Room 237
| Room 237 | |
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Film poster
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| Directed by | Rodney Ascher |
| Produced by | Tim Kirk |
| Starring | Bill Blakemore Geoffrey Cocks Juli Kearns John Fell Ryan Jay Weidner |
| Music by | Jonathan Snipes William Hutson The Caretaker Film music: Wendy Carlos Rachel Elkind |
| Edited by | Rodney Ascher |
| Distributed by |
IFC Films IFC Midnight |
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Release date
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Running time
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102 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5,426 |
| Box office | $296,359 |
Room 237 is a 2012 American documentary film directed by Rodney Ascher about interpretations and perceived meanings of Stanley Kubrick's film The Shining (1980) which was adapted from the 1977 novel of the same name by Stephen King. The film includes footage from The Shining and other Kubrick films, along with discussions by a number of Kubrick enthusiasts. The film has nine segments, each segment focusing on different elements within the film which "may reveal hidden clues and hint at a bigger thematic oeuvre." The film was produced by Tim Kirk. The title refers to a room in the haunted hotel featured in The Shining, which a character is warned to never enter.
The film was screened in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The film's distribution rights were acquired by IFC Midnight and was exhibited theatrically and on VOD on March 29, 2013.
Though King's novel and Kubrick's film adaptation depart in some significant details, they share the same premise. Jack Torrance, a would-be professional writer, takes on a job as the winter caretaker of the sprawling Overlook Hotel in the Colorado mountains. His wife Wendy and son Danny accompany him for the season, the child exhibiting a psychic power called "the shining." Hotel chef Dick Hallorann also possesses psychic powers, and offers advice to the youngster about managing his unusual abilities. As the months wear on, the isolated family suffers from cabin fever and begin to experience paranormal events.
Room 237 is told entirely through voiceovers by people with different theories about The Shining. According to one, the film is about the genocide of Native Americans, because there is imagery throughout the film associated with the American West. For instance, cans of Calumet Baking Powder are noticeable in the background of two important scenes. Because a calumet is a ceremonial pipe, and the cans featured the image of a Native American, one analyst believed that American imperialism was the subtext of the film.
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