Some questions are better left unasked, some doors are better left unanswered, and some secret sex parties are better left unattended. On the other hand, reversing the Wheel of Fortune Tarot card reveals recurring life lessons, patterns, and cycles. You saw. The sole sex scene. We might begin with Todd Field's Nick Nightingale because, luckily or unluckily, Field's been hustled out of movies prematurely of late. Was the prostitute from the orgy party who saved Bill murdered by the cult members, or did she actually die from a drug overdose of her own doing? He hears about it from Nick, an old friend from medical school who had dropped out and become a pianist. She helps Bill at the party as he once saved her life. Bill is a doctor with his own private practice, and Alice is a stay-at-home mom who used to run an art gallery. I believe it was her at the party, and I think that is the reason the mask is on his bed at the end. In this film, director Stanley Kubrick gives clues that are mostly visual rather than in straight dialogue. Nonetheless, Eyes Wide Shut is a very symbolic and metaphorical film. This is one of the questions thatEyes Wide Shutasks quite boldly. | Was this what Alices encounter with that naval officer would look like? What did Leelee Sobieski whisper into Tom Cruise's ear at the costume shop. Eyes Wide Shut Popularity Movie #5656. In the end, while thinking outside the box can be good for you,the box is there for a reason. Nick being taken through the party with a blindfold on to me is proof that he helped set everything up. Alice throws back her head and laughs. Edit, In the novella the doctor assumes that his wife found the mask. I suggest you ignore his description and watch the scene. The first half is as it was shown in theaters, with rear nudity from Kidman, but seconds before Cruise enters the frame, the image starts to zoom up and in rapidly, so that when Cruise enters, only a section from his elbow up is visible. Therefore at the conclusion of the film, anima and animus, simulacrum and faade, simulation and reality are compartmentalized. It is almost ritualistic. The movie is an updated version of the book which is set in 1920s Vienna, Austria and deals with sexual obsession. Again, Bill doesnt want to probe further; he is OK with the belief that keeps him happy. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Dreams and the subconscious are powerful, and have the ability to transform our waking. User Ratings Bill is ready to cheat on his wife with Domino, but then his wife, Alice, calls and after lying to her, Bill probably feels guilty and decides to leave. The (unnamed) woman in the mask who warns. The Hortus deliciarum (Latin for Garden of Delights) was the first female-authored encyclopedia. Who is Amanda Curran? Generally in medieval and ancient philosophy, Fates fickle character is symbolized by Rota Fortunae or The Wheel of Fortune. There is an overdosed hooker upstairs. Humans are programmed to have impulses, and relationships and marriages are human-created constructs. The character is portrayed by Leon Vitali, but his identity is never revealed in the movie. To find where to stream any movie or series based on your country, use This Is Barrys Where To Watch. So, if she just decided to stay discrete, theres no way he would have ever found out. . . The film stars Tom Cruise as a restless doctor, Bill Harford, whose curiosity takes him on a nightlong sexual odyssey . He also learns of a, the situation turns from strange to outright dangerous, . However, this is simply the two of them agreeing to ignore it all. . This was done to clear up the confusion about whom she actually made love to. I believe it was her at the party, and I think that is the reason the mask is on his bed at the end. Some people despair about all thesecrets that theyll never get to discover. The inversion is also seen in the saving of both the prostitute and Bill: He saves the prostitute at the Christmas party and she saves him at the masked ball. Perhaps she was murdered; maybe she just overdosed again and died. The Christmas party is a facade. Edit, Eyes Wide Shut is based on the novella "Traumnovelle", by Arthur Schnitzler. Who was the masked cult leader in the red cloak? Edit, Throughout the movie, Kubrick does make little references to his earlier body of work. Replete with a sobering Were not in Kansas anymore expression on his face, he realizes the true nature of Alices ambiguous disclosure. External Reviews He will continue to serve Ziegler and the elite and will know his place and live a nice life with his wife and family, actively ignoring the ugliness and danger that surrounds the ones above him. Scioccato dalle rivelazioni di Alice, William esce ed inizia una peregrinazione per la citt che lo porter a scoprire nuovi mondi, persone insolite e soprattutto qualcosa di s . It is about the eternal back-and-forth between the male and female principles in a confused and decadent modern world. To find where to stream any movie or series based on your country, use This Is Barrys Where To Watch. Domino, the sex worker, is diagnosed with HIV. Some of the main themes in the