The shining (1980)
The shining is an American film which was released in 1980, it is a psychological horror film which is about ghosts telling Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) to "correct his family" The film is directed by Stanley Kubrick who is a very famous director who has filmed A Clockwork Orange and Full Metal Jacket. The shining features three main characters which are Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and Danny lloyd.
This film is a horror film which requires there to be gore and fright. The opening sequence establishes a sense of chill and remoteness which gives the impression that something horrible is going to happen. Also if you know Jack Nicholson he is very often associated in movies with craziness or more frequently used term; "the baddy".
The opening for this film starts with low, brass music, taking us across a lake in which there is a tiny island. The scene is magnificent and unconvential for a thriller film, what with the calm, clear lake, attractive surroundings, bright sky and beautiful mountain view. The camera sweeps across the lake, in a straight line, until it reaches the island, at what point it takes a quick change in direction. This could be symbolic in terms of the rest of the film; everything going well until something as small as the island sets it all off and causes everything to change. The soundtrack to this opening scene does not fit in with the beauty of the landscape which immediately suggests something in un certain and not right.
The font used for the credits are an unusual choice due to their bright hue and sans serif font. They look like credits from a happy or comic movie such as Anchorman. The cyan tone certainly stands out over the various different backgrounds, but it is so bright that it makes the viewers question themselves as to why this specific choice was made. It is a startling colour and contrasts deeply to the scene it is played over. This could be understood as portraying a startling change which is likely to occur and that the unexpected will happen.
As the car keeps on driving further and further into the mountains, the music begins to suggest that things will change for the people travelling inside the car, and not necessarily in a good and happy way. Due to the scary music.
The font used for the credits are an unusual choice due to their bright hue and sans serif font. They look like credits from a happy or comic movie such as Anchorman. The cyan tone certainly stands out over the various different backgrounds, but it is so bright that it makes the viewers question themselves as to why this specific choice was made. It is a startling colour and contrasts deeply to the scene it is played over. This could be understood as portraying a startling change which is likely to occur and that the unexpected will happen.
The shots include; an extreme long shot when the car finally arrives at it's destination, an isolated hotel in the middle of a harsh looking winter, manage to capture how truly alone and isolated the characters are.
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