No.65
Wendy drags Jack from The Colorado Lounge into The Pantry for her’s and Danny’s safety. The conversation that ensues is another instance of “Torrance home as abusive”, as it takes place around The Kitchen table— the same location where Danny and Halloran talk about whether there’s “something bad here”.
American History/Culture:
Wendy dragging an unconscious Jack to The Pantry reflects A45. It involves Wendy’s work surrounding Jack’s job, Jack’s emotions and violence, and her work protecting herself and Danny from Jack.
This plays into American Culture is the role of women within marriage and child rearing. They are also expecting to control their husband, influence the husband to behaving (and treating them) better- often to their own detriment. When women complain, they’re placated with empty platitudes of being ‘better women’, ‘better wives’.
The way Wendy is styled, speaks to indigenous Native Americans, red white and blue provided by Jack’s jeans, the white walls and the fire extinguisher.
Red, White, and Blue:
The red white and blue formed within the design of the sysco boxes, but the walls, the blue maxwell house cans, the cans of kool-aid, the red in right foreground, and Jack’s jeans.
Domestic Abuse:
Jack is shown listening to Wendy crying and he changes tactics. He switches from cursing and aggressive to pleading for her sympathy and asking for a Doctor— yet it’s one scene ago where he was attacking her for wanting to bring Danny to a Doctor.
Having empathy for your abuser puts you in direct harm. It’s what an abuser counts on in order to maintain the abusive dynamic.
This reflects how he behaved in No.45, where he gets sympathy for telling Wendy he dreamed of killing her— and in No.50, where he attacks her for not going along with what he wants.
The Maze:
Kubrick as Unreliable Narrator:
The location of The Kitchen and The Colorado Lounge is never determined, but Wendy was able to move Jack from that space to this one.
Wendy is where Halloran and Danny have their talk (No.19).
In it we learn that Danny started talking to Tony when he was harmed by Jack, who had been drinking (because he was in a bad mood), and he takes it out on his family. A45 (There is) an incident with Danny, resulting in Jack “drinking”, emboldening his choices to take it out on his family.
Weirdly enough, Jack is where Danny is during No.16. He’s facing a different direction, but he’s in the same place.
Horror Movie Trope:
Wendy’s inability to see the latch is locked is an example of a character making dumb decisions because of stress and danger.
It’s an instance where the tension has built up and you take that frustration out on Wendy- yelling at the screen. The viewer is shown the locked latch at a very close angle.
The Torrance Normal Family Home:
The fights within this film take place in settings mimicking “normal” spaces. The Colorado Lounge is styled like a living room. Here, Wendy and Jack fight in The Kitchen.
Kubrick’s Aesthetic:
Both Jack and Wendy are shown on the floor, incapacitated to move. In Jack’s case, it’s because Wendy hit him with the bat to protect herself and in falling down the stairs, hurt his ankle. In Wendy’s case, it’s her sadness.
Color:
Heavy concentration of red and green.
Ghost Story:
The Torrance’s problems are due to ghosts, not Jack.
Cabin Fever:
Jack’s mental state has been affected to the point where he sees his actions as legitimate and justified, and that his choice to sabotage the safety of himself and his entire family has been influenced by his inability to leave the hotel.
The location of the kitchen and The Colorado Lounge is never determined, but Wendy was able to move Jack from that space to this one.
Wendy’s inability to see the latch is locked is an example of a character making dumb decisions because of stress and danger.
It’s an instance where the tension has built up and you take that frustration out on Wendy- yelling at the screen. The viewer is shown the locked latch at a very close angle— is there compassion or judgement for Wendy?
The rest of the scene takes place with Jack locked in the pantry and Wendy outside of it.
There is a hint of a reflection of Jack’s head in the door, setting the viewer up for No.69.
The Kitchen
The Pantry
Wendy
Jack
Polymorphia, “Many forms”.
Could be used to show the variety of emotions Wendy is shown experiencing, but equally— how many “Jacks” Jack shows in this scene. He’s literally shown listening to his wife cry and then course correcting his behavior to manipulate her.