Beyond perfection: Sculpting in light

Rating: 10/10 (22 February 2005)

Kubrick experimented with styles and changes in styles in the narrative. Here he changes the standpoint in the narrative from a movie about relationships to a thriller and then changes once again to more philosophical issues. Inside these major styles there are smaller changes in storytelling, introducing sub-layers in the story. Furthermore, the movie repeatedly questions its own existence and portrayal of events.
Camera-work is once again amazing. Every shot is perfect, it feels like sculpting in light. A wide variety of lenses and color scheme's is used. Take for example the wonderful scene in the pool room that is pivotal in the movie and took so much time. (Note also the congruity in that scene between the change in the actor's positions and the change in the story). Colors are also used to code the whole movie (with a crazy amount of detail: even the fence is blue).
After these aspects, there's the story. Eyes Wide Shut explores the other side of a faithful life: Bill Harford enters an unfamiliar world where he doesn't know the rules. But there's also commentary about these worlds: the masks, the shabby apartment, the daughter prostitute. The character of Alice(!) suggesting the mystery.
Kubrick thought of this movie as his best ever. It is. It is probably the best movie ever made. In a few years time it will (as usual with him) be heralded as a masterpiece.