Stanley Kubrick (MLCM)

I already know that this isn't the right way to approach this project, but never mind. I'll come to that later. This is a very brief list of (relevant) Kubrickesque devices.

The Glare
A character tilts his head down slightly whilst fixing his eyes upwards. This works really well to suggest mental unhinging, even when it's subtle (Jack below). We have Alex in A Clockwork Orange, Private Pyle in Full Metal Jacket, and Jack Torrence in The Shining.




There are much more extreme versions in The Shining as he becomes more and more deranged, but I like that it works even when it's slight.

Symmetry

Kubrick uses symmetry to achieve two very specific effects: firstly, to lull an audience into a sense of false security, and secondly, to parody or counterpoint the ensuing chaos, the asym-metrical destruction. Danny's extravagant tricycle-rides around the hotel are repeated several times as joyride, rollercoaster, guided tour.
Just when we think we've seen the ride, he sets off on another one, a tricycle trip too many (yawn . . .) and WHUMP! The wheels stop, the little feet falter on the pedals. Suddenly we have a spooky pair of twin girls, a liftshaft full of blood, a man wearing a sinister rabbit mask - just when we thought we were getting a bit bored with all this tricycle riding.

Source here.

There's symmetry all over the place (The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, 2001, Dr Strangelove).

The image of Danny in The Shining is an also an example of a following shot, where the camera literally follows a character. It's a type of Point of View shot (POV, subjective or over-the-shoulder shot).

NEXT TIME: David Fincher