The hidden Stanley Kubrick reference in ‘The Shawshank Redemption’
Stanley Kubrick‘s work remains some of the most influential and formative in the history of cinema as we know it, with filmmakers today still using the techniques created by the director in their own work. Whether it be the scope of Jonathan Glazer’s films, which were based on Kubrick’s model of storytelling or the classic slow zooms, which are now a staple part of our visual language when articulating a character’s inner world.
However, more than anything, his 1980 film The Shining has become one of the most iconic horror films of all time, with references seeping into pop culture as people dress up as the ominous twins or quote Danny’s crackled voice, with the writer Stephen King even infusing some of these elements into his other stories.
Many people cite The Shawshank Redemption as one of their favourite films of all time. If in doubt, just mention Morgan Freeman, and you’ll be fine. With a perfect blend of comedy, devastation and heartfelt sincerity, the film has a long-lasting legacy as people return to the camaraderie and brotherhood between the men at the heart of the story.
King famously created the original story that the film was based on, with the horror writer adapting many of his stories for the big screen, such as Frankenweenie, The Green Mile, IT and The Shining. However, given how many stories he has penned and the iconicity of their on-screen adaptations, King perhaps struggled to resist the urge to reference his own work on subsequent projects, with the writer sneaking in a reference to The Shining in The Shawshank Redemption.
During one pivotal scene in The Shining, Danny explores the Overlook Hotel and happens across a room that he has been warned is dangerous. Naturally, as any child would, his curiosity gets the better of him, and he ventures into the room. While we don’t see what happens, we know that he is physically injured by the presence in the room, which is number 237.
This number has been referenced in countless other films, with directors paying their own tribute to the work of Kubrick by subtly using the number by plastering it on hidden doors and within phone numbers. However, while it has become somewhat of a trend in Hollywood, perhaps King did it first, with the writer adding in the detail that Red’s cell number is 237. Despite the fact that the hotel room is originally number 217 in the book, perhaps this is King’s own way of acknowledging the success of the film, despite his many issues with the way the script was adapted by Kubrick.
A documentary was later made about the mystery surrounding the production of The Shining, which was aptly titled Room 237, exploring the conspiracy theories around the film and the hidden depths of its meaning. The Shining has even been referenced in Disney Pixar films like Finding Nemo, with the shark infamously saying, “Here’s Brucey!” when bursting through the ship ruin to chase Nemo’s father. The film’s legacy is incomparable, with the fear of the unknown still plaguing global audiences as they debate over the true meaning of Room 237.
