Kubrick reigns supreme. He is the top of the pantheon. His is a unique, irreplaceable vision and he died before his time, leaving an incomparable legacy of films that have stood the test for generations. As inscrutable he may outwardly be, he is not a complete cipher. Many internal themes and visual leitmotifs that remained almost constant throughout his career can be easily gleaned with a little exploration.
Since the movie was filmed in 1980 and moviegoers and filmmakers alike have matured with the greater abilities of film to relay stories, it’s natural to look again at something and change your mind about its value. As time has passed, The Shining continues to be a model of horror film-making, becoming a specimen of new genre work and a pop culture icon.
