An interesting thing I've heard about that final photo is that Jack's facial expression is exactly the same as it was when he said "I'd sell my goddamn soul for a glass of beer". It's as though he made a deal with the hotel itself.
Another strange thing about Jack & the hotel is that he's wearing a green tie with maze patterns when interviewing with Ullman at the beginning of the film. I never would have noticed that if someone hadn't told me to look for it.
All I recall from watching The Shining almost 50 years ago was being disturbed by the eerily realistic and convincing performance of Jack Nicholson as a homicidal maniac. And intrigued by the boy and his "redrum" bit. I'm glad that someone is able to point out the rest of the themes presented. Stanley Kubrick was a very interesting person, we know a lot more about the demon infested Globalist Banksters than we would have without him and his work.
But we still also need guys like MW to spell it out to the more obtuse of us. Thanks, again, for all your valuable work.
"But perhaps that is what happens when the elite occupy themselves with trivia; if they won’t take their position seriously, why shouldn’t people consult the jungle?"
Why did this make me think of the Church, and her faillure to engage with the social realities of our time? Her desire to go along to get along, instead of embodying an anti-modern cultural Schelling point?
This is outstanding research and context - setting for the 'Shining' companion piece. It undoubtedly will change the way I view the film in the future. The end-days of the hotel and dancehall as a rationing centre and social housing are incredibly poignant as you describe them. Brilliant writing, the sort of piece that could underpin a long, late night arts discussion programme hosted by Melvin Bragg with several chain-smoking academics and historians having a back and forth on the decline of one empire and its inevitable successor.
This is my favorite piece you have written, Colin. You have always been a top-flight writer but this is absolute art filled with great insight. Excuse the effusive praise but the piece really hit me both initially and with the second read. This, particularly:
"The Empress Rooms went unmentioned in newspapers until 1949, at which point it was used as an issuing centre for ration tokens (a grim demonstration, in a place that formerly epitomised Britain’s wealth, of its post-war penury)."
You should be quite proud of that. You would have been encouraged to "frame it" at the time of The Royal Hotel's height through to the time digital technology vulgarized how we memorialize our triumphs.
The early Twenties were Peak WASP and good on you for pointing out that it was the last time the Upper Classes in Britain and America were physically identical in almost instance. War and economic collapse divorced the two both politically and aesthetically after almost four centuries; it is not without irony that the physical resemblance continues only among the white working classes in the North of England and Appalachia/the Upper South, people who would have been barred from the Empress Room or the pre-war Plaza Hotel dance hall.
So different in appearance and form, but, maybe much the same in spirit and substance, in terms of assuming the divine right to reign over God's creation. Come what may, they will to rule over us, and compete with each other for the privilege.
Fascinating piece. Got me thinking, TS Eliot would have been writing The Waste Land in 1921, a poem about disintegration, both personal and societal. It gives you this eerie sense of being in a photograph of a place that was destroyed long ago.
I couldn't have lived in the UK in the times before WW1. Working class people were little more than serfs to be abused by the thieving rich and it seems that is what the main "international banker" enablers in this country, the "royals", want to go back to.
People who wore flat caps were scum, people who wore bowlers were middle class scum and toffs who controlled everything but had themselves achieved nothing wore top hats.
Decapitating that beast system was required to get to where we got to in the 1970's, perfection. We have swung too far but every mindless piece of thuggery by our "guests" and excuse-making by their "communities" slows the pendulum and it may have already turned. People who are only here for the material wealth will disappear as it does, slowly, and then quickly.
The only people who love a broken down ramshackle old home are those that built it and who can rebuild it this time after the moneychangers have been evicted from the temple, again, but this time never to return for a thousand years when they shall be introduced for a little season to confirm in those modern people what we all know today.
A Phoenix can be reborn quickly in the fire of war or slowly slowly in the way of the warmth of the sunlight at an all night dance in a sea of bankruptcies as the thieves run out of other people's money to spend and of people to hide behind.
Brilliant - a star u are! 👏
Excellent research for this one. Great work!
Thank you.
Excellent and quite poignant, nice one Woes. Will restack.
An interesting thing I've heard about that final photo is that Jack's facial expression is exactly the same as it was when he said "I'd sell my goddamn soul for a glass of beer". It's as though he made a deal with the hotel itself.
