The painstaking effort behind the typewriter scene in ‘The Shining’
There were hardly any genres that Stanley Kubrick didn’t touch in his lifetime – from sci-fi to anti-war, the filmmaker covered many bases over the course of a five-decade career. One of Kubrick’s most successful endeavours was The Shining, proving him to be an unlikely champion of the horror world.
Based on Stephen King’s novel, the movie was released in 1980 with Jack Nicholson starring as Jack Torrance, a struggling writer who loses his mind while staying at the haunted Overlook Hotel. Accompanying him is his wife, Wendy, played by Shelley Duvall, and their young son, Danny, both of whom narrowly escape the terrors of Jack’s rapidly deteriorating state.
Surprisingly, it is only now that The Shining is considered a horror classic. Upon its release, the movie was divisive, with many critics believing that it struggled to find the perfect balance between achieving adequate scares while also saying something meaningful. Regardless of these criticisms, it went on to be incredibly influential, inspiring a wide range of media, including one of the greatest television shows ever made, Breaking Bad.
The movie is known for many iconic moments that even those who haven’t seen the film will be familiar with. From the Grady twins to the “Here’s Johnny!” scene, The Shining is jam-packed with sequences that have found a pertinent place in our cultural lexicon. Another recognisable piece of imagery from the movie is Jack’s typewriter, which he uses to type: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” repeatedly.
What is the significance of the typewriter in The Shining?
As Jack struggles to come up with ideas while writing his manuscript, he ends up penning the lines in an intense spell of stream of consciousness. This depicts his depleting mental state – all he can do is write the same thing over and over, hinting at his dissatisfaction with his progress.
This scene makes it clear how susceptible Jack is to the powers above him. He cannot snap out of writing the same words – a useless task – as though a force bigger than him is in control. Soon, he will become completely transformed by the ghostly powers of the Overlook Hotel, which take hold of him and destroy any shred of sanity he has left.
Kubrick’s painstaking attention to detail
Kubrick was known for going to extreme lengths for his films, with The Shining being his most notorious example. While most people know the story of the director’s treatment of Duvall, making her do countless emotionally distressing takes without breaks, a lesser-known fact revolves around Kubrick’s perfectionism regarding props.
When it came to shooting the typewriter scene, Kubrick wasn’t satisfied with just one shot of the paper covered in the words, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” The filmmaker wanted the phrase to translate well, no matter who was watching the movie, so he changed the sentence depending on different foreign language releases.
Over in Italy, Jack typed out, “The morning has gold in its mouth,” while in Germany, the lines said, “Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today.” By changing the quote to suit different audiences, Kubrick ensured that his movie translated across borders and was understood universally. Clearly, the typewriter scene is of huge significance, and it must be considered as a vital turning point in the film for Jack.
