Cultural Viscera

American History/Culture

Themes related to American History/ American Culture exist in response to the themes we’ve seen in No.50 and No.53. This scene reveals the cost of men’s choice to sell out their family (for interfering, for being willful), for the sake of their own ‘achievements

Domestic Abuse

Women wanting to leave but not completely able to- either through emotional ties or by being incapable of leaving due to sabotage or manipulation.

Much of the stylings of this space reflect the Torrance home shown in Boulder. 

The books, the jacket over the chair, the chair and Wendy wearing the same pattern, the television, 

Basically saying her/the Torrance’s situation has not changed. The basic elements are the same, except more extreme. 

The Maze

The scene before is Jack talking to himself, This scene is Wendy talking with herself.

In A53 we witness Jack talking with his protection mechanism from within Jack’s perspective. In this scene, we see what that looks like from the outside- from Wendy’s (external) point of view. Which is how this could look like Danny’s imaginary friend (verses an ego protection for Danny). 

Wendy’s whole plan is proven wrong/impossible. 

Pattern reflection

Wendy and the chair have the same pattern

Cabin Fever

Danny’s mental state has stayed affected either because Jack’s influenced by cabin fever, or because Danny is now influenced by cabin fever. 

Ghost Story

We’ve seen Jack interact with quite a few ghosts so it makes sense that Danny would be influenced by the ghosts. 

Direct Reflection:

No.6

Presumedly, this scene could also be a scene reflection for A6- the portion Kubrick withholds as Danny goes to black and we transition to hearing the Dr’s voice. 

No.71

Danny will be shown pacing in this exact spot. 

In A54, Wendy is unaware of Jack’s true state (and abilities, lengths he will go to), her planning gets interrupted by Danny’s repeating of Red Rum from his bedroom.

In A71, Wendy is asleep and only wakes up with Danny standing in front of her with a knife screaming Red Rum, and as she realizes what’s happening, Jack axes down the door. 

Conceptual Bookends:

No.45

Wendy gets interrupted by Danny yelling REDRUM from his bedroom

This repeats A45, as she is tending to the boilers (technically Jack’s job), she hears Jack screaming from The Colorado Lounge. Jack then tells Wendy of his dream of chopping them to bits, she comforts him by saying it was just a dream

In A54, she tries the same approach but Danny, not dreaming, answers as Tony, saying Danny was away and not able to wake up. 

In the pairing, it’s shown Wendy is a mother to not only to Danny, but Jack who is essentially a petulant man-baby.

Wendy’s inability to act when it matters:

No.7, “Anyway something good did come out of it all”

No.64, “You've had your whole fucking life to think things over - what's good a few minutes more going to do you now?”

The Bathroom

The inclusion of the bathroom within the mirror speaks to 

No.6, “Why don’t you want to go to the hotel?”

No.13, “Homey”

No.41, “You’d never hurt Mommy and me, would you?”

No.48

No.53

No.72

Who is Tony?

No.4

No.6

No.7

No.19

No.38

No.48

No.50

No.54

No.64

No.72

Smoke signals:

No.7

No.37

No.54

“Bad Dream”

No.6

No.19, It’s like I go to sleep and when I wake up, I can’t remember everything

No.45, “I just had the most horrible dream”

The camera pans with Wendy as she paces back and forth in the West Wing Living Quarters Bedroom. The camera pulls back as Wendy runs to Danny, meeting her within the bedroom at Danny’s bedside. 

The Bedroom

No.13 

No.26 

No.41 

No.50

No.62

No.71

No.72

Wendy 

Danny

There is a collage of sounds that were started in No.50 that are brought back here. The heartbeat, the sharp/high pitched tones, and the wailing are all carried through as Wendy talks through her plan out loud.