Not Kubrick's Best But Excellent

Rating: 10/10 (30 July 2000)

Eyes Wide Shut was not Kubrick's best film, and I doubt anybody will disagree with me. However, by itself, Eyes Wide Shut is an excellent movie. Much of the negative response to the film is due to people not understanding the film. I have heard many similar comments regarding Kubrick's other films, including my two favorite, Dr. Strangelove and A Clockwork Orange. I remember responding to those who did not like either film and challenging them to describe what the point of the two films are. Nobody gave much of an intelligent response. Many focused solely on the rape scene in Orange, and a few did not realize that in Strangelove, Peter Sellers played Mandrake, the President, and Dr. Strangelove. Upon explaining certain aspects and targets of Strangelove and Orange, I usually received an "oh, now I get it". I am certain that the very same brilliant individuals who initially had contempt for those two movies are blasting Eyes Wide Shut. Not very surprising.
Eyes Wide Shut is, as most Kubrick films are, a brilliantly shot movie and well-acted, and although the story did drag a little longer than I wished it had, it still was an excellent movie. There were no real incredible acting performances, but incredible acting has always been an accident in most Kubrick films. Kubrick makes films that are technically perfect and well-acted. Only a handful of performances in his films could be called brilliant. George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Peter Sellers, Slim Pickins, Malcolm McDowell, Michael Bates, Patrick Magee, R. Lee Ermey, and Jack Nicholson are the only actors that come to mind that gave such a performance, and not ironically, all but two mentioned actors gave their performances in Strangelove and Orange.