Cultural Viscera

American History/Culture

Wendy talks to Jack about food

Jack’s writing is primary to the work he was hired to do, a signifier of what is glorified in American Culture (writing over physical labor). 

Domestic abuse:

Wendy’s rejected by Jack when he can’t work, and she’s rejected by him because of his work. 

This is the first scene where overt verbal abuse occurs, but Wendy doesn’t react or challenge it. Because of this (or as well as this), the audience doesn’t react either. 

The Maze

Kubrick as Unreliable Narrator:

There is a block of black and white photos combined with the gold and pink lamp create a visual foreshadowing to The Gold Room and No.53. 

Saturation as Emotional Intensity:

Both Wendy and Jack are wearing saturated versions of what they’re wearing in No.24,

Kubrick’s Aesthetic:

There is a beautiful symmetry to this space— left to right and top to bottom (much like the opening shot). 

The visual blocking of Wendy between to blacked-out curtains becomes a macrocosm of her stripes in her apron (No.28). 

Ghost Story:

The scrapbook shown in the foreground is from the book, but not discussed whatsoever in the film. It’s a collection of all the stories that have happened in The Overlook and is an influencing force in Jack’s work. 

Cabin Fever:

The urge to use isolation as an excuse is difficult to understand when Wendy is shown as a stay at home mom. 

No.24 is a direct scene reflection. 

No.24 shows how Jack is sarcastic with Wendy in regard to his work. Here we see that Jack is not only sarcastic, but vitriolic and brutal. AML and TUESDAY reflect each other in every aspect, but the A24 and A31 scene reflections show the darker nature of what could be seen as light hearted teasing of A24. 

Wendy wears snowflake pajamas in No.24 and talks to jack about a snowstorm here. 

Wendy’s apron in No.29 is vertical black and white stripes. The framing of her face, the lighting, and the heaviness of the curtains create a micro/macro shot that she is “imprisoned”. 

It also visually foreshadows her as she makes her way up the stairs to witness a sex act between a man in a bear suit and a man in a tuxedo. 

Jack curses at Wendy

No.47

No.50

No.64

No.65 “I’ll forget the whole goddamn thing”

Honorable mention: Wendy curses at Jack, No.45

Jack’s inconsistency

Sometimes Jack welcomes Wendy into his space within The Colorado Lounge, but mostly he doesn’t. 

No.45 Jack is shown screaming in The Colorado Lounge and Wendy comes running. 

No.63, Wendy walks into The Colorado Lounge looking for jack, but holds a baseball bat to protect herself. 

Jack comes out of the darkness to confront her with “What are you doing down here?”

This one in particular resonates with No.31 as Jack is again treating Wendy as if she’s not welcome in the space.

The camera is situated behind Jack as he’s writing. Wendy walks into the frame and the camera gets close in their faces as the scene plays out. 

Focusing on the facial expression creates the crop that drives the meaning. 

The Colorado Lounge

Wendy

Jack

There is no additional sound to this scene, with the exception of the finalization from No.30's crash as Jack removes the paper from the typewriter.