The Shining Deconstruction

Point 1 - Opening credits
Camera Angles

• Establishing shot of location shows the isolated area from the beginning.
• Aerial shot of car driving along the road focusses our attention to the dominant part of the frame.
• Overhead shot of the car
• High Angle used on the car making it appear small and possibly quite vulnerable. 
• Stedicam could be being used here. 

Editing

• Credits have been used to show the title of the film and film makers. 
• Continuity editing showing progress of the car's journey. This also gives the impression of a long journey because different parts of the countryside have been used, again highlighting the isolated area.
• Jump cuts between different locations the car is travelling through. 

Sound

• Low ominous music, possibly a trumpet being used. 
• Minor notes making it very uneasy for the viewer.
• Cymbals are used to create a very unsteady sound. 
• Sounds like screams, ghosts, howls.
• Strings being plucked out of tune.
• Lots of echoes. 
• No diegetic sound at all, separating the viewer from car.

Mise en Scene

• Isolated location
• Throughout scene, camera is following the one car, it is yellow - could mean cowardice (in combination of high angle shots used)
• The car is often the only vehicle on the roads. 
• Set in the countryside, no easy way to civilisation - isolation.

Point 2 - Room 237
Camera Angles

• Establishing shot of hotel.
• Stedicam following the little boy as he rides the tricycle around the hotel's corridors. This is slightly low angle, showing he must have some strength. 
• Low angle shot of the door (room 237) showing it has a lot of power, authority and strength over the little boy. It caused to stop riding quite suddenly. 
• Over the shoulder shot of door from the little boy's perspective, this could create sympathy for him from the viewer as they are scared for him.
• Medium shot of turning door handles. 
• Medium shot of twins. 
• Slight camera tilt upwards as he cycles away highlighting that he has regained control and isn't bothered by the hotel door anymore.

Editing

• 'TUESDAY' written on a black screen in white text, showing time progression and a significant date. Could be an example of linear narrative. 
• Jump cut to the twins, the face that this is only for a second causes the viewer to question their importance and why they have been shown. It creates a connection between both the twins and the hotel door, with the boy almost acting as the bridge between them.
• Jump cut almost immediately back to the young boy.

Sound

• Diegetic sound of pedalling and touching the door handle. 
• Non-diegetic sound including string instruments playing in minor notes. 
• Notes get higher and create a very shrill, uneasy noise, especially as the boy stops outside the room. 
• There are occasional low notes from a piano. 

Mise en Scene

• Set in early evening
• There are lots of hotel rooms, which would suggest lots of people to be around, yet the hotel is eerily quiet and lifeless. No staff or people. 
• The young boy is wearing a red top (which could foreshadow danger) and a blue checked top showing that he is masculine and calm, but the checked top could suggest the calm is going to be interrupted. 
• The carpets in the hotel are very bright, they are red, orange and black showing danger, death, mystery and threat. 
• The white walls of the hotel could show a blankness, meaning all the dangers of the hotel will be in plain sight at some point.
• The twins are wearing pale blue checked dresses showing they are calm and in control of the situation, possibly have control over the little boy, but something is not quite right about them because of the checks. 

Point 3 - Blood Corridor Scene
Camera Angles

• Stedicam following the boy along the corridors. 
• Full shot of the twins down the hallway (far distance)
• Close up of boy's face - showing distress. 
• Two shot of twins at the end of the hall way. 
• Medium shot of twins (camera gradually gets closer to them in each shot). 
• Establishing shot of empty corridor after twins go. 

Editing

• Jump cut to little boy's face, showing his fear and disbelief of what he is being faced with.
• Jump cut to death/blood scene, showing the shocking scene and provoking fear for the boy from the viewer as such a young child shouldn't have to see that.
• Jump cut back to the twins, highlighting their connection between the blood-ridden scene.
• Jump cut back to the death/blood scene. 
• All these jump cuts between the twins and the death scene show some connection between the two, perhaps the twins had something to do with the death, or they are trying to show the little boy what might happen to him. 

Sound

• Very high pitched, uneasy sound (non-diegetic)
• Twins talk to the little boy (speech - diegetic sound) 'Come play with us'.
• Loud, long, uneasy notes. 

Mise en Scene

• Greenish tint to opening corridor - suggesting corruption inside the hotel. 
• Moves into brown coloured corridor - suggesting that the little boy may need protecting while in these corridors. 
• Diagonal lines show that something is not quite right (shown when looking down the hallway - perspective)
• Lots of bright red blood covering the walls, showing that the deaths are recent and the killer was here. 
• There are dead children, suggesting that the little boy could be a target and is vulnerable to attack. 
• The axe on the floor is most likely to be the murder weapon, which shows what the killer is using to attack his prey. It shows he is very violent. 
• Pictures on the walls have been moved, they are slanted showing a possible struggle between the children and the killer. 

Point 4 - Here's Johnny

Camera Angles

• Close up of Johnny
• Close up of girl's knife. 
• Medium shot of girl standing beside the door, trying to protect and defend herself. 
• Medium shots used as Johnny breaks the bathroom door down. 
• While watching the girl, the axe is seen in the foreground of the shot, so the viewer is always aware of how much time she has left. 
• Close up of the axe, showing the weapon, and also linking back to a previous scene where the axe was also found. This links Johnny to the death of those children. 
• Close up of him when he does the final chop through the door, a match on action is used to show him then the other side of the door. 
• A close up shot of his hand is shown as he is cut by the girl. 

Editing

• Continuity editing is used. 
• Jump cuts between the axe breaking through the door and the girl screaming. 

Sound

• Diegetic sound of Johnny telling the story of the three little pigs. 
• Diegetic sound of girl screaming and pleading for mercy. 
• Sound of the axe breaking through the door. 
• Non - diegetic sound of fast string instruments increasing in tempo making the scene uneasy, and it's building up to when he breaks down the door. 

Mise en Scene

• Johnny is wearing red shirt (danger) with a dark blue checked shirt underneath showing he is masculine, obviously quite strong because of the physical activity he is doing, it also shows how he is calm when compared to the girl. 
• The girl has black hair, showing that she is suffering. She is also wearing a blue shirt with a green check top underneath, showing she is the balance of good vs evil in this scene, but the checks show that any calmness she experienced is now gone due to Johnny trying to break in. 
• The bathroom she is in is very white, showing it is pure and a contrast to Johnny. 
• Also, Johnny has come through a bedroom to reach the bathroom showing that he is persevering and won't accept failure.