Eyes Wide Shut

About Eyes Wide Shut

Eyes Wide Shut is a 1999 erotic mystery psychological drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick. Based on the 1926 novella "Traumnovelle" (Dream Story) by Arthur Schnitzler, the movie transfers the story from early 20th-century Vienna to 1990s New York City.

Plot

The film follows Dr. Bill Harford (Tom Cruise), a wealthy Manhattan doctor, who becomes obsessed with a mysterious woman he meets at a party after discovering that his wife Alice (Nicole Kidman) once considered having an affair. This revelation sends Bill on a night-long, sexually charged odyssey through the streets of New York, leading him to a mysterious masked orgy and ultimately to question his entire life.

Production

This was Stanley Kubrick's final film, as he died six days after presenting the final cut to Warner Bros. The film was in production for over 15 months, making it the longest continuous shooting schedule in film history at the time.

Cast & Crew

• Director: Stanley Kubrick
• Writers: Stanley Kubrick, Frederic Raphael
• Starring:
  • Tom Cruise as Dr. Bill Harford
  • Nicole Kidman as Alice Harford
  • Sydney Pollack as Victor Ziegler
  • Marie Richardson as Marion Nathanson
  • Todd Field as Nick Nightingale

Critical Reception

Eyes Wide Shut has been re-evaluated by critics over time and is now often regarded as one of Kubrick's most misunderstood and misunderstood masterpieces. The film explores themes of marital fidelity, sexual desire, and the nature of reality and illusion.

Legacy

The film is notable for its exploration of desire, jealousy, and the boundaries between fantasy and reality. It remains a subject of academic discussion and film analysis, particularly for its unique visual style and psychological depth.