The Shining: Every Theory On What Kubrick’s Movie Is Really About

There are many theories on what Stanely Kubrick’s The Shining is really about, and some are more believable than others. Let’s take a look.

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It’s not uncommon for viewers to come up with all types of theories to explain many aspects and plot points of movies from different genres. However, one that seems to inspire a lot of theories (both reasonable and not so much) is Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, with most of them looking to give it a completely different meaning than the one in Stephen King’s novel – and here’s every one of them. In 1977, Stephen King’s third novel, The Shining, was published, and it was the book that established him as one of the best authors in the horror genre.

Three years later, The Shining made the jump to the big screen thanks to Stanley Kubrick, and though it’s very different from the book, it followed the same premise: Jack Torrance, an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic, takes a job as the off-season caretaker of the Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies and takes his wife, Wendy, and son Danny with him. Once there, and after a snowstorm leaves them cut off from the outside world, the supernatural forces living in the hotel begin to mess with Jack’s sanity, while Danny goes through his own struggles as his powers, referred to as “the shining”, awaken the hotel’s evil forces. Although Kubrick took a lot of creative liberties and Stephen King has famously stated he doesn’t like the movie, it’s regarded as one of the best movies ever made, but it has also made way for a lot of theories about its real meaning.

The Shining, like most of Kubrick’s work, has been praised for its photography and production design, and though its story has also been widely acclaimed, there are many inconsistencies, ambiguities, and lots of symbolism that have fed the imagination of fans for years. As a result, there are various theories surrounding The Shining, some focused on what’s seen on screen and others on Kubrick’s intentions behind the scenes. Of course, there are also some that don’t make sense, as is the theory about Kubrick’s face appearing in the clouds in the opening scene, but there are others that can actually elevate viewers’ experience by taking a deeper look into what the movie’s true meaning is. Here’s every theory on what The Shining is really about.

The Shining Is About The Apollo 11 Moon Landing

Perhaps the most popular theory about The Shining is the one about it being Kubrick’s way to accept his involvement in the staging of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Among the many conspiracy theories surrounding the moon landing is one that says Kubrick was hired by the government to help them fake the whole thing. This theory has been fuelled by the fact that 2001: A Space Odyssey was released a few months before the Apollo 11 landed on the moon, pointing at Kubrick having access to the set and props needed to shoot this big event. The Shining, then, was Kubrick’s big confession, in which he added different clues about the moon landing, as were Danny’s sweater, a lingering shot of cans of Tang (a drink originally developed for astronauts), and room 217 being changed to 237 (the supporters of this theory claim the distance to the moon is about 237,000 miles away, though it’s actually more).

The Shining Is About The Genocide Of Native Americans

Stuart Ullman mentions the Overlook Hotel was built on an Indian burial ground, and that’s only the beginning of a full theory that says The Shining is about the genocide of Native Americans. The hotel is full of Native American imagery, such as the rugs, the Calumet baking soda cans in the pantry, and the many paintings on the walls. In addition to that, the famous elevator scene (which is not in the book), is said to symbolize the blood shed by all the Native Americans murdered by white settlers.

The Shining Is A Holocaust Movie

Of course, The Shining isn’t safe from a theory linking it to the Holocaust. This one is mostly based on numbers and their significance, with some props and details supporting the idea. According to the theory, the number 42 features prominently through the whole movie, such as in one of Danny’s shirts and when the Torrances are watching the movie Summer of ‘42. This number is all about 1942, the year the Nazis initiated the “Final Solution”. Other details are the German-made typewriter Jack uses and various images of eagles, a symbol of the Nazi party. The theory is supported by the fact that Kubrick wanted to make a movie about the Holocaust but never got to do it.

The Shining Is About The CIA’s Mind Control Experiments

This theory is all about a poster in the playroom of the Overlook Hotel. When Danny is playing darts in that room, he turns around and finds the Grady twins standing in the entrance. On the wall behind them is a skiing poster that says “Monarch”, which to some is a weird piece of decoration as Ullman claims there’s no skiing in the area. “Monarch”, according to the theory, was a codename for the CIA’s MKUltra program, which consisted of experiments on human subjects with the intention of identifying and developing drugs and procedures to be used in interrogations in order to weaken the subject and force confessions through mind-control. The caretaker job, then, was just a front so the government could test mind control techniques on isolated subjects, and everything the Torrances went through was nothing more than hallucinations.

The Shining Is About Sexual Abuse

This theory not only gives The Shining a darker turn but also gives meaning to the over-analyzed scene of the man in the tuxedo and the one in a bear costume. At the beginning of the movie, Wendy mentions that Jack once injured Danny’s arm, and it’s later implied that Danny’s imaginary friend, Tony, is a consequence of trauma. Now, the scene with the man dressed as a bear is said to be a representation of the abuse Danny went through: the man in the bear costume represents Danny, who throughout the movie is associated to the image of bears (thanks to a stuffed bear, pictures of bears above his bed, and more), and Jack is the man in the tuxedo. In addition to all that, The Shining is full of imagery of sex and sexual abuse, and one detail often pointed out when talking about this theory is an article featured on the cover of the Playgirl magazine Jack Torrance is reading at the beginning of the movie: “Incest: Why Parents Sleep With Their Children”.

The Shining Is The Greek Myth of Theseus & The Minotaur

Kubrick might have told his own, twisted version of the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur with the help of characters created by Stephen King. This theory finds some interesting parallels between the myth – in which Theseus had to go through a labyrinth to kill a Minotaur and thus be with Ariadne, Minos’ daughter – and the movie, with the biggest clue being the addition of a maze that isn’t part of King’s story. Danny escapes from it by retracing his steps, reminiscent of how Theseus got out of the labyrinth. There’s also the “Kubrick stare”, a pose in which the actor stares into the distance with a lowered head and eyes pointed up, which in this case is similar to that of a bull.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/shining-movie-stanley-kubrick-real-meaning-messages-theories/