No.9
This is the first scene where we see all three members of the Torrance family together and the dynamics shown are subtle but meaningful.
As we saw in the Opening Credits sequence, the yellow bug travels to The Overlook, but Kubrick has them driving on the right side of the mountain as opposed to the left. The music used reflects this scene as well, but instead of Dies Irae, it’s droning and melancholy.
Cramped in a VW Bug, what on the surface looks like a “normal family scene” is Kubrick showing the viewer how much Jack dislikes his family.
The interactions within the family speak to themes we’ve already seen, and things that will continue: Danny brings up his hunger to Jack, who is unsympathetic, so Wendy pipes in, Jack justifying harming others for the sake of survival, Jack’s irritation at Wendy, and Danny’s lack of boundaries within the family unit.
American History/Culture
The mention of The Donner Party is a reference to the American tragedy of settlers getting lost and resorting to cannibalism. While The Donner Party is the most well-known incident of cannibalism, it was practiced not only by Native American tribes, but other instances as well: most notably those in the upper classes who ground up mummies for ‘medicine’.
The fact that Danny knows about cannibalism but not The Donner Party relates to the cultural relativism in cartoons showing natives and other indigenous groups of people trying to cook and eat others.
Showing Danny leaning on the back seats of his parents shows a lack of physical boundaries, but also a lack of care in terms of safety.
Domestic abuse
Not necessarily abusive, but indicative of a pattern of learned behavior: as Jack tries to explain to Danny why it’s okay to eat others in order to stay alive, Wendy tries to intervene. The topic of conversation is inappropriate. Danny, a child, tells her it’s fine because he already knows about cannibalism. She is interrupted and placated by her own child.
As Danny continues, he says he learned about cannibalism from the television, which prompts to tease Wendy about the reliance on television. This lukewarm interaction is the seed that begins what will become abusive in future scenes.
The Maze
Having the second driving sequence within 20 minutes, but showing a different side of the mountain creates a duality of space.
The false fatalism of mentioning food and then immediately bringing up The Donner Party creates the red flag connection that running out of food will be a similar issue.
Having this scene feel like a “normal family outing” is Kubrick serving as an unreliable narrator. What we’re witnessing may look normal (a reference to No.5 “perfectly normal human being”) but it is the beginning seeds of problems down the line.
Danny not wearing a seatbelt, the jab about the television, Wendy’s well placed concern and being dismissed by her own child, all of these things go unnoticed by are key to the film.
Jack’s plaid jacket is no careless throw away, but a specific plaid called “Gameskeeper tweed”. The weave pattern was worn by hunters as a form of rudimentary camouflage.
Ghost Story
Mentioning the Donner Party, the settlers, the similar music to the Opening Credits sequence all feed into the ghost story narrative.
Cabin Fever
The cramped nature of the vehicle, having Danny visually inserted towards the front all contribute a confined space.
The camera shows a bird’s eye view of the road and the mountain, and then is fixed within the vehicle focusing on Jack, Wendy, and Danny.
This is the only scene where the family is together by themselves. The other scenes that contain Jack, Wendy, and Danny, Wendy is holding Danny close to her.
The Torrance VW bug
Jack
Stressed. Compare his demeanor and mood to No.3, No.5
Wendy
Mentally absent, but soft. This is Wendy shown No.4, No.16, No.41
Danny
Assertive and aware, compare with No.19 and how he treats Halloran.
*Will want a scene comparison treatment to talk about this in a focused way.
# WENDY
Boy, we must be really high up.
The air feels so different.
# JACK
Well you should have eaten your
breakfast.
# WENDY
We'll get something as soon as we
get to the hotel, okay?
The sound is similar to No.2’s music, but instead of Dies Irae, it is synth-derived tone that drones. It swells before the conversation, fades out, and comes back in as Jack taunts about the television.