Another strange thing about Jack & the hotel is that he's wearing a green tie with maze patterns when interviewing with Ullman at the beginning of the film. I never would have noticed that if someone hadn't told me to look for it.
Superb article, really well researched.
All I recall from watching The Shining almost 50 years ago was being disturbed by the eerily realistic and convincing performance of Jack Nicholson as a homicidal maniac. And intrigued by the boy and his "redrum" bit. I'm glad that someone is able to point out the rest of the themes presented. Stanley Kubrick was a very interesting person, we know a lot more about the demon infested Globalist Banksters than we would have without him and his work.
But we still also need guys like MW to spell it out to the more obtuse of us. Thanks, again, for all your valuable work.
"But perhaps that is what happens when the elite occupy themselves with trivia; if they won’t take their position seriously, why shouldn’t people consult the jungle?"
Why did this make me think of the Church, and her faillure to engage with the social realities of our time? Her desire to go along to get along, instead of embodying an anti-modern cultural Schelling point?
Indeed, this is another version of ordinary people not getting the leadership they expect and need.
This is outstanding research and context - setting for the 'Shining' companion piece. It undoubtedly will change the way I view the film in the future. The end-days of the hotel and dancehall as a rationing centre and social housing are incredibly poignant as you describe them. Brilliant writing, the sort of piece that could underpin a long, late night arts discussion programme hosted by Melvin Bragg with several chain-smoking academics and historians having a back and forth on the decline of one empire and its inevitable successor.
Very kind. Thank you. I really wasn't sure about this piece, but apparently I was worrying too much (as usual).
This is my favorite piece you have written, Colin. You have always been a top-flight writer but this is absolute art filled with great insight. Excuse the effusive praise but the piece really hit me both initially and with the second read. This, particularly:
"The Empress Rooms went unmentioned in newspapers until 1949, at which point it was used as an issuing centre for ration tokens (a grim demonstration, in a place that formerly epitomised Britain’s wealth, of its post-war penury)."
You should be quite proud of that. You would have been encouraged to "frame it" at the time of The Royal Hotel's height through to the time digital technology vulgarized how we memorialize our triumphs.
The early Twenties were Peak WASP and good on you for pointing out that it was the last time the Upper Classes in Britain and America were physically identical in almost instance. War and economic collapse divorced the two both politically and aesthetically after almost four centuries; it is not without irony that the physical resemblance continues only among the white working classes in the North of England and Appalachia/the Upper South, people who would have been barred from the Empress Room or the pre-war Plaza Hotel dance hall.
So different in appearance and form, but, maybe much the same in spirit and substance, in terms of assuming the divine right to reign over God's creation. Come what may, they will to rule over us, and compete with each other for the privilege.
Very kind words, Jack. Thank you.
Thanks for taking us there!
I wrote this about my own little experience with time travel. Its about the Keno Hotel in Keno City, Yukon. https://soakercity111947.substack.com/p/ghosted-at-the-keno-city-hotel
Fascinating piece. Got me thinking, TS Eliot would have been writing The Waste Land in 1921, a poem about disintegration, both personal and societal. It gives you this eerie sense of being in a photograph of a place that was destroyed long ago.
I couldn't have lived in the UK in the times before WW1. Working class people were little more than serfs to be abused by the thieving rich and it seems that is what the main "international banker" enablers in this country, the "royals", want to go back to.
People who wore flat caps were scum, people who wore bowlers were middle class scum and toffs who controlled everything but had themselves achieved nothing wore top hats.
Decapitating that beast system was required to get to where we got to in the 1970's, perfection. We have swung too far but every mindless piece of thuggery by our "guests" and excuse-making by their "communities" slows the pendulum and it may have already turned. People who are only here for the material wealth will disappear as it does, slowly, and then quickly.
The only people who love a broken down ramshackle old home are those that built it and who can rebuild it this time after the moneychangers have been evicted from the temple, again, but this time never to return for a thousand years when they shall be introduced for a little season to confirm in those modern people what we all know today.
A Phoenix can be reborn quickly in the fire of war or slowly slowly in the way of the warmth of the sunlight at an all night dance in a sea of bankruptcies as the thieves run out of other people's money to spend and of people to hide behind.
I, too, appreciate war and usury.