Room 237 (2012) –
On paper, at least, I make my living by interpreting, at best observing
significant patterns and at worst “reading into” things. So for someone like me, Room 237 is a spellbinding documentary about what Stanley Kubrick’s
The Shining really means. The
Shining is a film on which I had to do a complete 180 regarding my opinion,
due in large part to the hermeneutical depth one can plumb with this film. The theories put forth in this film range
from the plausible to the endearingly absurd; one credible theorist posits that
the film is about the nature of evil (sure), while another points to the
prevalence of Native American imagery as a commentary on genocide (well, now
that you mention it...). Sidebar: My favorite is the one about how Kubrick
faked the moon landing while filming 2001:
A Space Odyssey, with The Shining
as his covert confession. While some of
the interpretations are quite clearly out there – and this documentary obviously knows it (one dubious theory is followed by a clip of Jack Nicholson intoning,
“Whatever you say, Lloyd”) – the real fun of the film is in seeing the
enthusiasm these interpreters have for their pet theories and in the way that Room 237 returns frequently to its
source material to show the audience what the interpreters are seeing
(highlighting, for example, the native iconography in the freezer). But at the end of the day, what I really
enjoyed about Room 237 is how similar
it is to watching The Shining with a
group of friends, each as invested in the act of interpretation as I am.That does it for this week’s edition of “Monday at the Movies.” We won't see you here next week, since next Monday is the Double-Oh-Seventh of the month, and I happen to have a date with The Spy Who Loved Me...
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