Analysis of the opening sequence of 'The Shining'.

The Shining opens with a still shot of a typically American winter setting of a lake surrounded by forestry and snow-topped mountains. A point-of-view shot is then used as the camera begins to move forward, curving around the river bends. The shot then changes to a birds eye view of the landscape, allowing the audience to see the extent of the isolation and vastness that the shot is trying to convey. After a couple more shots of the landscape, the camera then focus's on a car that is meandering along the desolate road. The long distance from which the car is being shot from, accentuates the solitude of the car, and indicates that isolation could play a central role in the rest of the film. Accompanying the visuals is low-pitched, eerie music. This then transforms into electronic music which has a supernatural feel to it, reflecting the genre of the film. The music demonstrates the horror that is to come later in the film, as well as unnerving the audience. The birds eye view shots of the car and the landscape continues, with the credits rolling down the screen.  Soon, the camera moves past the car to circle a large manor-like building, as the music seems to be reaching a climatic point. The focus on the building suggests that it will be the main location for the rest of the film, which turns out to be true as most of the action takes place inside and around it.