Man vs. Nature or, Mother Nature as Power

Man vs. Nature or, Mother Nature as Power is a central theme within The Shining.

The opening shot is centered on the enormity of nature, the mountain ranges and seeing the tiny car make its way up the mountain speaks to the journey of human being traversing into “the unknown” of nature.

It speaks to man’s arrogance that they could be the ones to finally conquer nature, and within dialogue we hear that the site of The Overlook was chosen specifically for it’s seclusion. Money’s arrogance is able to subdue nature for a short while, but it needs to be maintained.

Having the snow cover the majority of the space continues the “Mother Nature reclaims what’s hers”, and having Jack be succumbed to snow at the end, he becomes his own mountain unconquered.