Rumors that Stanely Kubrick all but terrorized The Shining’s star, Shelley Duvall, have persisted since the film was released in 1980. Duvall’s hysterical performance in the film struck a chord with viewers and could have sparked these rumors—but is there any truth to them? In light of her tragic passing, we’re taking a look back.
Kubrick the Perfectionist
For context, let’s look at Stanley Kubrick’s career and films. He’s a renowned director, known for being a perfectionist and demanding absurdly high numbers of takes before signing off on a scene. This was on display during the filming of The Shining according to crew members—and a documentary shot behind the scenes by Vivian Kubrick.
Methodical Shooting
Kubrick’s methodical shooting schedule has been the focus of much discussion regarding The Shining. Incredibly, shooting the film took over 500 days, an astonishingly long period for just principal photography. This was partly due to Kubrick’s insistence on shooting scenes over and over until he was satisfied.
Antagonizing the Actors
Kubrick has been accused of antagonizing the actors, including Duvall and co-star Jack Nicholson. Kubrick allegedly told craft services to only offer Nicholson cheese sandwiches, knowing he hated them, in order to irritate him and get his frustration to play out genuinely in front of the camera.
Isolating Duvall
In the documentary Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, and in recollections from crew members, Kubrick is alleged to have isolated Duvall from the rest of the production. He kept her strung-out and anxious by telling the crew to not sympathize with her or talk to her more than necessary.
Constant Arguing
Kubrick and Duvall also argued constantly during filming. Kubrick made a point of not listening to Duvall and purposefully shooting down any notes she had about her character or lines. This led to increased tensions between the two.
Crying all the Time
Duvall later recalled crying for twelve hours per day for five or six days per week during the shoot. She noted, “it was so difficult being hysterical for that length of time.” She noted it was exhausting and even called the conditions “unbearable.”
How Many Takes?
The “baseball” scene in The Shining was shot 127 times, a record for the most takes of a scene with spoken lines. Duvall’s performance in this scene is iconic—she’s crying, her hands are raw, and her voice is breaking. Some have pointed out those are all genuine symptoms of trauma from having to run the scene a maddening number of times.
Defense of Kubrick
Those who defend Kubrick point to interviews with Duvall where she herself defended him, noting that she feels her performance is as good as it is because Kubrick pushed her to her limits. Case closed, right? They all left the set as friends!
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Did She Hate Shooting the Movie?
At one point during the filming of The Shining, Shelley Duvall had a full-blown panic attack. This is actually seen in the documentary. “The shoot was very hard on me and I got to the point where I just couldn’t take anymore, I needed a break, but taking a break costs money and people need the shot done, so I had a little breakdown,” Duvall said in an interview.
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The Truth
In an infamous 2016 interview with Dr. Phil (itself roundly criticized for potentially exploiting Duvall in the midst of what seems like a mental health crisis) she responds to a question about The Shining. She insisted “that film was hell to be a part of,” before conceding that the movie is the way it is due to Kubrick’s “force and cruelty.”
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