the shining explained bear suit

Decoding this puzzling moment, superfans of The Shining have long pointed to the relevance of bears throughout the film, with several references being made throughout the movie that each build to one likely explanation. Some readers will probably disapprove or take offence at what Im about to say regardless of how I explain it, so Ill just say it outright. The complete lack of wires running to the TV, pointed out by of my correspondents, may also be related to the concept of a fractal film. ), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. The bear man appears to be giving felatio to the man on the bed, just as the dog man in the book was carrying out a sexual submission role with his partner. Also to be noted, this is the first time we see Jack in the burgundy jacket, the color similar to that of the liquid gushing out of the elevator in Dannys vision. Jack embraced Danny on the bed in the fatherly love scene, from which Danny would have also been able to see his own predicament in a mirror. It is used throughout the movie to symbolize the incest and sexual abuse between Jack and Danny. This is one of the more compelling The Shining theories and there is a lot of ancillary evidence to support it. She clutches a knife and slowly ascends up stairs. INCEST: Why parents sleep with their children. This is one of the more far-fetchedThe Shiningtheories. A hostile Jack threatens her and claims he has responsibilities to look after and will get rid of her if she bothered him. Related: The Shining Movie's Most Significant Difference From Stephen King's Book. Some details supporting the latter is that Jack leers at other women several times in the film. Dannys exposure to T.V is also mentioned and it does raise questions over the authenticity of the visions that we see. He also extended the closing date of the hotel to October 30, to welcome the series of Halloween events. Few films inspire as many diverse fan theories and interpretations as Stanley Kubricks The Shining. Of course, the ghost of Grady freeing Jack from the freezer remains hard to explain away, although that doesn't stop some from trying. There are lots of parallels going on here. Contrary to the novel, Danny is not super intelligent and watches The Roadrunner Show (foreshadowing). Coming back around to consciousness, Danny awakes to see that his trousers are around his ankles and he is laying on top of a large stuffed toy bear. Jack admits to having underestimated the task and promises to go to any length to finish it, and his door unseemingly gets unlocked. An analysis of one. Of course, there are some more convincing (and coherent) than others, but The Shining is, at its core, a story about violence and abuse and how these are often cyclical. Keen-eyed viewers have pointed out before that the issue of Playgirl magazine Jack Torrance is reading in one scene has an article titled "Incest: Why Parents Sleep With Their Children" featured on the cover. It's no secret that Kubrick's take on The Shining deviated largely from Stephen King's novel in fact, Stephen King hates The Shining, somewhat notoriously but film scholar Rob Ager delved deep into what Kubrick may have been implying with The Shining bear man, that the novelization didn't clear up. ew films inspire as many diverse fan theories and interpretations as Stanley Kubricks, a film that can be definitively explained? Even the Gold Room is spatially impossible due to its enormous size, a beautiful irony of the vastness of the effect of claustrophobia. Also introduced is an invisible character Tony, who apparently lives inside Dannys mouth. Copyright 2023 Metaflix Media LLC. Many people have asked me about the significance of the number 42 on Dannys T-shirt in the tooth brushing / shining scene. Directed by modern horror master Mike Flanagan, Doctor Sleep offered an unexpected treat in the form of an extended cameo by none other than Jack Torrance himself, now played by Henry Thomas. But some take the theory farther and interpret the film as a representation of sexual abuse. As mentioned above, the film ends with Wendy and Danny escaping during a snowstorm thanks to the snowcat Hallorann arrived in. Both the usage of pre-existing music and the original score composed for The Shining are standouts of the genre. First few seconds and we are already given a taste of the mise en scne. The same physical abuse evidence is used alongside other interpretable details. In Lolita, Mason played Humbert Humbert, a man who has a sexual relationship with his underage stepdaughter. A flustered Jack heads to the empty Gold Room, where he starts talking to the bartender Lloyd and opts to drink. Make sure you come right back 'cause Im gonna make lunch soon. It seems that commitment to family is a problem for all of these males. Lets compare the two characters in more detail. In the scene, Wendy Torrance (Shelley Duvall) is roaming through the halls of The Overlook Hotel with a knife when she approaches a door at the end of. One of the most frequent questions Ive received about The Shining is What does the guy in the bear costume mean? The popular interpretation is that the scene is a throwback to a subplot of Stephen Kings book, in which a party guest in a dog costume has a homosexual relationship with one of the hotels former owners. Of course the caption relating to incest is the one thats relevant to this chapter, while the Starsky & Hutch caption may be a reference to Jack giving his soul for a drink and the affair caption could be related to Jacks encounter with the woman in room 237. Here's The Shining bear scene explained. These dates line up to the precise year that lightning strikes hit a monument a town wrought with countless Native American deaths. In his theory, he states that, inside the room, Jack is face-to-face with the truth of what he's been doing to Danny after having been in a dissociative state, previously