movie aremarriage, trust, and infidelity. And throughout the film, the struggle of classes is evident especially when Ziegler tells Dr. Harford that he is really out of his depth upon Harford's interaction with the super rich at their ritualistic orgy. Kubrick's autumnal work, a tale of jealousy and sexual obsession, Eyes Wide Shut follows the erotically charged misadventures of Dr. Bill Harford (fun fact! While still traumatized from this cognition, the phone rings, and Bill discovers that one of his patients has just died. For this reason, Bill is taken aback by Alices Pandoranian unboxing before being called to the home of a recently deceased patient. XXX PORN. Based on the 1926 novella Traumnovelle (Dream Story) by Arthur Schnitzler, the story is transferred from early 20th-century Vienna to 1990s New York City. He has written words for Den of Geek, Collider, The Irish Times and Screen Rant over the years, and can discuss anything from the MCU - where Hawkeye is clearly the best character - to the most obscure cult b-movie gem, and his hot takes often require heat resistant gloves to handle. Clearly the two of them were engaged in a sexual act. On the garden of Eden, Noah, Dionysus, and the naval officer. However, Sobieski was only 14 or 15 at the time of filming. Eyes Wide Shut: What The Mask On The Pillow Means, Every Stanley Kubrick Movie Ranked, Worst To Best, The Shining: Why Stanley Kubrick Changed Stephen King's Story, 6 Reasons Welcome To Derry Is More Exciting Than It Chapter 3, The New Mad Max Might Break A Decades Old Series Rule, Michael Douglas Has Super Blunt Response to Possible Ant-Man 4 Return. "Another line of the chanting means: So far, Domino has shown him kindness and concern. Oh, and if this article doesnt answer all of your questions, drop me a comment or an FB chat message, and Ill get you the answer. This alteration of Kubrick's vision antagonized many cinephiles, as they argued that Kubrick had never been shy about ratings; A Clockwork Orange had an X-rating.A complete, uncut version has been released by Warner Bros. Pictures, and is avaiaible on DVD. Their seven-year-old daughter Helena (Madison Eginton) is left with a babysitter while they attend a holiday dinner hosted by wealthy attorney Victor Ziegler (Sydney Pollack) and his wife Illona (Leslie Lowe). So, think carefully before letting the cat out of the bag since curiosity is a dangerous thing. Kubrick films, especially this one, are extremely dense and defy easy explanation. Shes a super-fan of Game of Thrones, Cats, and Indie Rock Music and can often be found engrossed in complex films and books. This seemingly out of place scene, what does it mean and how does it fit the jigsaw puzzle that is Eyes Wide Shut?First, knowing Kubrick and his meticulousness in every object and every symbol in every frame of his films, it is a given that he intended on this scene to be in the film. Eyes Wide Shut: Ending Explained The ending of the movie Eyes Wide Shut shows us that Bill and Alice know too much about each other and the adultery they are capable of committing, yet they would prefer to live blissfully, ignoring it all. Released in 1999, "Eyes Wide Shut" centers around Dr. William "Bill" Harford (Cruise) and his wife Alice (Kidman), a Manhattan-based married couple who have gotten so used to the routines. Photo: Warner Bros. Masks - both literal and figurative - are a major motif, and one of the most important sequences is when Bill infiltrates a masked sex party at a remote mansion, which is being held by members of high society. Also what was going on with the shop owner the next day, was he suggesting she was a hooker and he (Bill) could buy her company? Note: when Bill is forced to take off his mask at the masked party/orgy he holds onto it for the rest of the scene. *The original theatrical version included a goof in an early scene (a boom operator was reflected on a steel shower stall post in Victor Ziegler's bathroom) this has been digitally removed on the home video releases. She was caught messing around with those two guys, and then the next day they were leaving like everything was okay? In the UK, upon the film's theatrical release, no alternations where made, and in Australia, the film has been released (theatrical, home video and DVD) in an unchanged form.ALTERNATE VERSIONS OF THE FILM INCLUDE:*All British prints are missing the recitation of a passage from the Bhagavad Gita (the holiest Hindu book) during an orgy scene. Meanwhile, Bill is quietly summoned upstairs for what appears to be an emergency just as the two bewitching and haunting women are about to demonstrate where the rainbow ends.. It deals with sexual obsession between two couples in Vienna, Austria. Edit, Somewhat loosely translated, it means:"We still pray for the mercy, the life, the peace, the health, the salvation, the scrutiny, neglection and forgiveness of the sins of God's servants, worshipers, almsgivers, benefactors of this holy site. Had one of the masked girls (a prostitute whose life he saved in one of the opening scenes) not intervened, who knows what the consequences would have been? With the images of his wifes infidelity in his mind, Bill learns that his patients engaged daughter is madly in love with him. