No.47
No.47 is Jack’s version of The Incident. Delivered in monologue between Jack, a bar full of mirrors, and Lloyd, we hear what haunts Jack by way of his family.
When you’re listening to this scene or reading the dialogue, consider how it would feel to have this said about you, your spouse, or your child.
American History/Culture
Drinking, especially to blow off steam from home life— is a part of American Culture.
“White Man’s Burden” refers to a Rudyard Kipling poem about America’s involvement with the Spanish War with Cuba- in winning, America went from an isolationist country to an imperialistic one.
Domestic Abuse
When Jack is not talking about his family, he’s charming and happy. When he’s talking about his family (or to his family), he’s aggressive towards them and dismissive about his own part in his familial situation.
This scene shows Jack as quick witted and charming— compared to incapable and mute in previous scenes. This shows that this scene is Jack seeing himself as he wants to be seen. Or, he’s very charming when he wants to get what he wants (in this case a drink). It reflects The Interview and how Jack is going to be one way to impress, and another way with Wendy & Danny.
How Jack describes The Incident is violent—even 3 years after—all in the justification of Danny’s involvement of Jack’s work. Noticeably absent is his admittance that he’d been drinking.
Jack refers to his son as “son-of-a-bitch”, which is another insult towards Wendy. Reflects A45:i768- where Wendy calls Jack a son-of-a-bitch— Abuse in lineage
Wendy knew where to look for Jack even though there isn’t any liquor present.
Jack asks Wendy “Are you out of your fucking mind?” If Jack just experienced talking with Lloyd, why would he not believe Wendy?
The Maze
Kubrick as Unreliable Narrator:
Lloyd serves as gate keeper to Jack’s psyche/ego. Lloyd is affable but plain. Allowing Jack to perform as the likable guy that he is— to himself.
Jack is a married man but does not wear a wedding ring.
This scene shows Jack as quick witted and charming— compared to incapable and mute in previous scenes. This shows that this scene is Jack seeing himself as he wants to be seen. Or, he’s very charming when he wants to get what he wants (in this case a drink).
Remember No.15 where Ullman says all of the liquor has been removed, and yet there are prominent liquor bottles in front of the mirror- Jack’s fantasy blocks his view of himself.
Jack mentions having “couple of tens and twenties”, yet when he opens his wallet he has no money.
Jack wears corduroy and Lloyd wears velvet— corduroy is known as “poor man’s velvet”.
As the scene plays out, Kubrick’s framing leaves Lloyd out more and more. He becomes a single triangle of red in the lower corner, visually combining Jack’s sweater with a reflection — rather than a ghost.
Fatalism:
“Which room was it”
No.19 Is there something bad here?
No.30
No.44
No.48
TIme:
There are discrepancies around time around how long Jack has been sober.
As Jack says “Five miserable months on the wagon and all of the irreparable harm it’s caused me”, it reflects Wendy’s “He hasn’t had any alcohol for five months”, but Jack saying “Five Months” is more current than Wendy’s “five months. They’ve been in the hotel for at least 2 months, and the incident around Jack dislocating Danny’s shoulder happened 3 years ago.
Doubling:
“Just have a couple of tens and twenties right here in my wallet”
“Greatest bartender from Timbucktoo to Portland Maine— Portland Oregon, for that matter”
Euphemism & Idiom
“You set em up, I’ll knock em back. One by one” An American Culture/History reference to guns, “The Old West” and cowboys. Equally probable: sports or targets.
“White Man’s Burden”- at once a reference to a Rudyard Kipling poem, but because it’s said while Jack is drinking to deal with the problems of wife + child, it gets conflated with man’s role in life as well as in the world.
“Ole sperm bank”- This one needs absolutely no definition. It’s clear what he’s referring to, but the fact that Jack can describe his wife like that, AND go unchecked is a problem. The fact that audiences don’t recognize it’s been said is another problem.
Color Palette reflection:
Jack and Lloyd wear the same color red jacket. As the camera crops in on Jack, only Lloyd’s red jacket is seen in the lower corner.
Ghost Story
Jack greeting a ghost within The Gold Room feeds into this narrative, yet Jack’s inability to believe Wendy’s “There’s a woman in the hotel” makes it suspect that he was really talking to a ghost.
Cabin Fever
Jack could be hallucinating Lloyd.
The scene begins with Jack removing his hands. The camera has already been fixed on Jack seated at the bar, but as he “recognizes” the camera lens and greets “Lloyd”, the viewer has become at once the camera, the lens, and the ghost Lloyd.
The Gold Room
Jack
Lloyd
There is only wind heard blowing inside The Gold Room, a high pitched noise, and then Jack’s monologue against silence.