There’s so much to love about The Shining that I don’t know where to begin. This is the scariest ghost story ever put to film. Its twin girls have become legendary. “Here’s Johnny” brings Jack Nicholson, not Johnny Carson, to mind. We remember Scatman Crothers not as a musician, but as a chef.
But there is one thing, one thing about which I hadn’t given much thought to prior to my last screening. Musically, The Shining is extraordinary. Yes, we all remember “Symphonie Fantastique” and the opening credits. But think back to Jack and Danny in the bedroom, when Danny asks his father if he’d ever hurt him. The music is another voice in the room, not just underlining the dialogue but mimicking, feeding off, building it into something more than two guys talking. Or think about Wendy and the manuscript and the scampering strings like rats running up and down your spine.
So I wonder: is there a musical commentary track to The Shining out there somewhere? I’d love to hear Gordon Stainforth, who edited preexisting music to replace the unsuccessful original score, walk me through his choices scene by scene, beat by beat. His work is masterful, and I’d love to learn more about it.
Now that I think about it, I’m going to do a deep dive on The Shining. I’m going to read what I can and watch whatever commentaries are out there and sink my teeth into this one.
It’s worth it, because The Shining isn’t just one of the best horror films ever made. It’s the best, and it’s worth the effort.
