America proved it could never learn a lesson from Stanley Kubrick.

Rating: 10/10 (3 November 1999)

How many times must we trash a Stanley Kubrick movie when it comes out, only to sing its praises years after the thrill is gone? Does anyone out there remember how "2001" and "Dr. Strangelove" were received in the 1960s? The man put a little piece of immortality into each of his movies. I have no doubt that this one will be remembered and studied for many years to come. Even though there won't be a better movie this year, "Eyes Wide Shut" is already being shut out of the best picture race by popular opinion. One day, we'll all look back at 1999 and see what we had. From the very first scene, the imagery is totally gripping. The story lags behind, but hits us as a surprise when Nicole Kidman delivers her sure-to-be classic monologue. Tom Cruise's blank and disturbed stare sets in, and the audience can FEEL it. It never leaves throughout the rest of the movie. From that point on, we are over-run with his deeply-rooted obcession. We can see how thin the Harford's marriage is, and Bill's sexual revenge mission is quite disturbing. He fumbles around with his sense of security and his recklessness is overpowering. I thought Tom Cruise's performance was very under-rated for these reasons. His cold mental images of his wife having sex with another man chill to the bone, and THEN we have the orgy. There's no way to discuss this movie without talking about the orgy, so if you haven't seen it yet, you might not want to continue reading. I've heard many characterizations of this sequence, and I think pro or con, all are inaccurate. Stanley Kubrick has a great habit of confusing his audiences with the juxtapositioning of real plot and allegorical plot. What we see at the orgy is a representation of what Bill sees in his mind. Just because his wife has confessed that she has the potential to be unfaithful, his mind has been swarmed with confusing mixtures of sexual jealousy, frustration, fantasy, and more. The sex is not hot and steamy, with great purpose. The realm of infidelity is ugly. The people mindlessly bang away, faceless (also with good reason), and emotionless. The act of sex is reduced to the most watered-down physical activity possible. This is the dillution of Bill's mind. The resulting circumstances for his intrusion into this world stem from a mental state that transcends words. It's exciting, and quite pleasantly takes on a mystery format. Those that criticize Kubrick for the orgy scene seem to forget his other works. Were we really expected to believe that Dave Bowman physically walked through a hotel room in the nether regions of the universe? Were we really expected to accept the Star Child as something tangible we could see through a telescope? Absolutely not. Kubrick uses devices like this to point to greater themes and ideas. "Eyes Wide Shut" is a masterpiece, and his technique is absolutely riveting. The music is as effective as anything he's ever put to an image, and this is truly one of his greatest. The only movie he's made that tops it is the legendary "2001." Only the test of time can reverse the roles, and it's my bet that this film will go down as the last masterwork of the 1900s.