nn28 Awful 1 out of 10 stars would go negative if could, dumb commentary with nothing to do with the shining.

avik-basu1889 'Room 237' is an intriguing watch. Not because the theories and claims are convincing or anything. As a matter of fact pretty much every theory/claim presented in the documentary is nothing short of ludicrous or astronomically far-fetched. However, the film fascinated on some level because it is a representation of unrestricted obsession. These are people who have pretty much dedicated their lives to 'solving' the hidden meanings in one particular film. I believe one of the greatest potential evils that a human being can encounter is apathy. 'Room 237' on some level is a statement against apathy which I can't help but admire.

pseawrig A lot of people reviewing this documentary seem to be showing a lack of imagination or maybe an inability to see the big picture. This documentary is certainly a celebration of The Shining's very detailed, precise, and fully fleshed out story world. It is also a meditation on meaning: how we bring meaning to things even as we think we are taking meaning from them. The film presents five way-out-there interpretations of this film. It is not claiming that these interpretations are true. Instead, it is showing how a perfectly conceived and fully manifested piece of art can become a magnet for meanings. We watch five different interpreters argue five intense and very different interpretations of this movie. Along the way, these interpreters point out existing patterns in this film, many of which I'll wager you have never noticed.Does this make their interpretations valid? The film does not answer this question. Instead, it revels in the acts of interpretation. This is not a documentary that claims to finally reveal the truth behind Kubrick's masterpiece. Instead, it suggests that this movie acts as a catalyst, which somehow activates the various "truths" that viewers bring to it. If, like me, you are interested in the way the human mind works, then you will probably find this movie engrossing. Its at times less than convincing interpretations of The Shining are never less than fascinating.

matt_hehe This film is an epic thesis on storytelling, adaptation, and film-making. If you have read the King novel, then you know that a key component to the story is the Minotaur theme. It's not an accident that Kubrick invented a hedge maze scene for the final act... the book manifests Danny's clairvoyant visions of his mad father as a Minotaur stalking him in some contrived labyrinth of hallways in the Overlook hotel.So, that said; the moon landing stuff is trash, but nonetheless entertaining; Any claims about Kubrick being involved in some sort of conspiracy have been more than debunked. However, we know that Kubrick is always trying to tell us more than what's on screen...The theory that Kubrick's The Shining is a metaphor for the genocide of American natives seems absurd at first, but I believe it is absolutely borne out by facts raised in Room 237. It is verifiable that King was not pleased with the screenplay adaptation, and the film actually expresses this by emphasizing the *yellow* bug that is trashed roadside, instead of the red bug in the book. But if we take out the moon landing crap and assume that Kubrick is approaching this project from the native American angle, so many pieces fall into place.Room 237 exposits this concept ad nauseam, but let's simply consider the most iconic scene of the film, where Jack is taunting Wendy as she threatens him with the bat: the camera takes great care to ensure that the aboriginal tapestry that serves as decoration for the great hall stays framed as Jack ascends the staircase (where the shot is a peculiar over-the-shoulder 1/3 take). So we're left to simply ask, *why* was this Kubrick's approach? (and this is exactly the type of question that Room 237 engages emphatically) All of this is to say: Room 237 provides enough insight regarding the themes of the book (Minotaur/labyrinth) while illustrating Kubrick's own departure from the source text (aboriginal genocide). It is hard to reconcile the changes made from the book to film without these interpretations.again, CAVEAT:The moon landing stuff is bizarre; I think this can be explained by confirmation bias of those intrigued by Kubrick's proficiency in filmmaking, being contemporaries of breakthrough techniques used during the filming of 2001. It's unfortunate the filmmakers felt compelled to include this aspect, as it obfuscates what I consider to be serious narrative themes suggested by Kubrick.So, I'm proffering an 8/10, given that the viewer has both seen the original film and read the novel... And as someone who is a rabid fan of both, Room 237's peculiar allure has stayed with me for months after viewing.