Not only is it arguably the most famous Stephen King novel adaptation of all time, but also shine It has also been touted as a cinematic masterpiece in its own right. Directed by cinema master Stanley Kubrick, with a brilliant performance by Jack Nicholson, this is a haunting psychological drama that continues to affect viewers long after it’s over, which is exactly what it’s about. content of King’s novel. that kind of influence.
That thing shine It succeeds despite being a far cry from King’s work, and it’s testament to the importance of a film that captures the essence of the novel without diluting it. Kubrick doesn’t retain everything in King’s story, but he does retain the core concepts that cause the most fear, paranoia, and insecurity. Many of the main characters are significantly different from the characters on screen, and their descriptions are included below.
hotel view
In King’s novel, the Overlook Hotel is like a Present than in the movie. While it doesn’t have an elaborate hedge maze (just a trimmed hedge at the front), it does have other unique aspects that come to life when it senses Danny. King fills his novels with structurally diverse tones, but Kubrick finds the silence more unsettling.
In the novel, the different angles, plumbing and of course the elevator come alive and threaten Danny, but in the movie the biggest proof of the hotel’s affection is the blood-filled elevator. in the corridors. It wants Danny’s powers, and will go to any lengths to get them. It ends up exploding from an overactive boiler in the book, but not in the movie.
twisted jack
In the novel, John Daniel Torrence is a teacher who loses his job after drunkenly poisoning a student. A friend of his has offered him a job as a janitor at the Overlook Hotel, hoping that by proving he can look after the hotel during the holiday season, he’ll get his old job back at the hotel. a prestigious preparatory school in New England. He loves Wendy and Danny deeply.
It follows Jack Torrance, a novelist who is almost always angry with his family and becomes more irritable as weeks of isolation drag on and his book doesn’t make much progress. He’s only been sober for five months instead of the 14 in the novel, and when he finally has a nervous breakdown, he’s holding an ax instead of the book’s mallet.
wendy torrance
In the novel, Stephen King very specifically describes Wendy Torrence as a striking blonde with a “cheerleader” personality. Smart, charming and practical, she was loved by her husband and was never criticized for her lack of intelligence.
In contrast, Wendy Torrence in Kubrick’s film is docile, docile and has dark hair. She has an unusual appearance with varying degrees of smut, and her husband Jack often looks down on her, even in front of their son and others.
danny torrance
Danny is an intelligent five-year-old in the Yellow Book who is a quick reader for his age and enjoys watching Sesame Street. He knows a few big words and communicates very well with his parents. He has the peculiar power known as “The Shining” that the Vista Hotel wants.
In the film, Danny is 7 years old but not particularly smart and likes the cartoon Road Runner. He doesn’t talk much, but he does talk to a man named Tony who lives in his arms. He does not have any special psychic gifts, although Dick Halloran does mention that he “shines”.
Dick Halloran
In both the novel and the film, Dick Hallorann is the chef of the Overlook Hotel. He has a unique psychic ability called “The Shining”, which he discussed at length with Danny Torrance. In the novel, it is Danny’s spiritual connection to Halloran that prompts him to return to the Overlook Hotel, just in time to save him when he is in greatest danger.
In the film, Halloran is killed with an ax to the chest when Jack Torrence has a nervous breakdown and starts running around the hotel. This creates a major plot hole, because in the novels, Halloran’s telepathy allows him to foresee his own death, thus avoiding it. Despite his injuries, he is still able to help Wendy and Danny reach safety.
Tony
In the novel, Danny has an imaginary friend named Tony, whom only he can see, and while they are inseparable, Tony is a separate entity. In Kubrick’s film, Tony does not appear at all, but lives off Danny’s finger.
The description of Danny finally seeing Tony in the novel is quite rich. “Tony is like looking in a magic mirror and seeing himself ten years later. His eyes are very far apart, very dark, his jaw is solid and his mouth is beautiful.” The blond hair resembles his mother’s, but the mark on his face is his father’s, as if Tony – like Daniel Anthony Torrence one day – is a father-son hybrid, the Ghost of both, one consolidation. “
Stuart Ulman
In the novel, Stuart Ullman is not a particularly nice guy. He was short and stocky, always angry about something, hated by the hotel custodian, and told John when he first arrived that he wouldn’t have given him the caretaker position if it weren’t for him. is his superior.
On the contrary, in the movie, he is friendly and polite to his staff, and when they arrive at Torrance, he is very hospitable. He explains what happened to the previous janitor and warns Jack about the impact of isolation when the snow starts to fall.
roger the dog
Roger is mentioned as the mistress of Overlook hotelier Horace M. Derwent. Roger is enamored with De Winter, and although De Winter always verbally insults him, Roger misses him relentlessly. John knows that the only way for De Winter to consider Roger a lover is for him to dress up as a “cute puppy” at a prom.
In the film, Roger’s name is never mentioned, but Danny believes he was a man in a bear costume who performed oral sex on a man believed to be Horace M. DeWinter on hotel bed.
delbert grady
Delbert Grady is the custodian of the Overlook Hotel in both the novel and the film (named “Charles” in the film). In both cases, Jack Torrance/John Daniel Torrance and Stuart Ullman discuss him before he is told about his duties at the hotel and some of its history.
In the novel, the bodies of the Grady family are found in the woods. In the movie, their bodies are found piled up inside the hotel. In the novel, Grady appears to John and saves him from the barn (if he promises to kill Wendy and Danny), but in the film, he appears with Jack in the men’s restroom. His twins never appear in the novel, and they feature prominently in the film alongside Danny.
Horace M. De Winter
Horace M. Derwent, the owner of the Overlook Hotel, a successful businessman and a playboy, owned the hotel from 1946 until it was sold to investors in 1952. He took control of the hotel and used it for various sexual activities, from gambling to prostitution, in the 60’s. His ghost appeared several times to John and Danny Torrence.
De Winter is not mentioned in the film, but during the climactic chase with ax-wielding Jack Torrance, Wendy shows up to see De Winter. He took the martini glass and asked her: “Having a good party?”