MJB SCRIPT REVIEW | THE SHINING
- michaelbrand01
- Dec 12, 2023
- 2 min read
October continues! THE SHINING is this weeks belter.
Plot in a nutshell; The Torrance family take the winter shift at a secluded mountain hotel, tasked with keeping it running while it’s closed. But an evil entity within its walls slowly seeps into their lives, manipulating and terrifying them…
Have to say, this was a first for me; a post production script (my first, if you don’t count CASABLANCA, which was finished after the film. See previous review), so new territory! In itself a fascinating lesson...but I digress.
Classic film. Legendary book. Powerful writers (Stanley Kubrick and Diane Johnson). Even with the bare bones of this story being found in the script, it ramps with unnerving confidence, delivering terror and suspense through the minimal interactions of a tiny cast. You can feel the dread in the characters voices, the power of delusion seeping in comfortably, the evil presence barely being questioned until it’s too late. A character masterclass in writing.
So what did I learn from THE SHINING script?
This is an essential study for any writer (or teacher of scriptwriting I would argue) to see what a script can do when you rely entirely on character dialogue and the bare minimum of action directions. Seriously, between the dialogue, it’s basically “Danny pedals trike down hall. Jack bounces ball. Wendy plugs in radio”.
That’s it.
No character thoughts.
No funny little sarcastic asides by the writer.
No description of atmosphere or lingering on scenic exposition.
Action. Talk. Action. Talk.
That’s it.
And it is SO refreshing. Such a cathartic experience to see what would happen if you let the characters dialogue define who they are and their path through the story. Their relationships. Their plans. Their romance. Their delusion. Their secrets. This is manna from heaven for actors. Real character study opportunity and a phenomenal example of how little you can use if you want to.
Fantastic exercise in writing and a welcome recommend to all those who think ADs are purely there to indicate what props are in what room and where character A or B is going to next.
Brilliant.
Link to the script;
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