Eyes Wide Shut - why it didn't work.
March 28th 2010 02:52
Eyes Wide Shut - The last film by Stanley Kubrick
The final film by Stanley Kubrick, who died straight after he finished post-production on it. Eyes Wide Shut would prove to be his worst film. The flaw of Eyes Wide Shut doesn’t stem from the film maker , however, but from the two lead actors.
Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in Eyes Wide Shut
Made in 1999 and based on the book, Traumnovelle by Arthur Schnitzler, Eyes Wide Shut tells the story of Dr. Bill Harford (Tom Cruise) and his wife Alice Harford (Nicole Kidman) who enter into a night of betrayal, paranoia and eroticism. Eyes Wide Shut immediately stands as an art film that’s far too cryptic for it’s own good, filled with obscure and self invented profundities hidden under stones. The film boasts it’s intellectualism in every frame. Even though it’s a stunningly well made film, it doesn’t come down to very much in the end.
When married man Dr. Bill Harford almost has a ménage a trios, but resists, with two young ladies at a party that he has attended with his wife, it sets off his wife’s jealousy. Later on while she is getting high, she reveals to him that she still fantasises over a handsome marine she met last year. In an attempt to taunt her husband she states that she would have left him and her children forever if given a night with this man. As this troubling conversation begins, he is called in for an emergency, after that he decides to not return home for the night, as he clears his head regarding his wife’s fantasies of infidelity. For the rest of the film, every where he goes and everyone he meets tempts him with an extreme sexual opportunity. The film has some great qualities too as it sets out to explore marriage, sexuality, fantasy and more. For the most part the film is very entertaining as Bill moves through an all night sexual odyssey, which culminates in a ritualistic orgy. The film does gets pulled down, though, by too many other things, which include bad pacing, poor acting and a ridiculous sub plot regarding a murdered prostitute.
Kubrick and his crew, in spite of all this, are on the top of their game in this. Eyes Wide Shut might be remembered simply as a display of elegant direction, always excellent cinematography, a haunting musical score and mouth watering production design.
The highly talked about 'orgy scene'
I have thought long and hard about why I don’t like this film, why I don’t feel it works, and I think I may have hit the nail on the head. The big problem is the most pivotal scene in the entire film, where Nicole Kidman’s character reveals her desires. Her and her husband are smoking a joint, getting high and this is where her character bears her teeth. This scene is directed confidently with precision camera and editing work, however that doesn’t save it from how dreadfully the actors bungle the entire scene. Since this is the starting point for the film’s journey, this misfired scene affects everything that comes afterwards. Nicole Kidman plays the worst stoned person I’ve ever seen, going from chilled out to hysterical in 0.1 seconds. As for Tom Cruise, he is completely incapably of acting with out dialogue, he is worse than useless and when he has non speaking acting to perform he takes the whole ship down with him. This scene is so important to the structure of the film, that it plays as an interesting example of how an important scene that isn’t executed correctly can affect everything after it.
Eyes Wide Shut should have been a final testament to a memorable director, instead, it’s just a stylishly made film on life support.
| 95 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Kubrick need two actors that could emote and share chemistry onscreen...there is nothing wrong with the script or Direction beyond having two stars that need to say lines like " I feel lonely", "I feel sad" because they are incapable of showing it.
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
I was hoping to start an inspired debate by this - but never the less, your comment alone made writing it worth all the effort.
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
So true. I don't know how the film would have gone if cast differently, but it was a shame it turned out the way it did, being the last film from a director who had such momentous earlier work.
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
who knows what could have been, but that smoke a joint scene affected every thing else after wards.
Thanks for reading and hope to hear from you again, if you enjoy the Tom Cruise bashing then check out my review for Mission Impossible, it may amuse.
Comment by anish
FILMENATOR
Write a Review
Glitterati
Virtual Informer
Totally agree!! At times EWS Gave me the goosebumps