The Shining

Vladamir Propp was a theorist who, after watching many films, noticed a pattern within them all and created typical charecter roles and narrative structure.



The Shining (Stanely Kurbrick 1980) has many of Propp's features, firstly the character roles:

The Villain and False Hero: This is Jack. He fits both of these descriptions because to begin with we see him obtaining a job as a normal man, we are led to believe that he will be the hero. But later on in the film Jack breaks down and starts to become pyschologically distressed eventually trying to murder his family, this is why he ends up the villain.



The Hero/Victim: This is Danny. We are first led to believe this when we find out he has a magical telepathic ability called 'The Shining'. He is also the victim of Jack's abuse and murderous attacks.



The Hero/Victim: This is also Wendy. She is more of a victim than a hero to begin with, as she seems vulnerable. But eventually we see that she is stronger than we think, by hitting jack with a baseball bat and locking him up and then avoiding being killed by him by slashing his hand with a knife.



The Helper: This is Chef, Dick Hallorann. He is the helper because he tries to come to the rescue of Wendy and Danny, however not achieving this. He also tells Danny about his telepathic powers and tells him not to go into room 237.


Narrative Structure

Preperation:

• A member of the family leaves home - Jack leaves home at the start for the job interview.
• A prohibition or rule is imposed on the hero - Danny is told by Dick not to go into room 237.
• A prohibition is broken - Danny enters room 237.
• The villain learns something about the victim - Jack is told that Danny has mystical powers and is telling someone to help them.

Complication

• The villain harms a member of the family - Jack tries to kill both, Wendy and Danny and harms them mentally by killing Dick.

Transference

• The hero leaves home - Danny leaves home to the hotel with the family.
• The hero is tested, attacked, interrogated, and as a result, receives either a magical agent or a helper - Danny is attacked in room 237 and tells Dick through 'The Shining' who comes to the hotel to help.
• The hero uses the magical agent - Danny contacks Dick through 'The Shining'.

Struggle

• The hero and villain join in direct combat - Jack chases Danny through the maze with an axe.
• The villain is defeated - Jack freezes to death.

Return

• The hero is pursued - He is chased by Jack
• The hero is rescued from pursuit - Danny finds a way out of the maze and drives away in the snowcat with his mother, Wendy.

Recognition

• The villain is punished - Jack dies.
• The false hero is transformed - Jack at first was mentally stable but is subject to cabin fever and becomes mentally unstable.