Room 237

I really hoped this would somewhat focus on the film 'The Shining', but it doesn't. It's all about how people, who I have never heard of, think about it and how they interpret it. Sorry, I don't need strangers to tell me what to think. My recommendation is to avoid.

This movie was worth while, it was interesting, entertaining and made you think. For a fan of the shining, or Kubrick or conspiracy theories this was a great film. Junk science came to mind a few times, to me the most interesting parts of the film were the details which were brought to the attention of the viewer which Kubrick definitely had a hand in, the conspiracy theories, ideas about the holocaust, extermination of the native Americans and faking of the lunar landing were a bit more out there but intriguing and I wouldn't put anything past Kubrick. The most interesting point of the film to me was the discussion of post modern works of art and the claim that irregardless of the authors intent, themes can be found which might have been or have not been consciously intended. Overall, the mind of Kubrick, his eye for detail, his humor and overall brilliance is what is most evident when watching this film. If one looks for themes and ways to make connections they can be found in many different places, overall this can lead to seeing reality though higher levels of awareness and if one is lucky enough glimpses of enlightenment, that was the broader and most important theme in this movie.

This film is essentially people who are obsessed with Stanley Kubrick's The Shining spinning out their theories about what the film means. It reveals little about Kubrick's vision or intent and everything about their specific and sometimes downright crazy views about the world as expressed through their interpretations of Kubrick's movie. Room 237 demonstrates the deep impact a film can have when something about it resonates with the particular psychology or beliefs of members of its audience. The real brilliance of The Shining is that it created an almost palpable atmosphere of dread while remaining enigmatic and opaque. It's a Rorschach test to be freely interpreted by its audience.

Being an avid Kubrick fan, I could not wait to see this film even though The Shining is one of my least favorite of his movies. I did enjoy Room 237; it's a fun movie. Like Kubrick himself you never know whether it's being serious or poking fun at the viewer. Some of the "hidden messages" that Kubrich is supposed to have put into The Shining are patently ridiculous but some others will make you want to go & watch The Shining again, and again! The masterstroke here is when someone states that Kubrick was meticulous about arranging every frame in his movies (which every Kubrick fan knows to be true) and no object appears in any frame by accident. Of course the film makers then take this to an extreme but it does make for a quite funny and entertaining time.

This film is an elaborate joke, a satire on those oh-so-earnest analyses of films one sometimes comes across. Tins of baking powder which show it is a movie about the American Indian? A German typewriter (a make which I also used to use), plus a supposed Hitler moustache in the final shot, shows it is a holocaust movie? Kubrick's face in a cloud formation? Significance in running the film backwards superimposed on running it forwards? A minor character played by an actor who also played Pontius Pilate? I would go so far as to say that The Shining itself is an elaborate joke. An enjoyable one all the same. As is Room 237. But don't take it seriously!