Eyes Wide Shut

I just watched this movie again after a number of years and though I enjoyed it, I'm still not entirely sure what the message of the movie is.  Does it even have message?  I've read a whole bunch of different interpretations of what Kubrick was trying to say but everyone seems to have differing thoughts?  Maybe that was the idea?

Either way, it's a movie that found extremely interesting and enjoyable while at the same time not completely understating what in the fuck was going on.

I still have no clue what that movie is about!

this and the two Mickey Rourke 9½ Weeks movies (with the 2nd going straight to video) have to be among THE wierdest movies EVER made

and that early Rourke movie Rumble Fish (1983) with Matt Dillon has to be one of the gayest 

Like Nicole Kidmen said in the last scene- We need to settle down go home and fuck. Everybody was doing all sorts of things but bottomline was fucking.

i'm sure those sort of orgies go on behind closed doors just not as theatrical

I agree about "Eyes Wide Shut".  I know  the Cruise character was seeking something but I ended up seeking what the fuck was he doing?  Honestly, I don't remember much of the movie except Kidmans tits. I have it saved on the DVR and will give it another try someday.

"Rumble Fish" was pretty bad. Did a young Francis Cappola direct that?

yes, one of Coppola's early movies. were a bunch of "new" actors in bit parts that became big later. Laurence (as "Larry") Fishburne, Nicolas Cage and the late Chris Penn.

was pretty much "arty-smarty" tripe

I checked it out on IMDB and your right and he (Cappola) also did a movie called the "Outsiders" with Dillon and a lot of other good young actors. I'm sure you've seen it.  Much better than that Rumble thing. The teen angst in that one seemed a little more real. The dialogue was more real. The actors played it real without a bunch of male divas. Not great but Dillon and Cappola had a chance to stretch out a bit.

I remember reading that this movie was about the illusion of the American dream.

I've also heard it is about how the world is run by sadists and sociopaths.

I partially agree with both interpretations.

Tons of symbolism in this movie.

Mmm... never thought too much about it I guess. I figured it was about a man that is among the upper echelon of society. High income, beautiful wife, etc., and he is tempted at one point by the devil and the pleasures that he lures you in with. But, in the end, this man was able to resist and he narrowly escaped losing everything that means anything to him. I thought it was killer.

The illusion of the AmericanDream. What movie isn'tabout this illusion.

It was a very good movie. I watched it on video with the girl I was seeing at the time and she wanted to go to one of those swinger clubs after seeing it in the movie. Being the gentleman that I am, I took her that weekend and we met another couple after being there for only a half hour. We were all sucking and fucking a few minutes after that. I've been back to those type of places quite a few times and if you haven't been, all I can say is go.

Quote Originally Posted by SteelCash:

Mmm... never thought too much about it I guess. I figured it was about a man that is among the upper echelon of society. High income, beautiful wife, etc., and he is tempted at one point by the devil and the pleasures that he lures you in with. But, in the end, this man was able to resist and he narrowly escaped losing everything that means anything to him. I thought it was killer.

Post #14

Canada, I finally watched it all the way through again after several years. Not a great movie at all for me. I still say the best part was naked Nicole. Sorry, I'm a narrow minded guy but she was great as a actress and a body. Beautiful woman. The movie didn't do much for me. Was there a point to all that mess?  They got together at the end. So what?  Kidman stole the show. Nice acting.

Kidman's nipples, best thing about the movie.

I've seen many T. Cruise movies and liked many but his ex-wife, the great Nicole, can act circles around him. She stole the show in this movie and has done fantastic work since then. I think the scenes where she was nude or nearly so were amazing. Great confidence and played the role with class. 

Kubrick apparently hated the way Eyes Wide Shut turned out, calling it a "piece of garbage" not long before he died. He also said he felt "bullied" by Cruise and Kidman, and had a particular disdain for Cruise. Too bad a brilliant director's final film turned out that way.

Interesting. Covers automatically turned "s**t" into "garbage." A new censoring technique I guess.

RobG,   I always heard he " Kubrick" was displeased with the movie.  It looks like a Kubrick movie so not buying into his opinions?  I think the movie was a lot like one of his shows and I got a Kubrick feeling from it. 

In the movie,it was the first time I saw a headline star sitting on toilet and finishing and wiping. Wasn't this last Nicole/Tom pairing? She may have given worthy performance to match the poor performance Tom gives every day in being sane/stright.