Haunting, brilliant requiem by one of the masters

Rating: 9/10 (16 July 1999)

I'm still in shock after seeing "Eyes Wide Shut," a haunting masterpiece of a film written, directed, and produced by one of film's great artists, Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick died just five days after showing his film, suggested by Arthur Schnitzler's novel "Traumnovelle," to Warner Bros. Thankfully, the studio has left most of Kubrick's vision intact, reportedly interfering with but a single scene. "Eyes Wide Shut" is sexy, emotional, thrilling, and sickening - and brilliant. During the filming, which took over a year, the cast and crew were sworn to secrecy. Speculation and rumors ran wild about the husband-and-wife team of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman: would there be a steamy sex scene? Or, even more intriguing: would we see Tom naked? All anyone really knew was that this was a sexy thriller, a la "Basic Instinct." An early rumor I heard was that Kubrick decided to shoot a porno movie using well-known actors and a good script. Well, forget anything you may have heard before - you're in for a shock.
Put simply, "Eyes Wide Shut" is not really about sex. Not that it isn't erotic - nearly every scene is alive with sexual energy - but there's a bigger game at stake than just the one played horizontally. This is a film about power, and the loss of power that comes with sexual situations. Tom Cruise, who plays Dr. Bill Harford, is disturbed when his wife Alice (played beautifully by Nicole Kidman) confesses having sexual thoughts about another man. Perhaps part revenge, part curiosity, he sets out on an odyssey to be unfaithful - but somehow, never succeeds. One is reminded of those characters in Greek mythology who were given the impossible tasks in Hades; one had to fill up a bucket with no bottom, and one had to constantly push a rock uphill that would always roll back down to the bottom. Dr. Harford is a man without power who nevertheless requires it - in most situations, his credentials give him power, but he discovers there are certain people he cannot impress simply by flashing his board card.
One of these people is his wife - time and again, she takes the upper hand in their relationship. As Bill stumbles haplessly about New York, visions of Alice's infidelity flash through his mind. Much of his odyssey seems to stem from a "This'll show her!" mindset rather than the cool, rational façade he wants us to see. In fact, nearly all of Bill's actions seem impulsive - from his decision to visit a whore's bedroom to his chance meeting with an old friend at a piano bar to the drive to the infamous manor house where the film's climax occurs. Dr. Harford is unable to exude power here, in the company of an exclusive group of lechers and courtesans. He is seen instantly as an imposter, and the message is clear: Only the powerful need remain.
The specifics of the plot are not nearly as important as the film's ultimate message. Suffice to say, there is intrigue, murder, sex, drugs, and suspicion enough to keep even the most jaded moviegoer interested and guessing until the final scene. And, in keeping with the rest of the film, Cruise's character is not allowed to emerge victorious in the final reel - it is Alice who ultimately shows her strength and power, not Bill. "Eyes Wide Shut," as its title may imply, is full of ironies both large and small: the main character is an anti-hero, his every success doomed from the opening credits; a hooker has sociology textbooks on view in her apartment; a junkie and whore sacrifices herself to save another. What makes this movie so intriguing is that every scene, every moment captured on film, is so carefully constructed that we get the feeling we are standing just behind Bill, observing his tragic fall and even being drawn down with him.
"Eyes Wide Shut" is an outstanding film, one that will be surely recognized by the Academy Awards. I would be very surprised indeed if Kubrick were not nominated posthumously for Best Director. In addition, it is rare indeed for a major studio release starring big-name stars to be an art film - and "Eyes Wide Shut" is a work of art. Every light, every mask, every character - all come together in a stunning array of beauty, shock, and wisdom that makes me realize what a tragic loss Mr. Kubrick's death was. I've often said that Stanley Kubrick never made a bad film, and "Eyes Wide Shut" is no exception. Disturbing, haunting, and shocking, it is also a beautiful, emotional, and masterful requiem by one of the great masters.