No.23
No.23 is the first triking sequence Danny has around the hotel. It is a full loop around The Colorado Lounge and it’s surrounding hallways and it serves as its own little tour showing viewers visual information not shown during the No.13’s sequence. It also continues the conceptual narrative that Danny near Jack’s soon-to-be workspace will spell danger for the future.
American History/Culture
The pipes in the ceiling are red, white, and blue; an idiomatic reference to America.
The block of black and white photos represent the wealthy class.
The rugs are Native American patterns and motifs.
A symbol used across multiple rugs is the Native American’s Medicine Man symbol, meaning knowledge or awareness.
Domestic abuse
In No.7, it’s established that Jack dislocated Danny’s shoulder as a result of two things: being drunk and Danny scattering Jack’s work papers. The Colorado Lounge is what Jack claims as his workspace and showing Danny triking around it continues the fatalist moment of No.45.
Danny’s triking sequences can be directly related to touring the hotel, but it is equally a symbolic move that shows repetitive cycles. Within the Domestic Abuse narrative, it reflects the Abuse cycle and the amount of times it can be cycled through.
The Maze
Kubrick as Unreliable Narrator:
The scene opens up to Danny triking towards two potential hallways, but as he moves through the open doors of the left we see that the doors on the right lead to a solid wall.
The red-floored hallway is similar to The Green Hallway in set up and context.
There is a set of stairs leading upwards to the second floor. The importance and relevance of this will become apparent in No.30 and No.48.
Color:
The scene begins in a hallway with a red floor. This reflects and foreshadows The Elevator Blood.
As Danny trikes along, the colors in the various rugs go from neutrals and browns to orange and red, to red and black, and back to neutral. Conceptually this relates to the pacing of the film: presented as normal and neutral, escalating in emotional intensity, reaching a heated violent climax, and then resetting back to neutrality.
The rugs in front of The Elevator are the exact same pattern as the rugs in the adjacent hallway with the elevator and Indian Chief portrait, except the colors go from brown to vibrant orange.
Birds
A set of two bird photos are hung above a pheasant centerpiece:
Danny’s bedroom door is covered in bird stickers
The pheasant centerpieces speak to hunting, using life as decoration or trophy. To wealth and ownership of resources and how they’re used.
birds are prey, speaking to many many themes.
Doubling
The set up and styling of The Green Hallway and the red-floored hallway.
The sets of rugs repeat in front of The Elevator, the fireplace, and twice again within the main space.
Ghost Story:
The blocks of black and white photos foreshadow ghosts. Seeing the blocks of black and white photos prepares the viewer for A53 and A8
The blocks of black and white photos foreshadow No.53 and Jack’s ego, his desire to be amongst them in status.
Cabin Fever:
No matter how big the space and the options to roam, children will be children. Danny will be around his father’s workspace.
The camera follows Danny the entire loop around the space. Thanks to the low height, the viewer gets a different perspective.
Decorated with stuffed animal heads, a Native American sand painting, stained glass of Native American motifs, rugs in Native American patterns, the American Flag, the Colorado Flag, and blocks of black and white photos, The Colorado Lounge is heavily connected with tension, conflict, and power struggle.
It is a space that shows Jack’s isolation, the effects of that isolation, and attacks on Wendy.
Danny
The sound of the tricycle’s tires on and off the rugs sound like a heartbeat, reflection No.48’s use of a heartbeat.