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. He's super modern too, so his favorite movies include Jaws, Die Hard, The Thing, Ghostbusters and Batman. While secrets are always intriguing, the saying, curiosity killed the cat, exists for a reason. The implication that they have this level of access to Bill and his family is quite terrifying. We dont know. Some viewers have speculated that he invited Bill and Alice to his party because Zeigler desired Alice.There are several hints that Zeigler himself is Red Cloak, however, Red Cloak speaks with an English accent. In one of the final scenes, Bill comes home and as he comes to bed he sees Alice ( Nicole Kidman) sleeping next to the same Venetian mask he wore at the party. SOMERTON , to begin with. As soon as the shroud of trust is dropped from Bills eyes, he sees a world in a completely different light. The very method of leaving the mask was probably deliberately left vague by Kubrick. The couple decides to go through life with their glasses blurred, as knowledge only brings despair. If you look at it purely based on his actions, then yes, he did cheat. Enraged (in a major holdover from Schnitzler) when his wife confesses to having wildly desired a stranger, Cruise's Bill moves bitterly into a nightful of vividly conjured temptations, which are suddenly set off by a telephone call. In the end, the abundance of choice creates temptation but alsomakes it harder for people to settleand make up their minds. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. What does the mask on the pillow at the end of Eyes Wide Shutmean? When he's not at his own expertise (medical science) he needs a while to think an answer.Bill being unconfident as a male is one of the themes in the movie where many females seem more experienced and comfortable than the males who hide behind masks and titles. Sam Kemp. The same thing goes with the party at the mansion. . Edit, The identity of the masked couple is never explained. Loosely based on Arthur Schnitzler's novella Traumnovelle ( Dream Story ), Eyes Wide Shut is about an upper-middle class doctor (Cruise) who finds out his wife (Kidman) once fantasied about cheating on her husband. There is that same type of security too, minus the passwords. This scene was filmed in an ac. Moreover, Fortunas Wheel is widely portrayed in medieval art, from manuscripts to the exquisite Rose Windows found in many medieval cathedrals. These questions are not resolved by the end of the movie. But there are quite a few hints that the Red Cloak leader of the cult is Victor Zeigler himself.One interesting clue is the torn newspaper article that Bill gives to Zeigler which details about Mandy's death (which mirrors the story that the desk clerk told Bill earlier about two men returning Nick Nightingale to his hotel), the end of the article describes that the dead woman, who's body that Bill Harfort saw in the morgue, had an affair with a London fashion design editor named Leon Vitali. As many would have figured out, there is an infamous orgy Harford attends. At the party, Bill is discovered as an impostor. While these are the questions that not a lot of people consider while choosing awedding venue, the reality strikes sooner or later. Furthermore, a Rota Fortunae of women appears in the Masked Ball ritual, and the master of ceremonies spins a ceremonial wheel, so to speak, dispatching ladies of the night at random. Well, despite his curiosity, it seems that, by the end of the movie, Bill voluntarily chooses to, return to the state of blissful ignorance, How do we know that Alices infidelity never happened in the physical world? There is certainly a kind of uncanny suggestion of that through the dream and other things. Disappearing summarily from The Haunting was surely a blessing in disguise, deliverance on the cutting room floor. Bill realizes how close he got to possibly contracting the disease. Privacy Policy. Its possible that Alice was just frustrated that she refused the advances of a man she was attracted to while Bill was drooled over by two models just across the room. With Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Madison Eginton, Jackie Sawiris. Page updates daily! The Latin term Mora means to linger, delay, which was also used to translate the metrical connotation of the Greek word chrnos (time). Did she find it and then leave it there to confront him? It's interesting indeed. Eyes Wide Shut is not simply about a relationship, it is about all of the outside forces and influences that define that relationship. Crossroads, entrances, night, light, magic, and witchcraft are just a few of the things Hecate is linked to. She tries enticing him, urging him to accompany her home, and out of the cold, much like a moth to a flame, Bill is mesmerized by her luster. Like much of the director's work like The Shining, movie fans love to debate the symbolism and meaning of Eyes Wide Shut. Marion, the daughter of his deceased patient, professes her love to him mere minutes before her fiance enters the room. A trivium was a crossroads where three highways met. Lets discuss in the comments below. While secrets are always intriguing, the saying, curiosity killed the cat, exists for a reason. 