Eyes Wide Shut

Eyes Wide Shut is not a commercially viable film. It's much too strange and indirect in it's storytelling for widespread audiences to understand or appreciate. This being said, I cannot claim to be able to comprehend the full meaning of Kubrick's final work, only that I appreciate it immensely.

Like all of Kubrick's works, it's true brilliance will take years to identify. Also, whenever you're comparing films to the likes of Dr. Strangelove or Clockwork Orange, the film in question always pales in comparison. Such is the case with Eyes Wide Shut, too. Eyes Wide Shut is no 2001: A Space Odyssey. Those expecting a film equivalent will be waiting a long time for a movie to have an impact such as Kubrick's earlier works.

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman are Bill and Alice Harford. They're a deeply explored couple living in the downtown New York area. They're attractive individuals and they're constantly having to deal with other people's sexual attraction. At a party scene early in the film, Alice is caressed by the words of a older Hungarian man while Bill is charmed by the bodies of two European models. From the onset of the film you can tell what direction the story is going to take.

Kidman is in utter control of her character, especially evident in one scene where she grabs a glass of champagne and swigs it all in one mouthful. She delivers her monologues with chilling emotion. Cruise gives a performance that is patented Kubrick, with the walk, the talk, and the whole demeanor. Cruise, I'd say, has maybe never been better.

The film has a hauntingly graceful atmosphere. The lighting, done by Kubrick himself, is a dazzling display. Shadows and reflections are used to great effect. The movie is purposely shot with very grainy film. Kubrick had always been a master of the visual. Thankfully his style continues unhindered. Frederic Raphael's script, adapted from the novel "Traumnovelle" by Arthur Schnitzler, contains numerous morbid passages of dialogue and gleefully leads up the chilling climax.

The spectacularly staged orgy scene has become a source of immense controversy. Kubrick shot the sex, but then was threatened with an NC-17 rating. Kubrick died and Warner Bros., concerned about its 60 million dollar investment, made some decisions to make sure it got the "R" rating. In turn, the film isn't exactly how Kubrick envisioned it. This obvious tampering with the work of a master detracts from the film's sense of authenticity. During that specific scene it's impossible not to notice how intrusive the digital alterations are.

Repeated viewing only add the the startling impact of the film. It begs the audience to question it, to wonder who is dreaming at any given moment. The dream-like atmosphere is delved into farther than any film I've ever seen. Eyes Wide Shut is truly a model for patient moviemaking. Completely mesmerizing and utterly hypnotic, this is a spectacular film. 

On a scale of 1 to 10 cloaked and masked mystery men: 10

Click HERE for reasons why the film isn't regarded as it should.
Click HERE to read about the controversy surrounding the film's critical reception