Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
An obscure vision even for open eyes.
Presentation:
Stanley Kubrick’s last film, which ended up killing him likely due to fatigue. A bit of context, this is an erotic conspiracy mystery taking place in New York of a fever dream experience of married man Tom Cruise. The sets look fake, because they are. Fans may argue that this elevates the hallucinogenic aspect of the film, which is definitely a focus indicated by the spying and artificial blue lighting. As for the orgies, one critique is they are a bit ridiculous and borderline cartoonish especially compared to modern erotic cinema, but it can be hard to judge as the film was made in 1999. I don’t think it’s Kubrick’s best work and its legacy seems over-exaggerated. The first viewing will definitely feel disjointed, messy and unfinished, lacking the psychological Kubrick magic from his other films. Maybe it’s too subtle as normally he balances the perfect amount of unspoken ambiguity and open interpretation. Here it sort of just ends abruptly and the impact can’t be felt. After repeated viewings, maybe you’ll find more value in it, though it’s unclear whether it’s something you want to see or just a conspiracy of greatness the film attempts to present.
Analysis:
I can't say I fully grasp this film. A major theme is clearly about marriage, infidelity, denial and the sophisticated decay of society. But how it all comes together is unconvincingly assembled to make sense of it with any confidence. I think it's quite likely the theatrical cut is not Kubrick's original vision, especially after the DP claimed what he shot didn't make it into the film. This would explain why the film uncharacteristically is poorly put together. Given what we know about Weinstein and Epstein, it's possible this film directly addressed child trafficking rings, edited out or covered up depending on how you see it. But this is getting into conspiracy territory and is frankly the only way I can make sense of it.
Conclusion:
Despite mixed reviews, Kubrick has reportedly cited this as his greatest contribution to cinema, which may also be influenced by the fact he had been trying to create this film his entire life. All of his movies have some dark element of human psychology to them, but this one seems very far above most people’s heads in order to grasp. Or maybe it is just not strongly presented for a dying old man whom had been progressively delving too deep into his own mind. One thing is for certain, it seems to have an influence on society and culture. Whether it’s life imitates art or influenced by it, we hear testimonies of similarly rich orgies in 5 star hotels that sound eerily similar. It’s unclear which has influenced which, and I feel as though this meta ambiguity is the same value audiences feel from this experience.
Recommendations
Reversing time doesn’t heal all wounds.