The Shining on Prime Video: How Stanley Kubrick drove his cast to madness

Stanley Kubrick is known for his perfectionism, attention to detail, and multiple viewpoints. Actress Shelley Duvall knows something about that. In 1980, she played Wendy in The Shining, an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name – which does not carry the film at its heart. He stars as the wild and terrifying Jack Nicholson as an uninspired writer who takes a job as a security guard at the Overlook Hotel. This period of isolation will throw a small family into horror.

For Shelley Duvall, a nightmare wasn’t just a movie. It happened in front of and behind the camera. Many viewers have often pointed the finger at her interpretation, judging her not to live up to her partner’s standards.

However, the actress looks fabulous and more single than ever. There’s a lot of atmosphere behind the scenes. On the set, director Stanley Kubrick is not kind to the actress. He even hesitated to leave the profession – which he did in 2002 – to disappear completely from the radar.

I don’t think anyone took care of him

“I don’t do it like I did. Jack Nicholson also said to me, “I don’t know how you do it.”“- the actor recalls in an interview The Hollywood Reporter 41 years after the fact. Even Anjelica Huston – the actress who for years created a very famous couple with Jack Nicholson – remembers the situation of Shelley Duvall: “When I saw him at the time, he seemed tortured, completely disoriented. I don’t think anyone took care of him.”

One of the film’s most iconic scenes – the one on the stairs where Wendy grabs a baseball bat to protect herself from her abusive husband – was shot… 127 times. The actor, who was under constant stress, left the set without a word and was completely dehydrated from screaming and crying.

Rediscover the staircase scene:

“After a while your body will rebelShelley Duvall explains. He said, “Stop doing that, I don’t want to cry all day.” Sometimes this thought made me cry. Getting up early on a Monday morning and realizing that you’re going to cry all day because that’s how it’s planned, it pissed me off.“

You only have to watch the making of images available on YouTube to understand. Between takes, Shelly Duvall noticed that her hair was falling out due to stress. A few minutes later – around the 15 minute mark – Stanley Kubrick is furious over a communication problem with the actor, who tries to stand up to him despite everything.

Making of Shining:

now 74 years old Shelley Duvall Lives away from the movie set. He lives in Texas, in a modest home. Despite the difficult experience, his work on The Shining undoubtedly remains one of the film’s most memorable features.

The Shining leaves the Prime Video platform on October 15.