Film released in 1980 and based on the novel by writer Stephen King is one of the most cited when it comes to “subliminal messages”
The enlightened (1980), classic Stanley Kubrickhas been one of the most cited films over the years when it comes to “subliminal messages” in the cinema.
Based on the homonymous novel of Stephen Kingthe feature film brings Jack Nicholson in the role of Jack Torrancea writer tormented by a creative block when becoming a caretaker of a closed hotel during harsh winter United States.
Among the theories created about the film, one claims that all the script created by Kubrick would actually be an allegory of Holocaust. Several symbols would supposedly indicate this hypothesis.
In the documentary Room 237 – Kubrick’s maze (2012), for example, the history teacher Geoffrey Cocks says that the repeated use of number 42 in several scenes would be a clear reference to Wannsee Conferenceheld in 1942 and known for instituting the “final solution” for the extermination of the Jewish people (via BBC).
However, Jan HarlanStanley Kubrick’s executive producer and brother -in -law, ensures that such a theory could not be more mistaken. According to him, the acclaimed director never intended to exalt or even portray the Holocaust through The enlightened.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly (via Far Out), Jan Harlan stated:
“After his death, these theories that were funny and, in part, offensive. The most offensive is the idea that The enlightened It’s a movie about the Holocaust. “
According to the brother -in -law, such a hypothesis would be seen as a complete derision by Kubrick:
“This is outrageous. It is an insult to Kubrick, that he addresses the most serious crime in human history in such a light way, and also an insult to the victims of the Holocaust. The other ideas are much more harmless, where continuity errors are attributed with deep meaning.”
More about Stanley Kubrick
In his filmography, Stanley Kubrick addressed various topics, including war, as in Killed (1987), but focused on the Vietnamand not in the holocaust or in World War II.
The filmmaker, who also directed classics like 2001 – A odyssey in space (1968) and Mechanical orange (1971), died in 1999 at the age of 70.
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Source: Rollingstone

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