Narrative of The Shining

Q1) Who is the hero and who is the villain? How do you know?

A1) During the exposition of the film, we learn that the the first character shown in the film, is most likely going to be the hero of the film. This is not because he is intent on gaining revenge on someone, or saving someone, because that is not included in the storyline. It is because he is innocent, and was informed that someone who also shared the position he was under, had committed suicide due to too much stress. The villain therefore is the interviewer who informs him about the tragedy. We also learn that he is a villain because of his red tie and his tone when speaking suggests he is playing mind-games. Another possible villain, could also be the protagonist` s wife, whom also wears a red jumper. She is a "horror and gothic film addict" and her dark, dim tone connotes a very suspicious woman.

Q2) Where is the story set? What does this tell us about the genre of the film?

A2) The story is set in a highly-polished, middle class building, and of those who work there, they are well educated citizens, therefore earning a good salary, presumably. There are a lot of offices in the building, in which many of the people working there might find themselves stressed, especially staying in that one room for the majority of the day, it has the potential to disrupt your mental state. This already hints at mind-games being played, and the fact this film is classified as a psychological thriller, seems to confirm this.

Q3) How many characters are there?

A3) In principle, there are five characters involved at this stage of the film, who play key roles in the next sequence of events.

Q4) How is the story told? Chronologically? What is the effect?

A4) The story is told chronologically, because in the first scene, we are shown a car driving in an isolated area from a birds-eye view shot, causing us to ask; Why is this car so important? Where is the driver destined to go? The second scene shows the main character enter the main building, and when he asked by the interviewer how long the journey was, the protagonist replies " Just under three and a half hours". By having the story told chronologically is effective because in that way it keeps the audience in suspense and concentrated on the film, especially as the tension increases.

Q5) What questions are you left with?

A5) What is going to happen to main character after being informed about the man who died after suffering from a mental breakdown? How is his wife going to react once he gives her the news? These are the questions we are left with after part one of `The Shining` .