Unfairly maligned

Rating: Null/10 (8 September 1999)

This film, while not one of Stanley Kubrick's masterpieces, is a very compelling work nonetheless and deserves better than the negative buzz it's gotten from typical filmgoers, who expect movies with a standard linear plot and a theme (if there is one) wrapped up in a tight little bow. It is a somewhat profound, always interesting study of the inherent sexual desires present beneath the surface in all of us and is made more effective by the remarkable one-key score. However, unlike Kubrick's finer pictures, such as "A Clockwork Orange", this movie contains little subtext beneath it's main theme and it's effectiveness is hindered by it's need to give the story a definitive, happy ending when an ambiguous one consistent with the film's nightmarish feel would have been more appropriate. If you want a truly awe-inspiring work, Kubrick left behind a whole challenging body to admire; if you just want "Kubrick-lite", this one is worth checking out. But be warned-you will still be expected to use your brain.