Cultural Viscera

American History/Culture:

Jack climbs stairs that lead upwards to get the high ground on Halloran. Showing mountains and mountain paths create the signifier that Jack takes the actions that countless men have taken in the hopes to kill their “enemy”. 

The Native American blanket on the wall matching the inserts of the wood. Both the blanket and the wood have the Medicine Man symbol. 

Combining the massacre of Native Americans with small pox (and the appropriation of their culture as decoration) as what Jack is about to do with Halloran and A91:i2138

Domestic abuse:

Jack is stalking prey, like a hunter would do. He’s doing so because Halloran has “interfered” with Jack’s actions (to kill Wendy and Danny). 

The Maze:

Kubrick as Unreliable Narrator:

As Jack walks through the hallway, he looks to his right, at both the double doors styled just like The Elevator, but at the space we’ve seen him in No.51. 

Kubrick shows us the interior hallway, shown in A51, as if to show the beginning steps that lead to the actions we’re about to see. 

The Hotel as Maze:

Here the model maze and the checkerboard pattern of the Lobby finalizes the Hotel As Maze theme

The Double Doors as The Elevator

Jack’s rage and the elevator blood. We often see Jack doing violent and/or aggressive things in front the Elevator or doors styled exactly like The Elevator. 

Colors:

Red:

Jack’s jacket, the pillars across the Lobby, and the Red Couches are all aligned. The pillars have also become a saturated clear red (as opposed to the salmon color they appear in No.3) 

Pink & Gold:

The Gold Room

A15, A47, A53

The Torrance bedroom, within the WW Living Quarters

A13, A72 

Patterns:

Checkerboard

Native American symbols

Ghost Story:

As Jack ascends the staircase, the ceiling bands have medicine man symbols inside of mountain symbols, and a path or river. This, combined with the black and white photos in the background creates the visual metaphor of the ‘path’ Jack is taking for success. The violence, is in his mind, necessary for his place as “a great man”. 

This reflects No.5, No.47, A53 and A69: “I and the others”. The (real or imagined) peer pressure of societal “ancestors”.

Cabin Fever:

The violence, is in his mind, necessary for his place as “a great man” — may not necessarily because of ghosts— or Jack’s mind has gone to the point where he’s created the ghosts. 

Scene Reflection:

No.66

Wendy exits this hallway to see Jack’s sabotage. 

No.81

Jack uses this exit to chase Danny into The Hedge Maze

Staircases

A45:i756, over Jack’s shoulder as he tells Wendy he dreamed he killed her and Danny

It connects the themes of The Colorado Lounge, the usage of black and white photos (as it relates to previous generations of behavior, and those Jack wishes to impress) and the actions he’s about to take in The Lobby. 

Thematically connecting The Colorado Lounge, The 2nd floor hallway / near Room 237 and The Lobby as it relates to The Maze, American History, Abuse

A81:i1826 in the direct correlation- both staircases are diagonal, and both set up something horrible about to be shown 

Wendy’s Trail of Awareness and what she sees when she runs upstairs:

(see: Artwork)

A80:i1817, Native American child portrait and House w/ waterfall

A80:i1817.1, Ice fishing painting seen in A3

A80:i1818.1, dual Native American children portraits same as A66, A81

A80:i1818.2, Coleville painting Cow and Moon, similar to A7’s Coleville, Horse and Train

A80:i1819, snow cabin - similar to A72’s shabbier version

A80:i1823, the buffalo, seen in Colorado Lounge

A80:i1823, the bulldog print on the wall inside of the room, reflects A6:i153’s Coleville Man with dog

The camera is in front of Jack as he walks towards The Lobby from an unknown hallway. Kubrick not only shows us a different interior hallway, he shows that it is layered with yet another hallway!

Ullman’s window really could not be there. 

The Lobby & its Left & Right Hallways:

No.26

No.40

No.51 

No.55

No.78

No.87

Jack

Wind is heard.