Suspense Blog Post -Kyle Jennings

The Shining Suspense analysis
"Come play with us Danny. Come play with us. Forever and ever and ever." This scene in The Shining, one of the best and scariest movies of all time, is etched into our minds as one of the creepiest and most disturbing scenes in all of film history. But what about this scene makes us feel this way? The Shining is a horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick that intended to frighten audiences. Kubrick uses many suspenseful techniques throughout the Shining such as point of view camera, and the use of sound/music.

The use of point of view or POV camera in the Shining makes the film all the more terrifying to watch. In this scene, one of the most famous film scenes ever, Danny is shown riding a big wheel through the halls of the Overlook Hotel when he comes across two little girls in blue dresses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMbI7DmLCNI These girls are seen through the point of view of Danny. Kubrick uses the point of view technique in this scene to make us feel more afraid. The camera first shows us Danny's face (0:35), then cuts to the girls' mutilated bodies (0:50) then shows Danny's reaction to seeing this (1:01). Being able to see what Danny sees makes us feel like we are inside the movie- as if we were Danny. This technique makes the film seem that much more real, and thus makes it that much more scary for the audience.

Another technique used by Kubrick is the use of sound in the film. One scene where sound is used especially well to frighten the audience is the maze chase scene. In this scene Jack is chasing Danny through a maze trying to kill him with an ax. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfpKXa-AhPE The scene starts with almost no music, but you can hear the wind howling in the background giving the scene a very creepy feel. After Danny covers up his tracks and starts running away, the music immediately becomes frantic and harsh. Because the violins have an almost scraping noise to them and they are not in tune with each other, it makes the audience feel uneasy. The random pattern of the music makes the audience feel unnatural and uncomfortable. This random chaotic music makes its appearance in other scenes in this movie, but is used most effectively here.

The use of different in film techniques in horror movies to build suspense is certainly an art. Stanley Kubrick uses these techniques perfectly. By using camera views from the POV of the character he can create the feel of being in the movie. By using a chaotic and frantic musical score mixed with creepy sounds of howling winds creates a feeling of unease and distress within the audience. Stanley Kubrick has done these things and more in the movie The Shining.