One scene in The Shining that I found particularly suspenseful and scary were the shots of Danny on his bicycle rolling around the hotel lobby. While bicycling, the viewer hears the non-diegetic sound and loud tone of the music building up louder and louder at each turn. I liked how it was filmed from a subjective point of view; it really felt as though we were in Danny's shoes. I also liked that the scene was filmed from a long shot from behind while he was on his bicycle because it also gave the feeling that there was someone watching him and following him around the hotel. Similar to the bicycle scene, in the maze scene, the viewer gets the same feel (subjective point of view). By building up the music with non-diegetic sound and shooting them as a long shot from behind, it really builds up the suspense. It keeps the viewer on their toes and worried about what is behind the next corner. The use of non-diegetic sound and subjective point of view really add to the suspense of the film.
I also think that this scene was very powerful in conveying suspense. I thought that the use of the subjective point of view was interesting, and unique. I think Danny is by far the most interesting character based on what he thinks and how Tony is incorporated into his character. So I especially liked to see how Danny sees things, which is why this scene was one of my favorites throughout the whole film. One of the first times we see what Danny sees is when he sees the blood come from the elevator. I thought the way this was shot added to the suspense of the film. It is in slow motion so when the elevator doors open, the mass amount of blood flows out. You as the viewer feel as if the blood is coming towards you, using the subjective point of view. This makes the scene very suspenseful, along with the fact that at this point in the film, you know very little as to why there is blood coming out of the elevator. This lack of knowledge, in addition as to how this scene is shot, is what helps make this scene so suspenseful.
ReplyDeleteI like this scene because of the way it's filmed, aside from the aspects you mentioned which I agree with completely, I found it captivating because it was almost as if the viewer is placed directly behind Danny, following him. This allows us to experience the "unexpected" as he turns each corner on his tricycle. Non digetic sound in this scene emphasizes how big the hotel is and how all we can hear is the wheels on his tricycle whereas normally in a busy hotel, it would almost never be silent. This contrast worked in achieving suspense and fear as to what would be coming next in this scene.
ReplyDeleteI thought this scene was interesting because it could give two perspectives; you could imagine it from either Danny's point of view or from the point of view of someone behind him who is watching and following him. The bicycle shots also all follow a parallel of the shots of Danny running through the maze at the end of the movie, and again you could feel like you were Danny running away from Jack, or you were Jack following Danny's footprints.
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