Analysis of The Shining

Isolation is a very strong issue, especially in the character, Jack Torrence’s case. In the film The Shining, Jack is forced to deal with seclusion, or rather he chooses it. At first the word, isolation has a positive connotation for Jack, but as the film progresses that positive connotation is gradually worn down. “Seclusion in itself can become a substantial problem for some people,” says Mr. Almund, the hotel’s general manager to Jack prior to his acceptance of the job. This part of the movie is a very important point for the viewer. Without knowing it the viewer is exposed to the foreshadowing of Jack’s mental breakdown. The director uses many such methods to instill feelings of isolation and confusion in the viewer to cause feelings of loneliness and seclusion. Through objects in the mise-en-scene, camera angles, and sound, the director causes us to follow Jack’s path through his mental destruction due to isolation.
One of the most obvious objects use...