No.78
No.78 has Halloran repeating Wendy’s path in No.22 to his death.
American History/Culture:
This scene mirrors Wendy walking food through the same space. She will eventually serve Jack food in bed.
What is Jack being ‘served’ with Halloran? The opportunity to be “among the best people” by proving himself worthy of killing. White man’s aggression (and the feeding of said aggression) with violence, racism, entitlement, for the sake of greed and power, and acceptance of those within power.
Jack kills Halloran in front of the General Manager’s office, further conflating what Jack work was and what it's become.
See:
Ullman as Uncle Sam
Grady as Imperialism
The Elevator & blood as Jack’s rising rage: American people, ‘average weak men’ attacking minorities to grow their own status, forsaking future generations for their own current gain & comfort.
Jack's Work
Danny’s Sweater:
Danny’s sweater is NOT red white and blue, as established in A71, A72, A73; however, due to the cropping and the black backdrop, it becomes red white and blue.
“Future generations horrified to learn at the actions of those that came before, and now it comes for you too” Dwight D Eisenhower
Domestic abuse:
This scene mirrors Wendy walking food through the same space. She will eventually serve Jack food in bed.
Both scenes end with the character meeting Jack.
Experiencing Halloran’s death at the hand of his father is what causes Danny to scream and what he sees through Tony in A6.
The Maze:
Kubrick as Unreliable Narrator:
Experiencing Halloran’s death at the hand of his father
is what causes Danny to scream and what he sees through Tony in A6
“Do you like lamb, Doc?”
Both Halloran and Danny are essentially sacrifices. Halloran is the one who IS sacrificed, and through killing him, Jack is able to scare Danny out of hiding.
Who is Jack’s true boss?
Jack kills Halloran in front of the General Manager’s office, but makes his promise to Delbert Grady.
This question is similar to what Jack’s “true” job— is it to be a caretaker to the hotel, as we see Wendy perform, or is it to be in control of his wife and son?
Danny’s Sweater:
Danny’s sweater is NOT red white and blue, as established in A71, A72, A73- however, due to the cropping and the black backdrop, it becomes red white and blue.
Euphemism/Idiom:
Visual Idiom:
“Checkered”, as in “Checkered Past”
The Lobby is designed like a checkerboard, but euphemistically,
“Checkered” can refer to:
- Including good parts and bad parts
- In the Abuse Narrative, it’s Jack’s behavior: A3, A5, and A7/A47, A50, AML + TUES.
- In American History, it is EASY to make this case:Beauty, freedom, accessibility, modern comforts- and what was needed to procure those things.
Including many problems or failures:
“ It’s hard for me to believe it happened here, but it did”
“I could really write my own ticket if I went back to Boulder now, couldn’t I?” (No.50)
“We've got a very serious problem the people who are taking care of the place. They've turned out to be completely unreliable assholes.” (No.60)
“Do you have any idea what would happen to my future if I failed to live up to my responsibilities? (No.64)
Color:
Red, White, and Blue:
The scene is bathed in blue, Halloran’s cap is a saturated red and his rain coat is khaki. It reflects how Danny’s sweater looks as he hides from Jack
Green:
The glow of the green hallway can be seen from The Lobby.
Red:
Not just Halloran’s blood, but the darkness of the shot intensifies how red the columns look. Reflecting No.53 and foreshadowing No.87.
Red & Black:
The banding around where Halloran dies is in red and black. The carpet under the television (shown to be completely different in No.40) is now red and black (shown originally here— CO Lounge NO.23)
Pattern:
The checkerboard design of The Lobby and filigree decorations around the Cashiers & General Managers Office speaks to the promise of the American Dream but the reality is a game filled with greed and violence.
Ghost Story:
The ghostly influence has played out to its conclusion, Jack is murdering someone to appease Grady and “the others”.
Cabin Fever:
Domesticity vs. Cabin Fever. Wendy’s been a stay at home mom this whole time.
The scene mirrors No.22, except it is far darker— both in literal lighting and tonally.
Just like in No.22, Halloran walks towards the camera, and then it transitions to following him.
As Halloran makes his way through The Lobby, it’s when he crosses across The Cashiers and The General Manager’s Office that Jack strikes him from a pillar.
The scene cuts to include Danny screaming from the Green Hallway next to The Lobby.
The Lobby
The Green Hallway (a metal sideboard inside this hallway)
Halloran
Jack
Danny
Wind is heard as Halloran is calling out. The silence is building tension... until Jack screams striking Halloran with the axe.
Utrenja II: Ewangelica
No.72 (Jack axes through apartment door) / Wendy sees ‘REDRUM’
No.78 Jack kills Halloran
No.79 Danny runs from Jack
No.80 Wendy sees bear blow job
No.83 Wendy sees dead halloran, Wendy gets shocked from “great party isn’t it”
No.84 Jack yells out “I’m right behind you”
Utrenja II: Ewangelica
The ‘sting’ of percussion that hits hard, is done so to accentuate awareness and the reality of the situation, and the immediate danger they are all in.