The origin of The Shining‘s iconic ending has been uncovered 45 years after Stanley Kubrick’s horror movie was released. Directed by Kubrick and based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, the 1980 film follows Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) and his descent into madness as he takes a job as winter caretaker of the remote Overlook Hotel. During The Shining‘s ending, as Jack freezes to death and his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny escape, a photograph in the hotel hallway is revealed showing Jack among a crowd of partygoers, dated July 4, 1921.
Now, four and a half decades after the film was released, the original photograph from the end of The Shining has finally been found. In a thread on X, formerly Twitter, Aric Toler of The New York Times‘ Visual Investigations revealed that he and British academic Alasdair Spark found the photo in the Getty Images Hulton Archive, and discovered it was taken at The Empress Ballroom in the Royal Palace Hotel in London, at a Valentine’s dance, on February 15, 1921. Check out the full thread below:
On Instagram, the gettyarchive account also shared a post with Alasdair Spark detailing his investigation:
What This Means For The Shining’s Ending
Does It Help Clarify The Final Scene?
Over the years, why Jack appears in the photograph has been one of the most widely debated aspects of Stanley Kubrick’s movie, since the director intentionally left the ending ambiguous and allowed audiences to interpret its meaning. Many viewers have theorized that the photo symbolizes the hotel absorbing Jack’s soul. However, during his life, the director himself did provide a different interpretation, suggesting that the photo hints at Jack being the reincarnation of a former hotel caretaker, adding another layer of mystery and intrigue to the film’s final scene.
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Unfortunately, the discovery of the original photograph doesn’t reveal anything new about the ending’s meaning itself, though it is an incredible feat of visual investigation. Aric Toler and Alasdair Spark spent a year researching the origins of the photo by sifting through archives and old documents, and they initially struggled to find a match. Their breakthrough came when they contacted the BBC Hulton Archive, who eventually found the image. Their investigation discovered that the photo was misfiled and was licensed to Kubrick’s company, Hawk Films, in 1978.
Our Take On The Shining Photo Being Found
It’s An Incredible Feat
The discovery of the original photograph from the end of The Shining is a remarkable feat of visual investigation. While it may not offer new insights into the meaning of the movie’s mysterious ending, the recovery of such an iconic piece of film history is undeniably significant. While the meaning behind the image may remain elusive, its rediscovery may only deepen the enigma of The Shining‘s ending.
Source: Aric Toler/X, gettyarchive/Instagram
The Shining
10/10
- Release Date
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June 13, 1980
- Runtime
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146 minutes