What does The Shining's final image actually mean?

I think it's up to the individual to interpret.

I don't think it's about *going back in time* so much as it was about becoming part of this ghostly group, this collective of people who had (in life) been touched by the supernatural element present at the hotel. To my mind - that Jack is in the photograph didn't signal a leap through time, so much as a sort of retroactive membership in this ghost club.

Like I said - individual takes on it!

Don't know if you're a South Park fan. . . this year's Halloween episode was a Shining spoof - Randy buys a Blockbuster store, which is (obviously) utterly deserted, and he starts going bat-$hit. Good stuff.

Jack was perhaps living history all over again. What exactly happened is left up to the viewer, but I think Jack was a lost soul being called back to the hotel and to become part of it again. In any case, pretty good movie.

he was the caretaker of the hotel & he Jack committed the murders