Identity and the Supernatural: Colour in The Shining

David Batchelor explores the idea of identity and self, in relation to colour, stating that it “requires, results in, or perhaps just is, a loss of identity, of self. But not always, and not for everyone” (51). The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980, U.S.A) explores this idea in a supernatural sense, the idea of precognition and protection. If one somehow knows or can predict what experiences are about to come their way, they are better equipped to protect themselves and remain strong under great power and duress. By this statement, the opposite is also true; if one is naive to things around them, they are more likely to fall victim to said things. More specifically, the extent to which the characters in The Shining are aware of the danger that has already and will continue to unfold correlates to how strong they are to their identity and thus how the supernatural powers of The Overlook Hotel are able to affect them later. In this paper, I argue that through the use of the colours red and green, Kubrick successfully illustrates the idea of loss of identity through the means of premonition and protection, as well as naivety and victimisation in a supernatural sense.

The Shining follows the Torrance family and their frightening experience in a haunted hotel. Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) gets a job as the caretaker of The Overlook Hotel during its off season. Jack, his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and their son, Danny (Danny Lloyd) move together in hopes of a relaxing winter. However, when Danny’s psychic powers, referred to as his ‘shine’, and manifested in the form of Tony, his imaginary friend, start giving him warnings of the supernatural powers of the hotel, the winter is anything but relaxing. The ghosts of the hotel hurt Danny and send Jack on an axe wielding, homicidal attack on his family. As Jack loses his mind, Wendy and Danny remain, more or less, the same and are able to safely escape from him.

The concept of precognition in relation to colour is introduced very early in the film through the main characters Jack Torrance, Wendy Torrance, and Danny Torrance. The first time Wendy and Danny are seen, they are seated at their kitchen table eating together, and are both wearing bright red and blue clothing. During this scene, they are talking about the upcoming move to The Overlook Hotel, and Danny says that he and Tony are not looking forward to it and do not want to go. Shortly after this moment, Danny has his first vision of the hotel; the blood filled elevators and the ghost twins. There are two strong colours shown in these visions and those are the red of the blood and the blue of the twins’ dresses - shades of red and blue that are very similar to those worn by Wendy and Danny. Here, the colour red becomes important as it becomes associated with the blood and thus becomes an omen for danger. The blue in the twins also becomes associated with danger, as their appearance at the same time as the blood creates a relation between the two.

At the same time, Jack is shown at his interview in Mr. Ullman’s office at the Overlook Hotel, wearing very muted green and grey colours, making the bright hue of Danny and Wendy’s clothing appear almost cartoonish and stand out even more. Jack is excited about moving to the hotel and does not sense anything wrong, even after hearing about the previous caretaker who killed himself and his family there. The room that Jack is in during his interview is a paler shade of red, indicating the danger surrounding him, and soon his family. As previously mentioned, Danny’s vision of the elevator and his hesitancy to go is what gives red, in the context of the hotel, its meaning of being a symbol of danger. Although the red in the interview office is not the same bright shade, it is still red and its paleness could be indicative of how the danger will grow stronger as the story continues.

While red in the hotel signifies danger, as the film progresses it is revealed to mean something different when seen in the characters’ clothing. Rather than being a symbol that they are in danger, it represents their sense of self, and in a way, their knowledge of the danger around them. In these beginning scenes, it is not yet clear that Danny has the ‘shine’. As the film progresses, it becomes clear that these scary visions Danny is seeing are the events that unfold in the hotel before they occur, a likely reason as to why he tells Wendy he does not want to go to the hotel. Danny also survives these events later on, arguably due to his shine and strong attachment to his identity, as it acts as a sort of defence from the powers of the hotel. This idea can also be seen in Wendy, as she is wearing similar colours to Danny in this opening scene. Although she does not have the shine and is looking forward to moving to the hotel, unlike Danny, she does take notice of the peculiar events and behaviour of her husband in the hotel later on, and thus remains safe at the end of the film. The red in Wendy and Danny’s clothing signifies their strong sense of identity and awareness of the danger around them, albeit in somewhat different ways, and it is this that ultimately saves them as it makes them stronger against the powers of the hotel. The opposite can be said for Jack, who was dressed in plain colours opposite to his wife and son. He is excited about the hotel and does not have any awareness of the dangers to come, meaning his sense of self is not as strong and he is more susceptible to the effects of the Overlook, as we see throughout the movie.