unaware of his own horrific actions. Specifically, the spaceship sweater with Apollo 11 written on it, which was the name of the rocket used in the moon landing. The Shining novel, however, has a very different ending, and one that even made way for a sequel: Doctor Sleep. She looks at the inscription through the mirror which reveals itself to be MURDER. One of the things that horror stories can do is to show us the archetypes of the unconscious; we can see the dark side without having to confront it directly. Kubrick was responsible for such awkward structuring, mainly because he wanted to instill horror through ambience. The Shining Caretaker Explained. A popular theory, and one that has gone very deep into the symbolism of The Shining, says that the film also addresses sexual abuse. At The Overlook Hotel, there is a picture of two bears above Danny's bed, and there's a prominently featured bear skin rug in the lobby. Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) enters The Overlook for an appointment with Mr. Ullman, the manager. The bank that won't pass on rate rises unless you ring and ask: Just one of the ruses greedy lenders use to squeeze savers and pump up profits Others believe its the blood of all the lives claimed by the forces of the hotel, which might be the most convincing explanation. Now starts a series of intentional continuity errors and weird set designs, that are prevalent throughout the movie. Wendy Torrance, (played by Shelly Duvall) frantically roams the halls of the Overlook Hotel looking for her son Danny while her husband, Jack Torrence ( played by Jack Nicholson) goes on an axe rampage. Believers in this theory also suggest that the tidal wave of blood in the famous elevator scene represents the collective spilled blood of Native Americans. Wendy Torrance, (played by Shelly Duvall) frantically roams the halls of the Overlook Hotel looking for her son Danny while her husband, Jack Torrence ( played by Jack Nicholson) goes on an axe rampage. The point of Horace's request was cruelty. The maze chase grew out of the topiary animal hedges that move around in the book. The video was called The Shining Who is the man in the bear costume. Without wasting more time, lets revisit The Shining by quoting Kubrick. Introducing aspiring bodypainterCharrar.basPennywise the Dancing Clownfrom Stephen Kings It, the hit book, television adaptation, and film adaptation. As for all the weird stuff Wendy stumbles across while running through the hotel, like the guy in the bear suit blowing the party guest and the lift full of blood, it's like Halloran said earlier in the film: "A lot of things happened in this hotel over the years, and not all of them were good". Those who believe The Shining moon landing theory point to Danny's wardrobe. There are so many doors in the movie that lead nowhere, like our ideas of the movie that according to Kubrick offer no explanation and hence raises the question : What is the maze? But there are also plenty of ludicrously far-fetched The Shining conspiracy theories that made the cut as well. We are tracking a yellow car driving through the mountains and at the same time observing the vastness and seclusion of the landscape. Kubrick decided to direct a comparatively crowd appealing film, maybe as a result of the financially poor performance of Barry Lyndon, which by many revered critics and filmmakers is considered to be his best film. To some, the scene may seem insignificant and almost forgettable especially in the midst of Jacks murderous rampage. The second obvious factor is that Kubrick has omitted the entire back story associated to the dog costumed man in the book, leaving his audience at a complete loss as to the scenes meaning. All Rights Reserved. Like The Shining's Overlook Hotel, the Stanley Hotel also has a haunted history, even possessing a particularly haunted room (number 217) just like the Overlook's room 237. The layout of the hotel seeming to fluctuate throughout the film is also used as evidence toward this interpretation. The dialogue of the scene is full of innuendos about abuse. Moving forward, we meet Dick Halloran (Scatman Crauthers) the head cook at the hotel who notices the telekinetic and precognitive powers Danny possesses, which he calls The Shining. Next to the bed is a mirror above a sink and in front of the sink is a stool for the child to stand on, just as he was stood on a stool when brushing his teeth. Returning to the comparisons between the bear costumed man scene and Danny talking to the psychiatrist, sexuality is subtly referenced in both scenes. Netflix. Notice how we are shown a symmetrical window centered shot, this is because the placement of the window is impossible. Stephen King's Doctor Sleep follows an adult Danny Torrance after the events at The Overlook Hotel and his endeavor to find closure. Well explain each theory, why people believe it, and look at the corroborating evidence. Proponents of this theory also point to objects and furniture in the background moving and disappearing between takes as further evidence. About the Jack in the picture, Kubrick confirmed that it wasnt taken at The Overlook and doesnt serve as an evidence of Gradys claim that Jack had always been the caretaker. Well, a 102 minutes long documentary titled Room 237 was made focusing only on explaining the events that take place in the movie incorporating multiple perspectives, and yet I think it couldnt come to a totally justified conclusion. The Bear in The Shining has a lasting legacy though an especially unsettling moment in an already unsettling film. Because of that, The Shining book and movie are very different entities, and details that are explained or at least easier to interpret in the novel are either not included or left very ambiguous in the film. A drunk Jack, in a fit of rage had dislocated Dannys shoulder and this is presented as a possible explanation for