No.24
No.24 is the natural conclusion shown in No.22. Wendy takes the food cart to the Living Quarters and serves Jack breakfast in bed. This scene is the warmest interaction Jack and Wendy will have across the entire film. It is essentially their pillow talk. The scene also includes fatalist elements that feed into the ghost story narratives.
American History/Culture
The army camouflage chair outside of their living space speaks to the normalcy of militarization within American culture.
Wendy brings Jack breakfast in bed, instead of thank you he says “nice”. It is expected of Wendy to serve her husband.
Domestic abuse
Jack’s tone is dismissive and even when Jack is eating the breakfast he’s been served in bed, he rejects Wendy’s request for company. He mocks her while she tries to give advice on writing, and while none of this is outright abuse, it speaks to the quality of their relationship. This scene is the most pleasant they are together and speaks to the reality that even the calm moments are not warm and loving between the two.
Wendy’s admission that she felt the hotel was scary shows that Jack lied about his Wife’s temperament within No.5. It also shows that he doesn’t consider his Wife or his son when making major life decisions that effect the whole family.
The Maze
Kubrick as Unreliable Narrator:
The multiple doorways shown are a practical necessity for a hotel but also symbolize multiple choices.
Thematically, as well as spatially, the Green Hallway and the WW Hallway are connected, as shown in No.38
Wendy’s claim of finding the hotel scary creates a disconnect between Jack’s claim that she’s a confirmed ghost story and horror film addict. Whether he doesn’t know his wife or he lied to get the job, it’s proof that Jack’s version of events is not one we can trust blindly.
Kubrick’s Aesthetic:
One point perspective with depth of field as focus is his preference. It’s why the film can be shown forwards and backwards, overlapping.
Colors
Wendy’s blue and yellow robe matches the styling of the hallway and the exterior space of The Living Quarters.
Jack’s green shirt matches the styling of The Green Hallway (No.38, No.79)
Colors as emotional intensity:
No.24 has Wendy in pastel blue and Jack in pastel green, but No.31 (the scene’s direct reflection) has saturated versions of these colors.
Mirrors
The scene transitions to a reflection of Jack.
Patterns
Blue flowers
Doubling
The red exit sign and the blue and yellow wallpaper reflect the color palette of No.38.
The sets of rugs repeat in front of The Elevator, the fireplace, and twice again within the main space.
Ghost Story
Jack’s claim of deja vu feeds into the ghost story narrative and the final image.
Cabin Fever:
Jack’s choice of work over connection with Wendy can be understood to contribute to his feelings of isolation. Essentially, he’s creating the issue for himself.
The scene begins with the camera already stationed to welcome Wendy into it. Scene 23 ends with Danny’s full lap and so the movement is synchronized with a character in motion with wheels. Exits are also entrances, but seeing Wendy enter where it shows fire alarms and exits create the sensation she’s walking into someplace she shouldn’t.
The camera follows her to see her put the cart towards the door, which will reflect No.72’s Jack axing it down.
It then cuts to a sleeping Jack and as the camera Pans out we see the camera is positioned on a mirror of Jack’s reflection. This reflects No.40 as Danny enters the space to Jack, also shown in the mirror.
The scene plays out with normal talk between Wendy and Jack. It’s interesting that Kubrick has the characters talk about how much they’ve stayed up late, but never shows Wendy and Jack together in enjoyment.
As Jack teases Wendy about ghosts, the scene fades out and the sound of Jack’s tennis ball is superimposed, which creates a foreboding feeling.
The Overlook Bedroom
The West Wing Living Quarters
Wendy
Jack
# It's about eleven thirty.
#
The exterior shot shown in No.22 is a much earlier time than 11:30am.
# I guess we've been staying up too
late.
#Kubrick as Unreliable Narrator:
He could have shown Wendy and Jack staying up late, but shows the viewer that they don’t spend any time together.
See: No.26, No.31, No.33,
See:
lights in the hotel as indication of ‘spread out’ activity:
No.28:i554
No.43:i728
No.58:iExterior shot of The Overlook, snow drift but darker 4pm > overlook exterior
WENDY
I made 'em just the way you like
'em, sunny side up.
JACK
# Hmm, nice.
#Wendy is a servant in her marriage.
WENDY
# It's really pretty outside. How
about taking me for a walk after
you've finished your breakfast?
#a Wendy and dogs, Goofy, her character as loyal to a fault.
#b. In absence of Jack’s company, she replaces him with Danny for a walk in the hedge maze.
JACK
# Oh I suppose I oughta try to do
some writing first.
# Jack and his work.
WENDY
# Well, something'll come. It's just
a matter of settling back into the
habit of writing every day.
JACK
Yeah... that's all it is.
# That really IS all there is. That’s the advice for anyone trying to get out of writer’s block.
# WENDY
Yeah. It's amazing how fast you
get used to such a big place. I
tell you, when we first came up
here, I thought it was kinda scarey.
#The Maze:
A direct reflection of No.5 when Jack tells Ullman (and the viewer) that Wendy is a confirmed ghost story and horror film addict. Whether he said it just to get the job, or he doesn’t know his wife— the result is the viewer can’t trust Jack’s version of things.
# JACK
I fell in love with it right away.
When I came up here from my
interview, it was as though I had
been here before. We...we all have
moments of deja vu, but this was
ridiculous. It was almost as
though I knew what was going to be
around every corner. Ooohhhhh...
# Kubrick as Unreliable Narrator,
Ghost Story
This sentence contributes to the ghost story, the fatalism in repetition, Grady and his “You’ve always been the caretaker”, and the final scene.
As Jack teases Wendy with ghost sounds, the sound of Jack’s tennis ball knocking against a wall in The Colorado Lounge is super-imposed as it fades into the next scene. Other than that, there is no additional sound to this scene. The tennis ball ends up creating a mimic of No.72 as Jack axes down the door.