Hi everyone! hope you and your loved ones are all safe and healthy. Well… this week’s film is literally a masterpiece. Therefore I am not sure how to begin with. Eyes Wide Shut is not an ordinary film and not for regular standard cinema audience. It is an erotic mystery psychological drama film. (warning: VERY erotic do not watch it with your mum. I did and I do not recommend anyone. Too many awkward moments). It is the last film directed and co written by the iconic director Stanley Kubrick starring real life married couple Nicole Kidman as Alice Harford and Tom Cruise as Bill Harford. The film’s main purpose is to explore sexuality in marriage, jealousy and human intimacy. The central theme is sexual desires. Sex is everywhere in the film even outside orgy masonic party Bill attended. The viewer get the idea that New York city one big orgy and sexual tensions and desires rise from the city.

The film starts with Alice. She elegantly takes her dress off but it can be noticed that Bill is not paying attention at all. Instead he is looking outside and then searching for his wallet. This scene foreshadows his future desire to explore his sexuality which comes to surface after Alice tells him about her dream. Her dream is about her sexual fantasies with a naval officer that she encountered before. She tells him every single detail. She even mentions her sexual desires were so strong that she was ready to leave Bill and their daughter behind at that point. Bill seems to be disturbed by the idea of his wife desiring other men. He sees Alice as a sexual object and this is outside of her role as sexual object. Bill represents the male energy and for him, she can be desired but cannot desire herself. Men are consumers and women are objects of consumption. This suggests the idea how men do not understand the complex minds and desires of women. The plot gets quite interesting and and intense after this scene but I will not get much into it. I will continue with analysing prominent scenes from the film.

Each new women Bill meets from Mandy, Domino and Sally are red heads just like his wife Alice. This suggests that every women she meets represents Alice. His wife is the one he is subconsciously seeking.

Bill meets his friend Nick at a jazz club and he tells Bill that he will play piano at a special gathering featuring lots of sexy women. At this point, Bill wants to explore his desires and decides to participate the gathering. This is a special masonic orgy gathering and he needs a costume and a password to enter. He manages to enter with no problem but then things start to go downhill for him. A woman who is also a part of the orgy, tells him she knows he is new and he must leave to prevent getting in trouble. After a short while, he gets noticed and called downstairs. Kubrick prefers to show the audience instead of telling. Therefore scenes are filled with many significant details.

IMPORTANCE OF THE CAMERA ANGLE

When people at the masonic ritual notice that Bill is not in fact invited to the ritual, they call him downstairs and the red oak gives him a speech. There is a change in camera angle in that particular scene. Throughout the film, we are always behind Bill and following him closely. This made it possible for audience to create a bond with the character. However, when Bill enters the circle where he is questioned, the camera angle changes. The audience is left behind the circle, we are not inside. This is how Kubrick chooses to show the audience that Bill is in danger. The creepy piano music also makes it possible for us to sense the danger Bill is in. When the girl who warned Bill sacrifices herself for him, the camera is back in the circle. We are close to Bill again. Implying that he is safe again.

The film touches variety of elements from sociological relationship problems to sexual desires and to masonic organisations. This is the official theatrical advertisement picture of the film. We can clearly see that it shows one eye of Nicole Kidman and this represents the masonic element of the film. It gives the message that we as an audience should be more aware of how powerful these organisations can be and open our eyes because we are always being watched.

personal rating: 10/10

This video is very useful for understanding the film better. Check it out for more information