Room 237
Dir: Rodney Ascher
2012
*****
Like the tagline says; 'Some movies stay with you forever..and ever'. The Shining is one of those movies. Personally the thing that stays with me the most is the visible shadow of the helicopter during the sweeping title sequence. It has bothered me more than most film botherations I have ever had. Why though? This is what sprung to mind when watching Room 237. It really is a film that stays with you, maybe even subconsciously. I had no idea that there were so many interpretation theories going around regarding the film. Kubrick was the master of hidden-meaning, I'm sure some of the theories featured are probably close to the truth but then Kubrick also had a sense of humour which has been a little overlooked. Some of the interpretations are obvious, especially the Native American stuff. I thought that was clearly part of the film. The faked Moon-landing theories on the other hand were interesting ideas. The documentary needs to be viewed as a project in deconstructive critical theory rather than fact. I found it to be just as hypnotic as the film and a great little exercise in film analysis. A must see for fellow Cinephiles.