The Bijou invites audiences deep into the maze of director Stanley Kubrick’s mind through the film Room 237 this weekend. Described as a “subjective documentary” on the Bijou’s website, the film’s analysis of The Shining promises to “… draw the audience into a new maze, one with endless detours and dead ends, many ways in, but no way out.”
Room 237 presents five separate theories on the hidden meanings in Kubrick’s film by five interviewees. Tim Kirk, the producer of Room 237, said months of research and discussion occurred before the filmmakers chose the interviewees. Although the theories may differ in the beginning, Kirk believes the audience will be shocked at how the theories come together.
“My favorite thing about the film is how [an] interviewee’s theory will seem at odds with others’ until they suddenly sync up on a specific moment or scene in The Shining,” he said.
Released in October 2012, Room 237 spent the year touring esteemed film festivals around the world, including the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, the Canes Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, and film festivals in London, Jerusalem, and Hamburg. Jesse Kreitzer, the Bijou’s executive director, said Room 237’s festival popularity made it an obvious choice for the film series.
“After a successful festival run, garnering both critical and audience praise at Cannes and Sundance, [the film] would appeal to enthusiasts of The Shining and Stanley Kubrick, whether they were aware of the fandom and conspiracy surrounding the film,” Kreitzer said.
The Bijou Board of Directors determines which films will be shown through film pitches for the fall, spring, and summer sessions.
Although the Bijou originally planned to show Room 237 sooner as a part of its Late Night Series alongside The Shining, Bijou Programming Director Joshua Yates said the theatrical availability and a late release date prevented the Bijou from featuring the documentary in its spring schedule.
But Room 237 will be well worth the wait, he said. Having known about the film for a while, Yates said, he is excited to experience the documentary with the audience.
“I really like The Shining,” Yates said. “Chuck Klosterman’s article on Grantland made me aware of the film about almost a year ago, and I’ve been waiting to see it ever since.”
What: Room 237