Unveiling the Mysteries Behind The Shining's Enigmatic Finale

Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980) is perhaps the most scrutinized horror movie ever made, as it deviates quite a bit from Stephen King's iconic novel. Despite this, the film has become a defining work in the horror genre, carving out its own unique identity separate from the book.

Initially following the conventional trajectory of a horror movie, featuring a solitary man in a remote location, The Shining takes a dramatic turn in its third act. Kubrick intentionally leaves audiences with unanswered questions throughout the entire film, culminating in a brilliantly ambiguous ending that has stood the test of cinematic history.

What Is The Shining About?

Content: Set in the 1970s, the film centers around Jack Torrance, a hopeful writer, who accepts a job as the off-season caretaker of the Overlook Hotel in Colorado. Despite being aware of the tragic events that occurred with the previous caretaker, Charles Brady, who suffered from cabin fever and eventually murdered his wife and twin daughters before taking his own life, Jack takes on the role. Jack's son, Danny, possesses psychic abilities and begins to have disturbing visions of the murdered twins and blood splatters within the hotel. His imaginary friend also warns him about Room 237. It is later revealed that Jack is a recovering alcoholic who had once drunkenly dislocated Danny's shoulder in a fit of rage. Upon their arrival at the hotel, the family is introduced to the chef, Dick Hallorann, who reveals that he shares the same psychic abilities as Danny, advising him to avoid Room 237.

As time passes, Jack's behavior becomes increasingly menacing, while Danny continues to experience disturbing visions related to the hotel's ominous history. The heavy snowfall further isolates the family from the outside world. One day, a ball rolls towards Danny from the previously locked Room 237, which is now unlocked. Meanwhile, Wendy tends to her distressed husband who has just awakened from a nightmare in which he imagines harming their family. Upon seeing Danny's torn sweater and neck bruises, Wendy accuses Jack of hurting their son. Enraged by the accusation, Jack storms off to the Gold Ballroom where he encounters a spectral bartender named Lloyd. During their conversation, Jack asserts that he never laid a hand on Danny. Unaware of this, Wendy enters the room and reveals that a woman in Room 237 attacked their son. Intrigued, Jack decides to investigate and discovers a naked woman in the bathtub. They kiss briefly until Jack realizes that she has transformed into a decomposing corpse. Shocked, he flees from the room and lies to Wendy, claiming he didn't observe anything unusual. Wendy suggests leaving the hotel and taking Danny home, prompting Jack to unleash his anger on her for disregarding his job. Disturbed, he returns to the Gold Room, now populated by multiple ghostly figures, where he encounters the ghost of a butler named Delbert Grady. The ghost informs Jack that it is now time for him to "correct" his family.

What Does the Ending of The Shining Mean?

Jack tries to attack Wendy, but she defends herself by hitting him in the head and locking him up in the pantry. Grady confronts Jack and convinces him to promise to kill his own family for "us," and allows him to leave. Since Jack had already destroyed the radio and disabled the hotel snowcat, Wendy and Danny remain trapped in their room. Danny continues to repeat "redrum" (which is "murder" spelled backwards), and in order to hide from Jack, Wendy locks them both in the bathroom. She assists Danny in escaping through the window, and when Jack tries to enter by driving an ax through the door, she defends herself with a knife.

At this moment, Dick, who has received a telepathic message from Danny, arrives but is quickly killed by Jack. Danny is then chased by his father through the outdoor hedge maze, but manages to escape while Jack gets lost inside. Wendy and Danny flee in Dick's snowcat, while Jack ultimately freezes to death. The final shot of the film zooms in on an old photograph hanging in the hotel's hallway, depicting guests at a ball from July 4, 1921. In the center of the photo stands Jack, smiling directly at the camera.

Kubrick explicitly states that the photograph implies Jack's reincarnation, possibly as a guest or staff member. Jack himself mentions his feeling of familiarity during his first visit to the hotel, remarking, "It was as though I'd been here before." This explains why the spirits recognize him and why Jack feels at ease with characters like Lloyd and Grady. It is confirmed that Charles Grady is a reincarnation of Delbert Grady. The hotel's dark history suggests that Jack is destined to be involved in its recurring violence. Jack's isolation and lack of emotional connection to his family make him susceptible to the supernatural influences of the hotel. Even the sentence he obsessively writes, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," reflects his empty existence.

There is also a theory suggesting that Danny is a victim of sexual abuse by his father, and the scene in Room 237 may not be real. Wendy's suspicions are confirmed when Jack wakes up from a dream about a violent act moments before he approaches Danny. Wendy herself witnesses a disturbing incident involving a man in a bear suit engaging in a sexual act with another man, which further supports the sexual undertones in the film. The recurring teddy bear motif throughout the movie suggests that Jack is the man in the bear suit.

The movie serves as a haunting reminder that the remnants of human aggression can create a gruesome cycle of violence. As the hotel is constructed upon a sacred burial site of the ancient Indian civilization, the imagery of blood gushing forth in Danny's eerie hallucination suggests the spilt blood of the Native Americans. Their spirits unrelentingly lay claim to the occupants of the hotel, perpetuating their presence for eternity.

What Was Kubrick’s Original Ending for The Shining?

Wendy and Danny find solace in a hospital, seeking refuge from the haunting experiences they endured at the infamous Overlook Hotel. There, they are paid an unexpected visit by the hotel's manager, who informs them that no trace of the supernatural has been uncovered. As a symbolic gesture, he playfully tosses Danny the very same ball that mysteriously rolled towards him during their stay at the hotel. However, due to its unfavorable reception among critics, Stanley Kubrick made the decision to omit this alternate ending from the final version of The Shining.

How Does the Ending Differ From Stephen King’s Novel?

King openly despised Kubrick's film for its minimal adherence to the novel's storyline. The most significant deviation lies in the ending: in the book, Dick rescues Danny and Wendy, while the hotel, with Jack still inside, succumbs to the intense pressure in the boiler room and burns down. Additionally, Jack's character in the novel differs greatly; he battles against the malevolent spirits and in a fleeting moment of sanity, implores his son to flee from him as he relentlessly pursues him throughout the hotel. The film's failure to capture this character development, according to King, is a "tragedy" as it lacks any substantial transformation. On the other hand, Kubrick aimed to preserve the hotel's integrity, highlighting its sinister presence and suggesting that further tragedies would continue to take place there.