Room 237 (2012) - Rodney Ascher

While there is an abundance of films which lend themselves to dramatic interpretation, quite possibly no films have been dissected quite like Kubrick's work.  In Room 237, Rodney Ascher sets his sights on The Shining in this fascinating and insightful documentary.   Carefully examining The Shining in almost any way you could imagine, Room 237 introduces various far-reaching theories which have been derived from the interpretations of scholars and fans alike.  These scholars believe they have decoded the hidden symbols and messages in Kubrick's The Shining with theories ranging from reasonable to borderline absurd.  The film's structure is very simplistic, letting these various scholars espouse their theories while the film is rearranged, cut, and/or edited to illustrate their stream of consciousness as much as possible.  While all of theories are interesting for me what makes Room 237 so appealing is the notion that an Author's intent is merely only a part of what makes Art so important.  For me, Room 237 is a film that is more about the importance of individuals to observe and interpret cinema, with each taking what they want out of it.  My favorite films have always been the ones in which people seemingly take different things from, with the directors intention only being a part of the puzzle.  With Room 237, I found myself reminded of Kubrick's genius but more importantly the film reminded me why I love art/cinema in the first place.
7.5/10 

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