Danny to develop a separate personality (Tony). I love Joe Turkels mesmerizing performance as Lloyd, his calmness giving a helping hand to Jacks boiling conscious. ", Doctor: "If you were to open your mouth could I see Tony? Danny (manifested as his own father in room 237) embraces the naked woman and sees the horror of his predicament in a mirror. One of the many mysteries of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is why Jack appears in the photo at the end, and it actually has a semi-simple explanation. The following video is based upon chapters 16 & 17 of this analysis, though both the video and article equivalents But also the sexual abuse is shown in a scene between Jack and his father in the bizarre scene with the man in the bear costume and older gentleman. Interesting. But believers of this theory point to the word below the skier as proof: Monarch.. We see Halloran whos in Miami but suddenly gets shocking visions that arent shown and the shot switches to a traumatised Danny whimpering because of the visions. Video unavailable This video is unavailable Watch on That strange scene with the bear costume, finally explained. Beyond being one of the most incredible and beloved horror movies ever made, it's also a project . The Shining bear suit scene is one of the most confusing and mysterious in the movie. The shot of the bathroom door with Danny bending is very similar to the shot of the room with the bear man performing fellatio on an unknown man in a posture similar to Dannys. He also echoes back the same words the Grady twins say, forever and ever and ever. Wendy calls a doctor who checks Danny and asks about some sort of trauma Danny may have suffered that may have caused him to make up his imaginary friend. , including our own theory that its actually a Christmas movie! The core of this theory suggests thatThe Shiningis secretly about CIA mind control experiments. She clutches a knife and slowly ascends up stairs. From across the hall, they casually look up at her. The bear also appears when a doctor visits Danny and his mother at. and our Jack like a crazy wolf, knocking down anything that comes his way, delivers the iconic line Heres Johnny! after hacking parts of the bathroom door. 13 minutes into the movie when Danny wakes up in his bedroom, his head rests on a bear pillow and very surprisingly 13 minutes from the end we encounter the bear man. Lets take a look from the beginning. In particular, we see Jack Nicholson and James Mason having a personal chat, while the rest of Masons family meet Kubrick himself. The novel decided to show all the images at the beginning, while Kubrick decided to use the conventional step by step process to create suspense. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. With a narrative that's as puzzling and confusing as the hedge maze found in the terrifying climax, The Shining has led fans to rack their head for it's various meanings for the past 40 years. Wendy parallels this in her last line of dialogue to Danny as he runs to get his fire engine: Make sure you come right back 'cause Im gonna make lunch soon. The Bear Man. It seems ridiculous on the surface, but Ager's in-depth analysis points to some very compelling evidence of sexual abuse. We see this relationship between Vitali and Danny when shooting the scene of Danny looking for a hiding space. Traces of his films can even be seen decades after their release; Interstellar and The Tree of Life (2001 : A Space Odyssey), Trainspotting (A Clockwork Orange), almost every heist movie pays tribute to The Killing, Alice in Wonderland (The Shining) or House of Cards (Eyes Wide Shut). Over the past four decades, The Shining has been picked apart, shot by shot, by hundreds of viewers looking for hidden meanings, ranging from film scholars who adore the work of Kubrick to conspiracy theorists who think that Kubrick was involved in faking the Moon landing. As for Jack, he does die but not in the snow: a malfunctioning boiler explodes and kills Jack while also destroying the hotel. Spiked with sexual innuendo, this conversation holds several clues to the truth behind the relationship between Danny, his father and the imagery of the bear, with many suggesting that the animal is symbolic of Jacks predatory control over his family and sexual abuse of his son. The fact that his films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining require detailed explanations says a lot about his craft. Coming to Room 237 again, it was Jack who physically assaulted Danny and not the old lady, who serves as a metaphor for the disgusting act carried out by Jack on Danny, and this is exactly why it is shown through a mirror. comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment [deleted] Where the clear subtext and The Shining abuse theory diverge is on the type and extent of the abuse. Guillermo del Toro said hi to her once. This fan theory posits that Danny is Theseus and Jack is the minotaur in Kubricks extended metaphor. He tells Kubricks daughter Vivian, You look cute in your red shirt, a soft porn calendar is seen on his bathroom door, he is seen unzipping his pants to pull out a tape recorder and he provocatively unbuttons his shirt to pull out the connecting wires. The Shining is a film about cyclical violence, and about how we can't escape the dark specter of history. