A Comparison Of Two Film Versions Of Stephen King's The Shining

Film adaptations have had their ups and downs over the course of history. Directors often aim at bringing the characters and story in a novel to life through life action or cartoon feature films. However, while a frequent number of these adopted pieces of work stay true to their prior work of literature, there are many that fail to do so and often deter from the original written manner. Stanley Kubrick is a director known for his display of lively visuals in film, and his adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining is an excellent example of his creativity when it comes to cinema. However, Kubrick’s film opposes to many of King’s original ideas in his novel. While they both exhibit forms of horror, they respectively present their themes differently(different
King’s other novels such as Carrie and later The Dead Zone were also adapted into feature films in which King had no issue with going on to state that they’re “[a]pples and oranges, both delicious, but very different.” However, Stanley Kubricks The Shining struck a chord with King, and not in a positive way. King’s novel appears to rely more on an internal struggle of character for protagonist Jack Torrence, whereas Kubricks adaptation relies heavily on visual aspects of the story, catering his storyline towards the Hotel more. Kings distaste for Kubrick's finished product has not gone unnoticed. In fact, Stephen King himself has reach out to the public to make personal comments on the adaptation and has even insulted Kubrick, describing his work as "a big, beautiful Cadillac with no engine inside it. While King is clearly disapproving of the adaptation of his novel, Kubricks The Shining was much success in the box office and to this date is still named as one of the top horror films of all
Stephen King’s character of Jack Torrence is haunted by his prior alcoholism and his presently disturbed mind. King’s novel focuses much on the internal struggle of Jack between good and bad, and ultimately the characters demise. On the other hand, Stanley Kubrick goes into less depth with his Jack Torrence, and instead focuses on the chilling aura of The Overlook Hotel. The difference of the character between these two mediums is pronounced, it is almost hard to tell they are the same person. From the beginning of the novel, Jack Torrence appears to be a likeable figure who struggles internally with his desire to be a “good” person. It is later seen in the story that Jack’s battle within his own mind is ill-fated when he moves into the overlook with his wife Wendy and son Danny. Jack encounters ghosts of the hotel’s past who try to persuade him to kill Danny for his ability to “shine”. Jack’s battle between being good and turning evil is what drives this thriller novel. On the oppossing side, Stanely Kubrick’s Jack Torrence is not quite as aimable to the audience. Right from the start, Jack appears to be a closed off character, giving a rude and cold vibe on screen. Jack seems to already be plagued by his inner demons that, in the novel, the hotel sets free. There doesn’t seem to be any connection