Unique, truly extraordinary

Rating: 10/10 (26 September 2005)

This is one of my favourite films. I love the tense and psychological atmosphere throughout and every scene was fascinating in its own way. This film was not meant to be particularly sexy as many viewers were expecting. Kubrick would not have allowed it to be marketed in such a way. Many of the characters Bill meets are purely symbolic so people should not complain that they are implausible or caricatured. I would not argue with people who complain of the film's slow pace but it didn't bother me personally. Brief outline: The first part of the film sets the scene and introduces the main characters: Bill and Alice, Nick Nightingale and Ziegler. Bill and Alice's marital situation becomes clear and then her confession sets off a chain of events forming the main subject of the film. Bill has several near sexual encounters with various strangers before Nightingale points him to the mysterious masked orgy at the mansion. I found this to be one of the most sinister and haunting scenes in movie history. Bill discovers that this society is extremely private and that intruders are dealt with severely. He is spared after a woman at the orgy appears to sacrifice herself.
During the rest of the film Bill struggles to come to terms with what he has seen and remains curious, especially of what became of Nick. The film retains a strong element of mystery and only ever shows what Bill sees. Ziegler, revealed as a member of the orgy attempts to explain things to Bill and reassure him that nothing sinister went on. Can he be believed? I loved the way the film was shot and the sets were exceptional. All the characters were perfect for their role in the film and the mystery kept me interested throughout. This is a serious film but everything that happens shouldn't be taken at face value. There are many things that aren't explained and seem implausible. e.g The mask appearing on the pillow. It is not made clear that the events are imagined but they are often symbolic and should be taken allegorically. Eyes Wide Shut is flawed, the mystery could have been resolved better, perhaps with Ziegler's explanation being discredited. It remains a great film because its the brilliance that went before that sticks in the mind.