Film: Eyes Wide Shut

[wizekrak]

After watching it a few times I find it ranks pretty highly on my list, I have my own theory about what's what, it's a pretty dense film if you readinto the themes.

 

[smotpoker]

As far as pure movie entertainment goes, 3 stars.

Nicole Kidman getting completely naked gives it 5 stars.

 

[Feels]

Truly stunning film, Kubrick was a genius and this is one of his very best. (He thought it to be his best work himself, contrary to that R. Lee Ermy rumor).

There's just so much depth in it, which is probably partly why even some Kubrick fans dislike it, because you have to really devote time afterwords to thinking about it. But if you're a real Kubrick buff, and are into digging deep into his films, it's absolutely fascinating.

I've found a lot of interesting write-ups on the film, this one is pretty great:
http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/0096.html

Oh, and just for Kubrick in general, this site is an absolute must:
http://kubrickfilms.tripod.com/index.html

 

[DigitalDuality]

not bad subject matter, not bad dialogue, but it loses points because Cruise sucks and it drags on and on and on. Personally i thought it was one of Kubrick's weakest.

 

[rathersilly]

It's a fantastically directed, rather average movie. Acting is poor (by the two leads, anyway), and the plot is a bit lethargic. Like said, visually lush. I haven't seen it in a while though, perhaps I'll make a point of doing so again and see how it goes.

Out of everyone who's contributed their convoluted, ridiculous analyses, nobody has actually made a conclusion. That is, everyone mentions that the film depicts, heavily so, sex, morality, and perhaps, the dynamic of human interaction, but can't actually define the "why", or what their interpretation is.

 

[rathersilly]

sorry drEaMtiMe*@#, this is the film that made me conclude kidman is overrated as an actor. her acting in the dope smoking "confession" scene has to be the worst ever included in a kubrick film. i liked the film of course (it's kubrick!), and i find it's kubrick's most symbolic, however this underlying theme of servitude and hierarchies was so hidden, so much so that one almost requires an arts degree to grasp any of it at all, that on the surface the film is left to come across as an entertaining but extremely drawn out exercise in pretension (wow that sounds pretentious lol).

a very good film, i just wish it were a little more accessible.

Quoted for truth, and evidenced by the attempts to do so in this thread.

 

[Feels]

I think it's probably Kubrick's most complex and layered film, but you hardly need an art degree to analyze it. Just knowing Kubrick and how he made films, you get the jist of what he was trying to say with EWS. Hell, just look at the title- it's basically synonymous with "denial." And the Harfords are certainly in denial when they just decide to "fuck" after all that happened. A lot of people are turned off by it because Cruise's character is kind of a smarmy idiot- but that's the point. He's playing the persona of Tom Cruise- a clueless drone sleepwalking his way through life. A "caretaker" like Jack in The Shining, making sure his master's fantasies run smoothly. So attuned to a misguided kind of partiarchy that he can't even bear the idea that his wife might think about other men.

And yeah, the dialogue and acting feels a bit awkward on first viewing but I hardly have a problem with it after seeing it several times. I think Kidman's performance is great, actually.

 

[dshock]

but one would say it was never REALLY there, it was just a symbol of bill's guilt.

I would agree with you there, except for the fact that when he goes to return the costume the mask is indeed physically missing. And the fact that they make it apparent to point out that the mask is not with the other things he returns.

 

[Feels]

I love how ambiguous it is, how you can't really truly know what happened or who placed the mask on the pillow. Few films leave you hanging like that and when they do its refreshing.

Anyway I just got the 2-disc unrated DVD of this recently, after having only seen a poor copy of the film before, and was stunned by how great it looks.

 

[wArEhOuSePuNk]

Stupid. pointless garbage.

If it werent for all the topless scenes i would've smashed the tv with a steak tenderizer

 

[dshock]

Ruin your Tv because you don't like a movie?

 

[wArEhOuSePuNk]

Ruin your Tv because you don't like a movie?

oh 4 sure.

I destroyed my last lap-top because i didnt like what was coming out of it.

 

[dshock]

oH man,

Passionate. I would refrain simply because I don't have the green to replace my Media outlets, but God damn!!

 

[wArEhOuSePuNk]

oH man,

Passionate. I would refrain simply because I don't have the green to replace my Media outlets, but God damn!!

yeah i dont either. i didnt have a computer for like 6 mnths...... just an anger problem & a tv.

oh & i also own a car but thats about it.

 

[dshock]

just an anger problem & a tv.

lol