Shot number one of The Shining opens to a long tracking shot of large river with large mountains either side, it then dissolves into a birds eye shot of a small car going along with huge trees either side winding along the bendy roads. It then cuts to an extreme long shot of the car driving next to a large mountain on the left with a large green surrounding the car. It then cuts to a very similar shot but against a rocky cliff, this is also where the credits begin to roll in t then continues to pan over into the valley in a great aerial shot.
We then cut to a similar shot to the previous birds eye one as the car slowly drives towards a tunnel, the shot then follows the car and see the car exit the tunnel and we continue to follow the car. The very next shot returns to a large green area on a long stretch of road following the car, we then cut to a shot of the car going up an incline where it has suddenly become snowy, we then see shots of various mountains and the snow they are covered in. Finally we see a shot of the hotel, the final destination. All the shots of the car are beautiful tracking shots and capture the scenery superbly.
This simple combination of 9 shots create a superb feeling of emptiness and really set the tone for the rest of the film, and also subtlety tell us what the film is going to be focused on with the person who is in the car will be the main focus point of the film.
The music really suggest the horror aspect of the film, the music really contrasts whats happening on the screen, these images are beautiful long, extended shots of nature that if paired with a different style would change everything. This really creates the suspense the audience needs when first sitting down to a film but also may make certain members of the audience nervous to the cars destination.
The color and size of the car also play a large part on the opening scene, the size of the car compared to the scenery helps emphasize on the distance and scale of the journey that is being undertaken, creating a weary feeling in the audience. The color I feel is so we know what our focus point is and that the car although we can not see the passengers is the most important focal point on screen.
Bibliography
The shining (1980) Directed by Stanley Kubrick [FIlm]. USA: Warner Bros.
Nathan Shanks 