The Shining Ending Explained, What Does The Ending Of The Shining Mean
by Rubaditsha | Updated Mar 03, 2023
The Shining Movie Overview
"The Shining" is a horror movie directed by Stanley Kubrick and released in 1980. The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King and tells the story of Jack Torrance, a writer and recovering alcoholic, who takes a job as the off-season caretaker of the Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies.
Jack brings his wife, Wendy, and young son, Danny, with him to the hotel, and they plan to spend the winter there alone. However, as they settle in, strange and terrifying things begin to happen. Danny, who has psychic abilities that allow him to see the hotel's violent past, experiences increasingly disturbing visions. Jack, meanwhile, begins to lose his grip on reality and becomes increasingly aggressive and violent towards his family.
As the winter progresses, the hotel's malevolent presence becomes more and more powerful, culminating in a violent and terrifying climax. The movie is known for its striking visuals, haunting soundtrack, and memorable performances, particularly Jack Nicholson's portrayal of Jack Torrance.
"The Shining" has become a classic of the horror genre and is widely regarded as one of the greatest horror movies of all time. However, it has also been the subject of much debate and analysis, with fans and critics alike offering various interpretations of its themes, symbolism, and meaning.
The Shining Ending Meaning
The ending of "The Shining" can be interpreted in different ways depending on how you view the events that led up to it. Here are a few possible interpretations:
- Jack Torrance's descent into madness: Throughout the movie, Jack (played by Jack Nicholson) slowly loses his grip on reality and becomes increasingly violent and erratic. By the end, he is completely consumed by the Overlook Hotel's malevolent spirit and is intent on killing his family. The final shot of the film, which shows Jack frozen to death in the snow, suggests that he has finally succumbed to his madness and been overcome by the hotel's evil presence.
- The cyclical nature of violence: The Overlook Hotel is established early on in the movie as a place with a violent history. Over the years, many people have been killed or driven insane within its walls. The final shot of the film, which shows a photograph of a party from 1921 that features Jack Torrance at the center of it, suggests that the hotel's cycle of violence will continue indefinitely, with new victims replacing the old.
- The power of the human spirit: Despite the many horrors they face in the Overlook Hotel, Wendy and Danny Torrance are ultimately able to escape with their lives. The fact that they are able to overcome the hotel's evil suggests that the human spirit is stronger than any malevolent force. In this interpretation, the final shot of the film, which shows the hotel's maze buried under snow, symbolizes the triumph of good over evil.
Overall, the ending of "The Shining" is open to interpretation and can be seen as a commentary on a variety of themes, including the nature of madness, the cyclical nature of violence, and the power of the human spirit.
The Shining Ending Explained
The ending of the movie "The Shining" is open to interpretation and has been the subject of much debate and analysis since its release in 1980. Here are some possible interpretations:
- Jack's descent into madness: Throughout the movie, we see Jack Torrance (played by Jack Nicholson) slowly losing his grip on reality, culminating in his attempt to kill his wife and son. The ending can be seen as a confirmation of Jack's descent into madness, as he freezes to death in the snow after getting lost in the hedge maze.
- The hotel's malevolent influence: Another interpretation is that the hotel itself is the source of the evil that drives Jack to madness. The final shot of the movie, which shows a photograph of a party in the hotel from 1921 with Jack included, suggests that Jack has always been a part of the hotel's history and that the hotel has claimed him as its own.
- The cyclical nature of violence: The ending can also be seen as a comment on the cyclical nature of violence. Throughout the movie, we see echoes of past violence at the hotel, such as the murder of the Grady family. Jack's descent into madness and his attempt to kill his family can be seen as part of this cycle of violence, which will likely repeat itself again in the future.
- Danny's psychic abilities: Finally, some have suggested that the ending is a testament to the power of Danny's psychic abilities. In the final scenes of the movie, we see Danny using his abilities to escape from Jack and to summon the hotel's chef, Dick Hallorann, to come to their aid. Danny's abilities ultimately save him and his mother, while Jack succumbs to the hotel's malevolent influence.
Ultimately, the interpretation of the ending of "The Shining" is up to the viewer. The movie is intentionally ambiguous, leaving much open to interpretation and allowing for multiple readings.
What Does the Ending of the Shining Mean?
The ending of "The Shining" is intentionally ambiguous and open to interpretation, and as such, there are various possible meanings and explanations. Here are some possible interpretations:
- The triumph of good over evil: In the final scenes of the movie, we see Danny and his mother, Wendy, escape from the hotel, while Jack freezes to death in the snow. This can be interpreted as a triumph of good over evil, with Danny and Wendy representing the forces of good, and Jack representing the evil influence of the hotel.
- The power of the supernatural: Another interpretation is that the ending is a testament to the power of the supernatural, with Danny's psychic abilities and the malevolent force of the hotel playing a significant role in the events that unfold. In this reading, the ending suggests that there are supernatural forces in the world that can influence and control human behavior.
- The cyclical nature of violence: The ending can also be seen as a commentary on the cyclical nature of violence, with Jack's descent into madness and attempt to kill his family being part of a larger cycle of violence that has been present at the hotel for many years. The final shot of the movie, which shows a photograph of a party at the hotel from 1921 with Jack included, suggests that Jack has always been a part of the hotel's violent history, and that the cycle is likely to repeat itself again in the future.
Ultimately, the ending of "The Shining" is open to interpretation, and different viewers may find different meanings in the events that unfold. The movie is intentionally ambiguous, leaving much open to interpretation and allowing for multiple readings.
The Shining Ending Scene
The ending scene of "The Shining" takes place in the hedge maze outside of the Overlook Hotel. Jack Torrance (played by Jack Nicholson) has become lost in the maze while pursuing his son, Danny (played by Danny Lloyd), and his wife, Wendy (played by Shelley Duvall).
As Jack wanders through the maze, he begins to realize that he is lost and starts to become increasingly panicked. Meanwhile, Danny and Wendy manage to escape from the hotel, with the help of the hotel's chef, Dick Hallorann (played by Scatman Crothers), who is killed by Jack earlier in the movie.
Finally, Jack collapses in the snow and dies of exposure, while the camera pulls back to show an overhead shot of the maze, with Jack's body visible in the center. The final shot of the movie is a photograph on the wall of the hotel, showing a party from 1921, with Jack in attendance.
The ending scene of "The Shining" is intentionally ambiguous and open to interpretation. Some viewers may see it as a triumph of good over evil, with Danny and Wendy escaping from the hotel while Jack succumbs to its malevolent influence. Others may see it as a commentary on the cyclical nature of violence, with Jack's descent into madness and death in the maze being part of a larger cycle of violence at the hotel. Ultimately, the meaning of the ending is up to the viewer to decide.
The Shining Ending Meaning: FAQs
"The Shining" is a horror movie directed by Stanley Kubrick and released in 1980. It is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King.
The movie follows Jack Torrance, a writer and recovering alcoholic, who takes a job as the off-season caretaker of the Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies with his wife and young son. However, as they settle in, strange and terrifying things begin to happen.
Throughout the movie, Jack slowly loses his grip on reality and becomes increasingly violent and erratic. By the end, he is completely consumed by the Overlook Hotel's malevolent spirit and is intent on killing his family.
The ending of "The Shining" is open to interpretation. The final shot of the film shows Jack frozen to death in the snow after getting lost in the hedge maze.
Some possible interpretations of the ending include: Jack's descent into madness, the hotel's malevolent influence, the cyclical nature of violence, and the power of Danny's psychic abilities.
Some themes explored in the movie include: the nature of madness, the cyclical nature of violence, the power of the human spirit, and the influence of the supernatural.