This is why he was Stanley Kubrick

Rating: 8/10 (16 July 1999)

I sat on pins and needles the last couple of days. I was going to do something I hadn't done since 1987, go to the theatre and see the new Kubrick picture. Ladies and gentlemen, I was not disappointed!! I came away from this film feeling both exhilarated and like I needed a shower. Of course, that was the power of Stanley Kubrick's work, never to let you rest on one emotion.
I hardly know where to begin in describing this film. I won't give anything away, I promise. I heard and read the adjective "sexy" a lot referring to this movie. First of all, it is sexy, but I think we must clarify the term. This film is not sexy in the normal sense, but sexy in a desperate and, sometimes, dirty way. Don't get me wrong, this is not a knock. This movie shows us that sexy is not always defined by "Playboy" and romance. Sex can be good, bad, or indifferent. The physical act of love is, and always has been, second fiddle to the emotional. The emotion is one of the things that makes sex good, bad, or indifferent. The sex in this movie is shows that even love needs a helping hand once in awhile. Sex can be about love, heat, secrecy, money, physical need, sport, business, casualness, and hate. It can fill the voids in our hearts that we leave open in anticipation and it can fill the voids left as gaping wounds from injury. Whatever it may mean to you at any given time, you must still make a choice. You don't have to seek sex, it can find you; and when it does, you must make a decision. Is your need great enough? Is your wound deep enough? What about the consequences? Are all, or any, of these things real or imagined. Are you awake or asleep? How are you coming to these decisions; in your conscious or unconscious mind?
There is a wise, old saying that applies to both men and women, but especially men: Don't ask about her past because you DO NOT want to know. Cruise's character doesn't ask about his wife's past, she instead freely relates a fantasy. This fantasy never occurred, and will never occur, according to her, but the more he thinks about it, the more it insinuates itself into his mind. He is jealous, furiously jealous, of a fantasy. Why? Perhaps because the thought that your woman could find anything more appealing than you, even if only in her dreams, is a near-fatal blow the male ego.
The production values are outstanding. Every scene is rich in color and detail, especially reds, green, and blues. This and the atmosphere outside lead you to connect with the emotions of the characters. The score could not be more simple, or effective. If those two adjectives don't seem to go together, close your eyes and replay the "Jaws" theme in your head. The piano punctuates most of the non-dialogue scenes and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Therein lies the power of Kubrick's work. Who could have ever thought that the subjects of sex and jealousy could be filmed and presented in such a way as to create a suspense thriller? That is, without reducing itself to the violence of, say, "Basic Instinct."
The movie is rather long (approx. 2 1/2 hrs.), but the story will pick you up and carry you along. I was aware, during the movie, that I knew I had been in the theatre a long time, I was aware of the passage of time. It didn't distract me, though. I was pulled in and held tight. That's the true test of suspense. Like all Kubrick films, you have to pay attention. If this is not a selling point for you, then perhaps you should see something else. If, however, you want something to wash the bad taste of "Wild, Wild West" out of your mouth and relish in something that challenges, as well as surprises you, then have a great time at "Eyes Wide Shut"!!!!!