Analysing Film Openings - The Shining

Scene Summaries – The Shining

The beginning of The Shining is a very interesting example of an opening, because every shot used is an aerial establishing shot, this is interesting because this is not usually done. The beginning of the film opens with a shot of a lake with a lonely island in the centre. The way this is shot makes it seem like a POV shot from the perspective of a bird.

In the next scene we see an aerial shot of a yellow car driving down an empty road. This scene gives a sense of loneliness because there is nothing but woodland and a car.

We continue following the car up the mountains which creates a sense of foreboding.

The use of non-diegetic music in the opening creates tension because it’s very dark and sinister.

 

Screen shot 1:

The film opens with a sweeping establishing shot of an island in the middle of a lake. The way it is done makes it seem like a POV shot from the perspective of a bird.

Screen shot 2:

This is another aerial establishing shot but this time you can see a car on the empty road.



 

Screen shot 3:

Yet again an establishing shot is used to show the mountainous region and open plains.

 

Screen shot 4:

In this shot the credits start playing with the car driving further up the mountain. This is an establishing shot.

 

 

What I Learned

 

That keeping your distance in this way makes an effective and unusal film opening. We can't do this as such, but we can look at using a long series of establishing shots.