It's a psychological thriller, NOT a sexual drama!!!!

Rating: 9/10 (18 July 1999)

And it's not going to be understood by the 17 year old girls sitting next to me in the theater. They should've saved their money & pooled it for a DVD of Titanic, instead of tittering to each other throughout the movie. EWS is a film that will be mis-understood by many of the patrons who flock to see it because of the media frenzy surrounding the fact that it revolves around human sexuality as a plot element. But it is NOT an erotic movie, despite the titillating aspect of frequent nudity. You soon get used to the nudity (intentionally, I think) and hopefully get over it so you can begin to digest the REAL story - that emotional and physical aspects of the human psyche are so intertwined with our "normal" daily-life-selves, they are inseparable, volatile; and affect us in ways we don't think about often, until a situation comes about that brings the issue to the forefront. And the real story in this film is presented & handled masterfully by the ensemble, under the absolute GENIUS of Mr. Kubrick. This certainly should've earned him that elusive "Best Director" Oscar; but thanks to the improper type-casting (of genre, "near pornographic"??!?) the media has pronounced upon this film, that seems unlikely. Still, it is an obvious effort of genius, which successfully penetrates some issues that have been untouched in film previously. WELL DONE, Mr. K and Mr. & Mrs. Cruise!!!