The summer of 1999 saw the release of Stanley Kubrick’s farewell picture, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, to mixed reviews. However, even after 25 years, people continue to hail it as a masterpiece and have countless theories about it.
Upper-class banker Victor Ziegler (a slimy Sydney Pollack) cautions a dubious Dr. Bill Harford (Tom Cruise), saying, “Those were not just ordinary people!” The latter, an exceptional doctor, is still processing the masked ball he sneaked into the previous night at a house that turned into a potentially lethal orgy. Ziegler, a well-known client of Bill’s, goes on in his characteristic haughty yet loving manner, saying, “Bill, you wouldn’t sleep so well if I told you their names.” This week marks the 25th anniversary of the controversial film Eyes Wide Shut, directed by Stanley Kubrick. The tale revolves around the sinister misdeeds of the wealthy, among other things, and has never felt more timely.
An Odyssey has since provoked intense internet conspiracy theories…
According to a new biography by Kubrick, the renowned sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was the “living embodiment of” the mysterious Ziegler, striking a chord with contemporary real-life instances of elite degeneracy: An Odyssey has since provoked intense internet conspiracy theories concerning the Hollywood transgressions the director was purportedly attempting to reveal. “There has been a lot of discussion about everything, from its alleged prescience to its complex, symbol-filled imagery, from YouTube deep dives to Reddit conjecture.” Director Tony Zierra, who recently directed the documentary SK13: Kubrick’s Nightmare Dream, which explores the film’s unspoken meanings, tells the Early Rise UK that Kubrick’s films consistently improve over time, and that Eyes Wide Shut intentionally confuses viewers and sparks conversations. Current affairs echo the movie’s themes.
Current affairs echo the movie’s themes.
The revelation of sex scandals in the entertainment business or celebrity culture, or the exposure of dishonest politicians, invokes Eyes Wide Shut. Stanley Kubrick’s film persists and changes over time. “I think that’s why he told all his friends it was his best creation, and he was so proud of it.” However, this intense curiosity seems far removed from Eyes Wide Shut’s first indifferent response. An infamous Washington Post review called it “the dullest orgy ever seen” and praised its “grindingly pedantic, glacial pace.” Many other reviews were as critical; however, the film did quite well commercially. (In fact, at slightly over $160 million (£124 million) at the box office worldwide, the movie continues to be Kubrick’s biggest.) Kubrick himself edited the film’s original reveal trailer, featuring Chris Isaak’s “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing” as the soundtrack, which suggested a strongly sexual film filled with sensual looks and intense tension.
Marketers marketed the film as a typical erotic thriller.
In the end, Kubrick produced a totally different two-hour and forty-nine-minute film. Eyes Wide Shut is essentially about a couple in crisis: the emotionally distant Bill is sent into an existential spiral after his wife Alice (a powerful performance by Nicole Kidman) reveals she once fantasized about sleeping with a sailor she had exchanged glances with on vacation.
The director passed away in his sleep
Tragically, the director passed away in his sleep on March 7, 1999, from a heart attack. Despite Alice’s refusal to act on her desires, the experience remains deeply embedded in her thoughts and subconscious, leading a furious Bill to sleepwalk into a series of disastrous sexual encounters, uncertain if he seeks revenge or solace. However, this intense curiosity seems far removed from Eyes Wide Shut’s first indifferent response.
An infamous Washington Post review called it “the dullest orgy ever seen” and praised its “grindingly pedantic, glacial pace.”
Many other reviews were as critical; however, the film did quite well commercially. (In fact, at slightly over $160 million (£124 million) at the box office worldwide, the movie continues to be Kubrick’s biggest.) The film’s original reveal trailer, which had been edited by Kubrick himself and had Chris Isaak’s “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing” as the music, suggested a strongly sexual film full of sensual looks and hot-under-the-collar tension. Marketers marketed the film as a typical erotic thriller.
Eyes Wide Shut is essentially about a couple in crisis
The emotionally distant Bill is sent into an existential spiral after his wife Alice (a powerful performance by Nicole Kidman) reveals she once fantasized about sleeping with a sailor she had exchanged glances with on vacation. Tragically, the director passed away in his sleep on March 7, 1999, from a heart attack. Despite Alice’s refusal to act on her desires, the experience remains ingrained in her thoughts and subconscious, leading a furious Bill to sleepwalk into a series of disastrous sexual encounters without knowing if he wants to exact retribution or find solace.