widely missed masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (1 July 2003)

It continues to amaze me how the mediam of film in our society so clearly measures both personal and collective awareness surrounding aspects of life and the experiences it provides us. The expansive variety of responses that continues to surround Stanley Kubrick's final film " Eyes Wide Shut " is yet another firm example of such a measure. This film has received such extreme responses that cover all ends of the spectrum. For a particular individual to condem the film as "boring" and another to hail as a "masterpiece" confirms my theory if nothing less than accurate. It is clear that the many of the more negative responses to this film have been submitted not considering one fundamental possibility. Could it be that the filmmaker(Kubrick) is far ahead of your own personal life experiences and what he explored in this film fails to be relevent to you at this moment in time?. I do not mean this as a put down but something to carefully consider before passing judgement so quickly. Do not forget so quickly the release of Kubrick's 2001-A Space Odessey in 1968. The critics panned it and it took over 10 years before people finally caught up with what Kubrick was attempting to convey and it was then hailed as a "Classic". This was the direct experience of Award winning filmmaker Woddy Allen when he stated in a recent interview about Kubrick " When I fist saw 2001...I didn't like it and I was very dissapointed. Then a couple of months later I was with a woman in Chicago who said to me what a wonderful movie this was so I saw it again and I liked it a lot more. Then a couple of years later I saw it again and thought ...Gee this really an amazing picture and that was one of the very times that I realised that " The Artist" was way ahead of me. Stanley Kubrick films are notorious for "growing" on you and leave you with an "urge" to re-visit them time and time again later in your life. I shall forever remain curious about all the individuals who have so quickly panned this film whether they will hold the same view in 15 or even 20 years time. A lot can happen to any individual during this time- a failed marriage, monogomy failures in thier relationships or even exposure to an underground and highly organised cult. Be cautious and reluctant to judge what you have yet to experience. Do not so quickly undermind a genius filmmaker and the level of brilliant subtley that is embodied in "Eyes Wide Shut". This film remains a widley missed masterpiece and if my perception about matters of the human condition are accurate, it shall remain this way for sometime to come.