No.12
Not even a full minute, No.12 shows us a lot in a tiny amount of time. Here we see Danny playing darts by himself within The Game Room. It’s a space we only see once, and it is an amalgamation of other settings we’ll see as the film plays on.
Here we are confronted by The Grady girls. Saying nothing, only walking away. Kubrick intentionally shows another side of “All The Best People”
American History/Culture
The main connection is in the history behind how “the best people” can treat their children. Reflects No.5, No.38, No.50, No.72, No.79 and The Maze Sequences.
In an American Cultural aspect, Danny is shown playing darts by himself. Both speaking to the time, and how parents today would be more aware of how dangerous that game is for a child, and how little awareness the Torrance’s have for their son.
The inclusion of a cowboy poster and the skiing poster as a romanticization of the history of this part of the country.
Domestic abuse
The game Danny is shown playing with is darts, throwing sharp objects at a target. Reflects both No.26 and The Maze sequences where Jack is trying to kill his son.
The Maze
Kubrick as Unreliable Narrator:
This space is not the space we will see The Grady Girls from No.6 or No.30
The Grady girls:
The Grady girls aren’t the threat. They are a warning.
The Grady girls, as described by Ullman are 2 separate ages.
The Amalgamated Space:
The viewer doesn’t realize the depth of information planted within the 55 seconds we see this space. Calling it a Games Room and styling it similarly to The Colorado Lounge, a space where we’ll see all sorts of games play out, creates a deeper layered meaning when we see The Grady Girls.
This space is not the space we will see The Grady Girls from No.6
Ghost Story
Seeing The Grady girls can communicate the hotel being haunted. The scene coming after hearing about the past, confronting Danny by himself, continues the connection that Danny can see the other side.
The camera uses a quick zoom into Danny’s face to indicate what he’s seeing. It’s an effect that’ll be used in No.48, and No.72, and No.78
The Games room is only shown once, but contains references to other spaces.
This space primarily reflects The Colorado Lounge.
A)The lacquered wood floor of The Colorado Lounge compared to the weathered wood panelling in The Games Room.
B)The American Flag / The Colorado Flag - these are the only two places in The Overlook with these flags.
C)The Black and White Photos (these also, while shown in the lobby (adjacent hallway) are primarily in The Colorado Lounge + The Games Room
D)The billiards, foosball tables, the card tables, the darts- physical games, reflecting the emotional games within The Colorado Lounge (No.31, No.45, No.63-No.64)
E) The piano. While the one in The Colorado Lounge is a grand, the one in The Games room is more like a saloon.
The green chair rail is the same color as Room 237’s bathroom as well as Jack’s shirt shown in No.24
The green felt card tables reflect the green felt tables shown No.15 and No.47
The orange plaid chairs reflect the lobby
The striped couch in the far background reflects the striped couches shown in No.87
The pink floral rug in the far background reflects the rug shown as the one in the Torrance living space.
Danny
The Grady Girls
There is no dialogue.
There is a high pitched tone that is used here as well as No.33