Textual Analysis of The Shining By Niall Page

Camera

When the axe comes through the door of the bathroom the camera is on the wife, while you keep on seeing the axe chopping down the door. The wife is vulnerable, you can tell this because the camera is focused on her as her husband is trying to kill her. By the camera you can tell who the good guy and who the bad guy is by who the camera is on, in this case the camera is on the good guy (the wife). Because it’s a psychological horror the angle of the camera is at an angle when the axe is coming through the door.

Lighting

Because there is a big threat from the axe the lighting in the bathroom is quite dark, however there seems to be a bright light on the wife’s face while her husband is breaking down the door. You can tell by the lighting that Jack Torrance’s wife is vulnerable because there is a bright light on her face so the audience is focused on her. The light shows who is the good guy and who is the bad guy, the good guy (the wife) has a bright light on her, while the bad guy (Jack Torrance) has a dim light on him.

Music

Every time Jack Torrance breaks the door down with the axe there is a sharp background sound, this increases the threat to Jack Torrance’s wife. While the background music is being played the camera is focusing on Jack Torrance’s wife so this means she is vulnerable. Because it’s a horror the sound is very sharp and very sudden while the axe is breaking down the door.

Location

Because the location is quite small in the bathroom, so the threat is increased as it is in a small place. Because the location is quite small the vulnerability is increased. Because it’s a horror film the location that is used in this scene is quite small so that Jack Torrance’s wife feels more at danger and nowhere to go.