derekfnord wrote:It may not be intended to be a thematic link... maybe just a subtle tribute to Kubrick. :)
I've never been a big fan of the random homage (which doesn't mean that they don't exist!). On the other hand, some of the other movies that seem to be referenced in MD, like Chinatown or Sunset Blvd., seem to offer deep parallels, I'd be surprised if there weren't insights to be had by juxtaposing the two films.
On the other hand again though, haha, I'm not sure I want to subject my brain to seeing Clockwork Orange again (!), seems very violent & transgressive, the book is a much less jarring experience. Maybe best to leave any possible connections alone...
Just in terms of that scene being a reference at all, the prominence of the colour orange (in addition to the ever-present pink & blue), and the clock on the wall, seem to be lend weight to that as well.
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I had been thinking about the connections between The Shining and Eraserhead again, and then I thought, pretty obviously, they are both stories about fathers of young families, who are tormented by their positions, and relationships to their wives. In both, the protagonist seems to be at the mercy of larger spiritual forces (The Man in the Planet, the ghost of the past of The Overlook Hotel) and both seem to have spirit mentors (The Woman in the Radiator, The Bartender/Grady). Also, in a parallel to MD, many people see in The Shining a hidden backstory of abuse, the details of which are only alluded to in almost subliminal manifestations.