Comparing The Killing And The Shining

The Killing and The Shining are two very different movies from the same director. They were made in different decades in different genres and different styles. Even though there are obvious differences, such as the genre or age, there are smaller ones that become clear when you analyze both films. It also becomes clear that Stanley Kubrick has grown and advanced as a director in the 24 years between movies.

One of the more obvious technical differences is sound. Both use non-diagetic sound like background noise to set the tone for the scene, which helps the viewer know how to feel and what to expect. For example, in the beginning of The Shining when Danny watches cartoons and eats breakfast there's upbeat music, showing his innocence and happiness.

The Killing and The Shining both use similar shots, but they use them for different reasons. In The Killing, Kubrick uses low angles to show when something is supposed to be secretive, like from behind bars when the address of a mafia meeting is being shared or behind a bush when negotiating terms. They also use close ups to show emotions in characters, and wide shots to show how many people are present. The Shining has much more advanced frame composition when it comes to where things are placed and camera angles. One of the most common shots in the film is where you have a character in the background or foreground, and whatever has power over them in the opposite field. This is shown when Danny sees room 237, he is in the foreground and the door is focused in middle ground. The Shining also often uses its wide shots to juxtapose spacious areas obviously meant for many people with one or two characters to show how isolated they really are - a stark contrast to The Killing, where wide shots are used at the track to show massive crowds. The Shining even utilizes balance to create an unnatural environment. We see both an emphasis on isolation and eerie symmetry when Jack is writing, and everything is perfectly balanced on either side of a large room with him exactly in the center b