Room 237 Post (Extra Credit)

Listening to the different conspiracy theories regarding the unique choices Stanley Kubrick made for this film, I am both intrigued and curious. When one interviewee' talks about a scene between Jack and Wendy in which a chair in the background is shown in one frame and then gone in the next, I am led to believe that it must have either been a continuity error, or an approach by Kubrick to add some suspicion in a non obvious way. However, I was confused when the interviewee' went on to say that his belief is that maybe Kubrick did this on purpose as a way of parodying horror films, and that "this isn't just a horror film." I too agree that this isn't just a horror film because of the deep rooted history Kubrick ties into the hotel and Jack, however, I do think that one of the overall purposes of this film is to stand out as a "horror"story, but with a deeper meaning as well. One view I find myself supporting is when the same interviewee points out that the Dopey sticker on Danny's bedroom door is clearly shown while he is in the bathroom, however gone as he is laying down on his bed. The idea that Danny is "Dopey" as he has his first vision of the hotel room filling with blood, is representative of his character. Furthermore, as Wendy and the doctor are exiting Danny's room as he is laying down and his bedroom door comes into frame, he is no longer a "dope about things," but he "has been enlightened." Another theory I found to be very intriguing and something I hadn't thought of while watching the film, was the idea that Danny is indirectly controlling what goes on between Wendy and Jack. For example, as Jack is threatening Wendy and she is defending herself with a baseball bat while walking up the stairs backwards, Danny is shown sitting in the bedroom "shining". Could Danny have been helping his mother get away from Jack in order to save her? This is a theory I found to be very interesting because it would allow for many different interpretations and reasonings to stem from it, if it were found to be true. While listening to each of the different conspiracy theories about this one particular film, I became even more curious as to what sorts of hidden meanings other films potentially have.