by Ralph Thompson
MAIN PAGE ⎔ SECTION PAGE ⎔ SITE MAP ⎔ GLOSSARY
ART OF ROOM 237
BABY LEOPARD ON A ROCK ⎔ DOG, BOY & ST. JOHN RIVER ⎔ FOUR JOHN GOULD BIRDS ⎔ FOX RESTING ⎔ MANDARIN DUCKS ⎔ MYSTERIES ⎔ MYSTERY VESUVIUS ⎔ PORTRAIT OF A FOX: ALERT ⎔ STILL LIFE OF FLOWERS IN A JUG
APPEARANCE
Seen only once from 75:49-75:50.
MIRRORFORM SIGNIFICANCE
Jack’s saying “light” in, “Say Lloyd, it seems I’m temporarily light.” And he’ll go on to say, “How’s my credit in this joint, anyway?”
Leopards are extremely close to tigers, evolutionarily speaking, so I doubt that this wasn’t meant to connect to all the other appearances of tigers throughout the film. In other words, as a guardian figure, connecting to Tony and Hallorann. And both Hallorann and Tony are likely involved as Danny shines his 237 experience at Hallorann (which is happening during Jack’s retreat here). So I wonder if the leopard being near the door says something about why the 237 ghost never pursues her victims out past her front door (then again, she does appear at the ghost ball 6:57 later).
Also, in the mirrorform sense, Jack just said he’s “temporarily light”, and this would be a very temporary “shine” from this guardian leopard. So it could be that his finding his wallet to be empty speaks to a moment of good luck for Jack: he has no money, so he can’t put the hotel’s ghost drinks down his gullet. But just a moment later, he discovers that his credit is fine in this joint, and the rest is herstory.
Also, we discussed this already in the analysis of Nadia Benois’s flower painting, but it’s worth pointing out again, I feel, that we can see the hallway outside 237 is well lit in this shot, but is totally dark when Jack comes pouring backwards out the door in a second. Dark enough to render him in silhouette as he retreats up the hall.
STYLISTIC SIGNIFICANCE
The other thing this made me think of was the moment from 2001: A Space Odyssey when the “leopard” who is “on a rock” leaps down on the early man (named One-Eye, in Kubrick’s script) to gobble him up.
What we have here is a Baby Leopard on a Rock, emphasis on the Baby, so perhaps this wasn’t meant to convey the same sort of thing. Still, that moment from that film is essentially meant to convey early man’s place on the food chain, vulnerable to any such sort of predation. And here, Kubrick is exploring a very different sort of predation, to which we remain very vulnerable: the nightmare of our existential selves.
Just 40 seconds from this moment, Gold Room Jack will drink the drink that seals his fate. Followed by the death face that mirrors his labyrinth death face. So I don’t think it’s impossible that these leopards are of common purpose.
Next art reference: Mysteries of Room 237
MAIN PAGE ⎔ SECTION PAGE ⎔ SITE MAP ⎔ GLOSSARY
OTHER MAIN PAGES FOR SHINING ANALYSIS
THE MIRRORFORM ⎔ THE BEATLES ⎔ THE RUM AND THE RED
BACKGROUND ART ⎔ OVERLOOK PHOTOGRAPHS ⎔ GOLDEN SPIRALS
PHI GRIDS ⎔ PATTERNS ⎔ VIOLENCE AND INDIGENA ⎔ ABSURDITIES
THE STORY ROOM ⎔ ANIMAL SYMBOLS ⎔ THE ANNOTATED SHINING
EYE SCREAM 