The opening of the shining was intended to set the scene of the film, and build an eerie atmosphere by using the soundtrack. The camera shots are from what seems to be a helicopter as it is very high up in the air. It shows the surroundings, and the car driving through it. They make sure not to show any other signs of civilisation. I think this opening sequence is subtly very clever. This is because it lasts an unusually long time. This may have been done to show just how far the car was travelling, and how there is no other sign of civilisation anywhere near where the car is heading. This instantly creates that fear of being alone, and away from any kind of help.

The soundtrack is also very effective as it uses a low, constant bass line that creates suspense (a lot like the theme tune for "Jaws"). It also occasionally has a high pitched, echoing noise that may also be used to show the vastness of the landscape the car is in and to match the visuals. The actual piece of music is very cleverly written as the bass line seems to be quite random as it changes note constantly. This is effective because it represents the film as a whole, the audience never really know what is going to happen next and are left in suspense as to what the conclusion could be.