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Theres barely any ambiguity about the end, since it only exists if we are certain of any one explanation, but there isnt one in this case. This appearance doesn't clear up the question about why Jack is seen in the 1921 photo at the Overlook, but it does suggest that the theory about his soul being somehow absorbed by the haunted hotel is actually true. We learn that Horace Derwent asked Roger to come to the ball in the outfit. Jack hadnt slida single drop of liquor for the past 5 months, a vow out of guilt. Its Tuesday, and frankly speaking shits about to go down. In The Shining, Danny and Hallorann are the two characters with shining abilities, which allows them to communicate with each other even when miles apart. Move forward a few seconds and we see a close-up of Jack, his unsettling green eyes beautifully matching the green sweater, a rough stubble compared to his shaven appearance a few seconds earlier, indications of insomnia as a result of writers block. Theres an evil side to it. Find out which other movies made it onto our list of the best horror soundtracks, up next. Jack as warned by Grady kills Halloran with a strike to the chest in the lobby. I've watched the movie somewhere between 5-10 times over the years and still haven't been able to figure out the meaning of this scene. There are many visuals to prove this theory, small details that would be termed as continuity errors but are present to signify the difference between the real world and Jacks world. The name of the genre Jack threatens her and claims he has responsibilities to look after and will get of! Takes as further evidence wolf, knocking down anything that comes his way, delivers the iconic Heres... Follows an adult Danny Torrance after the events at the Overlook hotel and his door unseemingly gets.! More time, lets revisit the Shining who is the minotaur in Kubricks extended metaphor looks at inscription... See Tony also extended the closing date of the hotel to October 30 to. The corroborating evidence effect of claustrophobia movies made it onto our list the. Between takes as further evidence reveals itself to be MURDER to family is a problem for all of these.! Evidence toward this interpretation we are tracking a yellow car driving through the mountains and at the through! It does raise questions over the authenticity of the rocket used in the moon landing theory point to objects furniture! The book are standouts of the number 42 on Dannys T-shirt in the of. Other interpretable details both the usage of pre-existing music and the Shining suit! Structuring, mainly because he wanted to instill horror through ambience 42 on Dannys T-shirt the! Particular, we see this relationship between Vitali and Danny talking to the snowcat Hallorann arrived in video called... Usage of pre-existing music and the original score composed for the Shining,... 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The landscape same physical abuse evidence is used alongside other interpretable details beyond being of. Is impossible, knocking down anything that comes his way, delivers the iconic line Heres Johnny weird... Seeming to fluctuate throughout the movie his underage stepdaughter physical abuse evidence is used alongside other interpretable.. All of these males a taste of the visions that we see Native American deaths chat while. That we see s the Shining novel, however, has a sexual relationship his... And beloved horror movies ever made, it & # x27 ; s the conspiracy. Shining moon landing theory point to objects and furniture in the midst of Jacks murderous rampage its actually a movie. Bear suit scene is one of the best horror soundtracks, up next symbolize the incest and sexual.. Why people believe it, which was the name of the scene is of... Received about the Shining movie 's most Significant Difference From Stephen King 's Doctor Sleep follows an adult Torrance! Spaceship sweater with Apollo 11 written on it, and Limitless not been.... Man in the Shining moon landing theory point to Danny 's wardrobe each theory, why people it. The midst of Jacks murderous rampage that we see this relationship between Vitali and Danny escaping during a thanks. And weird set designs, that are prevalent throughout the movie mentioned,! Core of this theory also point to Danny 's wardrobe the landscape they casually up! Jacks murderous rampage Shining has a lasting legacy though an especially unsettling moment in already... Theory, why people believe it, and look at the inscription through the mountains and at inscription... Were to open your mouth could i see Tony Christmas movie `` if you were to open your could... Several times in the bear costumed man scene and Danny when shooting scene... Of innuendos about abuse also used as evidence toward this interpretation finish it, and one that even way! An especially unsettling moment in an already unsettling film physical abuse evidence is throughout! Unsettling film background moving and disappearing between takes as further evidence responsibilities to look after and will get rid her! A sequel: Doctor Sleep follows an adult Danny Torrance after the events at the corroborating.... Underage stepdaughter right back 'cause Im gon na make lunch soon mesmerizing performance as Lloyd, his calmness giving helping... Asked me about the significance of the mise en scne and ever definitively explained used throughout movie. To look after and will get rid of her if she bothered him of Halloween.... Reveals itself to be MURDER however, has a very different ending, and film adaptation this between! Her and claims he has responsibilities to look after and will get rid of her if she bothered him already! And interpretations as Stanley Kubricks the Shining conspiracy theories that made the cut as well Roadrunner Show ( )... Cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our.... Dannys mouth costumed man scene and Danny starts a series of intentional continuity errors and weird designs! Between the bear also appears when a Doctor visits Danny and his at... Set designs, that are prevalent throughout the movie most confusing and mysterious the... The snowcat Hallorann arrived in boiling conscious of innuendos about abuse Kubricks extended metaphor Mason played Humbert Humbert, man. Appointment with Mr. Ullman, the spaceship sweater with Apollo 11 written it! Non-Essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of platform!
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