Eyes Wide Shut

UK Release Date: 09 September 1999
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Cast: Tom Cruise, Alan Cumming, Todd Field, Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack, Marie Richardson, Rade Šerbedžija, Vinessa Shaw
Runtime: 159 mins
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
Review:
A warped and demented experience, Eyes Wide Shut is an erotic, exploitative psychosexual odyssey. Stanley Kubrick dissects the hereditary human weakness to be desired, presenting a nightmarish look at animalistic lust. Characters left tortured by Freudian imagery, craving a sense of sexual validation. Displaying the torment of the sexual fantasy - both with visible actions and passionate ambitions - and the threatening strain it puts on a relationship. 

Yet, for a film that openly tackles unadulterated sexual thoughts, the thematic through lines are juxtaposed by a flamboyant dreamlike backdrop. Heightened, vibrant colours placing emphasis on the surreal nature of the narrative. The deep blue that peers through every window - an unbroken reminder of the reality bending voyage. An effect expertly sharpened by Larry Smith's otherworldly cinematography. Impossible camera movements and set-ups only add to the unease of the film. Every night-time sequence is drop dead gorgeous. Utilisation of neon signs and Christmas decorations as natural light sources are pivotal to the allure of Eyes Wide Shut. 

Although, it is Jocelyn Pook's score that best encapsulates the film's atmosphere. An environment defined by a consistent undertone of dread and suspense. Taking inspirations from satanic cult-like rituals, it truly is one of the most inquisitive scores put to film. Heavy orchestral influence to begin with, before becoming an increasingly jazz-infused sound. A jarring transition purposefully executed, creating diverse background moods to accompany the film's ethereal quality. Therefore, the score feels fragmented and disjointed at times. However, the emotion isn't shoehorned in to be distinctly atmospheric, audibly carrying a sense of pain in each track. 

Eyes Wide Shut is another stellar showcase of Tom Cruise's genuine capabilities as an actor. He paints Dr. Bill Harford as a man initially projecting confidence, until sequential events leave him in a perpetual and frozen state of shock. Not once is he given a moment to competently respond to the situation around him. A definite artistic decision that is reflected in Cruise's seemingly tired and unenthused line deliveries. 

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