MPAA Classification: R (Graphic sex, frequent nudity, profanity)
Cast: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack, Todd Field, Marie Richardson, Rade Serbedzija, Vinessa Shaw, Leelee Sobieski
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Producer: Stanley Kubric
It was with inquisitive anticipation that I approached my first viewing of Stanley Kubrick’s 14th and final work – Eyes Wide Shut. It certainly was not so much due to the much-hyped publicity that preceded its launch; the steamy trailers, and newsstand covers seemingly depicting a world of necrophilia, swinging and extra–marital exploration wrapped in an erotically charged thriller. It was the famous director and filmmaker that incited my fascination, and in particular, how he would treat the subject matter of his latest work – the destructive de-humanizing elements of human nature; fears and jealousy.
Eyes Wide Shut is largely concerning a transitory fracture that develops within the seemingly perfect relationship between Dr. Bill Harford (Tom Cruise) the well-heeled Manhattan general practitioner and his wife Alice (Nicole Kidman). The film has the directors’ definitive stamp. Indeed Kubrick’s perfectionist filmmaking idiosyncrasies have been well documented but deserve special reference in this case. The eclectic and yet minimal music, beautiful rich imagery and colour, the meticulously unhurried presentation all shot with an exceedingly decipherable measure of precision. Eyes Wide Shut confers the impression that you are viewing a masterpiece. Just like 2001 A Space Odyssey, Full Metal Jacket and A Clockwork Orange this is a challenging and intellectual film made by a unique artist whose product practically defies established film genres. It is perhaps fitting to state that Stanley Kubrick’s work is a genre in itself. The curtain rise reveals the doctor and his wife as they prepare to attend a sophisticated upper class Christmas function thrown by a friend Victor Zeigler (Sydney Pollack). They both engage in some open flirtation, Bill with two gorgeous women and Alice with a vulturous Hungarian lothario. Following on Alice asks Bill why he does not seem to mind her enticing behavior. His responds that he trusts her totally and in any event, suggests that it is men who are most likely to seek sex outside of marriage. The response touches her raw side. She decides to unequivocally reveal the lust she felt for a naval officer they both encountered sometime in their past. Her narrative is comprehensive and exposes a sincere carnal longing. Bill is psychologically wounded and experiences a sudden surge of jealousy. Shakespeare’s “green-eyed-monster” jealousy is a gut-wrenching and tormenting feeling which (depending on the degree of the threat) can bring even the most content and outwardly successful of souls down to the lowest levels – the bourgeois and beyond are not exempted. Dr. Bill Harford’s exclusive hold on Alice is under siege. As a way of coping he embarks on some adventures of his own which lead to a surreal gothic like underworld of sexual fear and desire, perversion and pleasure mixed with elements of real danger and even death. The supporting cast members are brilliant and appear especially real and convincing. The art direction provides copious amounts of plush detail. Beautiful antique interiors, apartments with foyers to die for, long (very long) hallways and ballrooms belonging to characters that live in an enduring world of prosperity. If there is to be any Freudian streak within the theme it would be the connection made between sex and death. The doctor fearing for his life after viewing the orgy, the dead patients daughter asserting her longing for the doctor and the prostitute who is diagnosed HIV positive. Ultimately, the film tends to disturb rather than arouse. Interestingly, there is something oddly uncontemporary and old fashioned about the way Eyes Wide Shut deals with sex. It highlights the negative forces it can generate because of its repression. To this end, the film would have had greater impact if it were set in the days before the sexual revolution. Its painstaking production and attention to every detail has created a degree of artificiality within the product. This is an inevitable outcome given the directors style and it will undeniably limit its saturation value within the mainstream. For the nonprofessional the entertainment value is somewhat diminished, as Eyes Wide Shut is far more akin to an outstanding art house film. For me every scene extension, exaggerated dialogue and the seemingly overcooked character presence represents Kubrick’s qualities. The technical proficiency and limitless exactitudes are there for good reason and challenge viewers to become absorbed. Eyes Wide Shut offers far more than an evening’s diversion in front of a Plasma, CRT or LCD. It seeks the attention of a thoughtful audience in a manner and way that harks back to the very early classics. We should understand that Kubrick gave up on film critics almost three decades ago. It can be argued that to enjoy the film one has to understand the director’s emotions and thought processes, indeed one gets the impression that Kubrick would have expected nothing less from an audience. Clearly, it will appeal to a select few in addition to hardcore fans. I challenge the rest to appreciate what it offers in the context of intellectual and influential cinema.
