nicholson’s improvised line “Heeeeeere’s Johnny” was almost omitted from the final cut because Kubrick, being from England, was unfamiliar with The Tonight Show featuring Johnny Carson.

      Stanley Kubrick was very protective of Danny Lloyd.

      When Danny Lloyd was cast as young Danny Torrance, he was just a child and this was his first acting role. During production, Lloyd believed he was part of a drama rather than a horror film, and it wasn't until eleven years after the movie’s release that he saw the uncut version. While Kubrick was known to be tough on most adult cast members like Shelley Duvall and Scatman Crothers, he was notably protective of Lloyd and maintained a positive working relationship with him. In later interviews, Lloyd shared that Kubrick would play ball with him during breaks and even called to congratulate him on his high school graduation. The scene where Wendy Torrance carries Danny away while yelling at Jack took place with a life-sized dummy that Duvall carried.

      All interior sets for the film were constructed from scratch.

      Most of The Shining unfolds