Eyes Wide Shut

Eyes Wide Shut

Film Data

Based on: Traumnovelle by Arthur Schnitzler

Release Dates: June 16, 1999 (US) September 10, 1999

Running Time: 159 minutes

Budget: $65 Million

Box Office: $162.1 million

Distributed by: Warner Bros

Music by: Jocelyn Pook

Cinematography: Larry Smith

Edited by: Nigel Galt

Starring: Tom Cruise as Dr. William “Bill” Harford

            Nicole Kidman as Alice Harford

            Sydney Pollack as Victor Ziegler

            Marie Richardson as Marion Nathanson

Cast: Todd Field as Nick Nightingale

            Sky du Mont as Sandor Szavost

            Rade Serbedzija as Mr. Milich

            Vinessa Shaw as Domino

            Fay Masterson as Sally

            Leelee Sobieski as Milich’s daughter

            Alan Cumming as Hotel desk clerk

            Leon Vitali as Red Cloak

            Julienne Davis as Amanda “Mandy” Curran

            Thomas Gibson as Carl Thomas

            Madison Eginton as Helena Harford

Synopsis

            The movie opens with married couple, Alice (Nicole Kidman) and Dr. Bill Harford

(Tom Cruise) getting ready for a lavish Christmas party thrown by one of Bill’s patients, Victor Ziegler. While there, drunken Alice dances with who flirts with her and trying to seduce her unsuccessfully. At the same time, Bill is being seduced by two young models when he is interrupted by a server explaining that he is needed upstairs. Once upstairs, he finds Victor and a woman he had clearly been having sex with, Mandy, who was now overdosed and passed out. Bill is able to wake her up and advises Victor to stay with her, instead of just leaving her as he previously planned.

            Although there is no set timeline and the time is always left very vague, it is safe to assume that it is the following night that Alice and Bill fight while smoking weed. Alice asks if Bill slept with the two girls to which he says he did not and claims that he isn’t jealous of men who are attracted to Alice because he thinks women are more faithful than men. Alice is clearly offended and in defense, tells Bill the story of a fantasy of a naval officer she encountered on a trip who she would leave her previous life if this man would give her a chance at even just one night. In the revelation, one of Bill’s patient’s daughter calls to tell him that her father had passed. He goes to her place where she exposes her love for him and kisses him. He leaves upon the arrival of her fiancé, Carl, and on his walk through a well-lit New York City, he meets a prostitute and comes close to awkwardly sleeping with her until Alice calls.

            Bill goes to the bar his old friend is playing at and overhears his conversation about a secret sex party, in which he says he must go. Although hesitant at first, Nick gives him the passcode and Bill goes to a local costume shop previously owned by a patient for the corresponding outfit. He arrives to the house in a taxi and gets in effortlessly using the code but once in, he notices that others are noticing him. During the ceremony, a woman pulls him aside explaining that he is in danger but he doesn’t listen and continues with the party. While navigating the sex filled rooms, he is pulled aside by someone saying that his taxi-

driver wants to talk to him, but instead he is brought to the ceremonial room where the Master of Ceremonies confronts him about his intrusion asking him to remove his mask and clothes, all while his friend is playing the piano. It is then that the same woman sacrifices herself for Bill and is taken away and Bill is free to go. When he gets home, the drama does not stop there as he finds Alice laughing in her sleep and explains that she was dreaming about sleeping with many other men and laughing in Bill’s face.

            It jumps to the next morning and Bill goes to Nick’s hotel, which the desk clerk implies that he was beat up and forced to check out by some men earlier that morning. Bill then returns to the costume shop and finds that the owner is now prostituting his daughter who was found sleeping with some men the night before. Bill, still trying to figure out what had happened, travels to the mansion and is handed a personally addressed note to cease and desist.

            Images pop into Bill’s head of Alice’s potential encounter with the naval officer and reconsiders his sexual offers from the previous night, first calling Marion then going to Domino’s apartment. Domino is not home but he tries to seduce her roommate who stops to tell him that Domino is HIV positive, which clearly kills the mood. On the way home, he realizes that a man is following him and stops at a newspaper stand to watch the stalker. At the stand, he reads of a drug overdose of the same girl he saved in the beginning of the movie.

           Bill is summoned to Ziegler’s house who tells him that he was at the orgy the night before and that Bill is in danger to which Bill is surprisingly calm until he brings up the girl, asking if she died because of sacrificing herself to which Ziegler confirms that that was not the case and it was drugs. Ziegler explains that the entire thing was a charade and Nick was sent home and everything was done to frighten him into staying quiet but that they can follow up on their threats. To which the matter is dropped and Bill leaves.

            When he returns home, he breaks down as he sees his missing mask on the pillow next to his wife. He explains everything to Alice to which it cuts to the following day where Alice and Bill are contemplating their relationship. Alice says that the only thing left to do is “Fuck.”

Commentary: Reflection

            Eyes Wide Shut is a 1999 erotic drama based on Arthur Schnitzler’s Traumnovelle. As Kubrick’s last film, it left a legacy and it definitely did with weekend box office of $21.7 million and received positive reviews from critics. They complained about the pace of the movie and the unrealistic New York scenery. But it still was nominated for multiple awards, as Kubrick films have a tendency to do, such as Golden Globes Award for Best Original Score, Best Director at Chicago Film Critics Association, and more.

            Now about the film, it is set in New York but during Christmas time. I originally thought that this was strange for Kubrick but then realized how he utilized the lights that illuminate the film in all areas. But also because of the stark juxtaposition of the Christmas spirit and the sexual and horrifying content.

            The setting did match the music in the film though. Kubrick, known for his use of classical music, did not stop for this film. This film with music written by Jocelyn Pook filled string instruments that corresponded nicely with the dialogue-heavy scenes.

            Hiding one’s identity and intuition is a huge theme in this film as is shown through the use of venetian masks, cloaks, hidden stories, and dreams. The cloaks and masks are used to protect the society from strangers and onlookers. The hidden stories and dreams break a relationship but also save it. The only time when the identity is revealed is when there is fear. Bill only learns more about the cult from Victor Ziegler when it is revealed that he is in danger. And Alice reveals her dreams when feeling offended and fearing her role in her marriage.

            However, the film closes with the confirmation that nothing is final, even if everything seems like it is out in the open. Alice and Bill “fuck” to throw their history under the rug and the orgy cult reminds Bill that they can get to him by placing his mask on the pillow beside his sleeping wife.

           

Commentary: Response

            Not only did I have to watch this movie multiple times with subtitles, but in the end it did not make much sense to me either way. The movie’s tonal music and elaborate camera work was intriguing to the mind and encouraged a state of confusion and fascination in the viewers. In some parts, it was difficult to watch with the nudity and sex scenes as I am not used to it, but then again that’s the point the movie, right?