I too fear going nuts in isolation with my family.

It is deeply interesting how the scene when Jack is breaking into the bathroom is literally the breaking point in which however Wendy responds says something much larger about the film. When she fights back it is an indicator that the patriarchal force gone violent is condemned and when she escapes with her son in tact that signals the importance of motherhood, as this is framed as the happiest ending possible for this plot. In many films, the female victim is sexualized and that is the reason for her killing (“because she deserved it”) but when that female is a mother, audiences may be far more uncomfortable with this character being hurt due to the general consensus that motherhood is honorable and to be protected. Somehow I feel that audiences have more empathy towards a mother due to knowing their own, rather than the sexually promiscuous female who they are expected to pursue if male and are pitted against each other if female. I wonder if grind house films didn’t begin with killing sexualized women but responded and took advantage of this element, creating films that satisfied a desire to witness violence but didn’t bring out enough empathy is audiences for it to be considered higher art. It probably was not this intentional but I feel like it is easier to laugh at and casually consume horror movies that are also sexually gratuitous.

Back to The Shining, space and setting are executed so well in this film. The hotel is vast and empty for the largest part of the film. Then, the last section is so cramped full of closer shots and smaller spaces. This part is crowded within itself with the the majority of intense action. When my internet is down I also am wary of any family member finally cracking from the strange and awful combination of sometimes-deep-isolation or too-much-time-together.