As the film progresses, there are clear changes to the characters’ mental state and thus the colours around them. The red and blue colour scheme of Danny’s clothing remains relatively the same throughout. Wendy is seen wearing more green and brown, similarly to Jack earlier on, while Jack begins to consistently wear a dark red jacket. This switch between Jack and Wendy’s colour schemes creates confusion as to who is in danger and who is the danger, and who’s sense of self is stronger. One scene in particular where this confusion is shown is when Jack goes to investigate room 237 after Wendy says that Danny was attacked in there. The green and purple colour scheme in room 237 is so vastly different to what has been shown so far that one cannot help but take notice. As already established, green within the characters represents their obliviousness to the dangers surrounding them, but what does it mean in the context of the hotel? There are a few possibilities here; first, it could mean the same thing as it does within the characters, but that does not seem to make total sense within the narrative of this scene. Another possibility is that it represents safety. It has been previously established that red in the hotel signifies danger. Green is the opposite of red on the colour wheel, so it would logically follow that the opposite of danger is safety, and thus this green themed room is a safe haven.

Despite this, the room is still unsettling and feels anything but safe. One colourful aspect that could be a contributing factor is the purple in the bedroom. The purple is a colour that has not yet been seen. However, the colours that create it, red and blue, have been seen consistently. This could represent how the hotel’s powers are sneaking up on Jack and, as the green he was previously wearing indicated, he is unaware of it. This also ties into an idea put forth by Batchelor, that colour means the ‘less than true’, and to colour is to disguise (52). The dangers of the hotel that Jack cannot see is disguised in the colours, specifically the purple. The green room tricks the viewers, and possibly Jack, into thinking he is safe, due to the fact that it is opposite to the dangerous red previously seen in the hotel. In reality, Jack’s weakened sense of identity that was established at the start is slowly being picked apart by the hotel, it is just not as clear due to the fact that it is hidden in the purple.

At this point in the film, Jack has also begun wearing a dark red jacket in place of his neutrals and greens, and this is the outfit he wears for the remainder of the film. This change in clothing is indicative of how he himself is changing as a result of the supernatural forces in the hotel. Wendy has also changed and is seen wearing green and brown, similar colours to what Jack was wearing earlier in the film. Does this mean that she is now the victim, oblivious of the danger to come? While she is unknowing to the ghosts in the hotel that are harming Jack and Danny, and thus is now a victim to them, she is still aware that something is wrong. This knowledge, as well as her presumed relation to Danny’s knowledge earlier on, is still something that Jack does not possess and thus is something that protects her. The idea of colour resulting in a loss of self in some and not others is evident here. As Jack and Wendy change throughout the course of the film as a result of the haunted hotel, their colour palettes change as well. Danny, on the other hand, is not affected by the hotel and that is illustrated through him always wearing red and blue.

Another important scene, coincidentally also in a bathroom, is towards the end of the film in the red bathroom. This is a turning point in the movie, as this is when Jack completely loses himself; he is seeing and talking to ghosts and it is the scene when he becomes convinced to kill his family. He is surrounded by the same bright red from earlier in the movie, illustrating how the danger surrounding him from the hotel is in full force. The progression of Jack’s insanity and loss of self as a result of the hotel is clearly seen here, especially when compared to the previously discussed scene of him in Mr. Ullman’s office during his interview. Jack was surrounded by pale red walls in Mr. Ullman’s office, he was oblivious to the dangers of the hotel (as indicated by his green and brown clothes), and it was where Jack first heard about the previous caretaker, Mr. Grady. Here, he is now surrounded by strong red walls and wearing deep red, indicating the danger that surrounds him, and he is actually speaking to Mr. Grady, or at least he is imagining he is, and he has completely lost his mind to the powers of The Overlook. Another comparison that can be made is between this scene and the previously discussed scene in the green bathroom. Red is opposite of green on the colour wheel, so this change in colour in the bathroom also indicates that Jack’s mental state is now completely opposite to how it was in that prior scene. In the green room, it is unclear exactly where Jack is mentally, however it can be assumed that the hotel is beginning to work its magic on him, as mentioned previously. Here, any doubt is gone and the drastic change in colour helps to make that clear.

Stanley Kubrick’s, The Shining, explores ideas put forth by David Batchelor regarding colour and the loss of identity. The extent to which the main characters, Jack, Wendy, and Danny are aware of the dangers of The Overlook Hotel correlates to how strong their identity is. The stronger it is, the less the haunted forces of the hotel are able to affect them, and vice versa. The strength of the characters’ identity is evident through the colour in their clothing, specifically red and green, and how it changes, or does not change, throughout the film. Danny remains in the same red and blue clothes the whole time, as his clairvoyant powers give him full knowledge of the dangers around him and his family. Wendy starts out with the same colours as Danny, but as the movie goes on, ends with green and brown clothing. These are the same colours that Jack starts out with, as he has no idea of the dangers of the hotel. Because of this, he is an easy target for the ghosts and as he is changed by them, so are his clothes, wearing a deep red jacket for the second half of the film. These colours are given meaning from the start of the film, from Danny’s violent visions, to the way they are used in the hotel. By establishing meaning from the start, as well as what awareness, if any, the characters have of the threats from the hotel, Kubrick successfully illustrates their change in selves throughout the film.