4. Here, the doors appear to be longer and give the appearance of being set directly on the ground or about an inch above. Is it only cheating when someone is involved in physical adultery? Neither Bill nor Alice fit that definition, but its not a prerequisite for them to continue living their married life. Where To Watch? An examination of Alice's dream in the screenplay and how it relates to the film. While the women are dressed, there are echoes of seduction and sexuality, despite the outward appearance. This is what I just recently noticed. You can find other film explanations using the search option on top of the site. We are similar to the dreamer who dreams and then lives in his or her dream. . He even told his cab driver to wait outside. *The Region 3 release (Hong Kong) is uncut, but does NOT contain the passages from the Bhagavad Gita recited during the orgy scene. To her son these words conveyed an extraordinary joy, as if it were settled, the expedition were bound to take place, and the wonder to which he had looked forward, for years and years it seemed, was, after a night's darkness and a day's sail, within touch . The following evening, Alice shares a glimpse of fantasy with Bill. All of them cross the mind, but there are compelling reasons to believe other possibilities, but enough loopholes in all those possibilities, to leave doubts about them all. Just four months after Stanley Kubrick's very sudden death, Eyes Wide Shut entered American movie theaters in the middle of 1999's summer blockbuster season - alongside Wild, Wild West, Disney's Tarzan, Star Wars, Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, and, most intriguingly, The Blair Witch Project - with posters and trailers boasting a formidable trio Eyes Wide Shut is a 1999 erotic mystery psychological drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick. Eyes Wide Shut - Ritual Scene - Tom Cruise - Stanley Kubrick.The classic ritual scene from Eyes Wide Shut staring Tom Cruise. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Throughout his career, Stanley Kubrick notoriously disliked shooting. Citing contractual obligations to deliver an R rating during the theatrical release, Warner Bros. digitally altered the orgy scene for the American release of Eyes Wide Shut, blocking out images of extremely graphic sexuality by inserting additional figures into the scene to obscure the view, thus avoiding an adults-only NC-17 rating that might have limited distribution of the film, as some large American theaters and video store operators have a policy that disallows films with that rating. Oh, and if this article doesnt answer all of your questions, drop me a comment or an FB chat message, and Ill get you the answer. Kubrick has updated the story to present-day New York City, with Cruise and Kidman playing Dr. William and Alice Harford, the two principals. After that, she just puts on her mask of a loving partner and acts as if nothing happened. However, I don't think you can try to rationalize it out and say it was flesh and blood really her or a scheme by her. You can find other film explanations using the search option on top of the site. The clue is in the cast list; Mandy is played by Julienne Davis whereas the woman at the masked ball who 'redeems' Bill is played by Abigail Good. It is also the Italian word for fidelity, which is both fitting and ironic given the circumstances. This may be stupid post and it is likely that others have long ago figured out what I just now realized. The daughter of Mr Milich whispers that Bill should get a cloak lined with ermine. Edit, The answer to who the mysterious 'Red Cloak' is left open to interpretation, or if the orgy scenes at the Somerton mansion (where these scenes were filmed) are merely a dream sequence. Lastly, the poem is more than a phantasmal physical journey to the afterlife; it is also a dream about transcendence and a metaphor for the poets enlightenment. I think you've already covered this in one . Pay close attention to Sydney Pollack's hands. When Bill arrives uninvited to the Jacobethan mansion for the special ceremony, he witnesses the master of ceremonies (Red Cloak) perform the occult rite at Mentmores Grand Hall. This fits in with the theory that a majority of the film was actually a dream created within Bill's jealous mind.Being called gay is not necessarily important. On his travels he will meet new friends, rivals and many Pokemon to capture. What were some of the references to Kubrick's other films? This is the base psychological reality of the Zeigler party laid bare.But some of the strongest suggestions that Zeigler is Red Cloak happen late in the film at Zeigler's mansion during his discussion with Bill about the orgy gathering;Note how Zeigler had a red-colored billiards table and he walks around the pool table during most of the scene. Doctor Cruise is the same woman who ends up dead in the morgue. Also, everything at the orgy is a stage show for Bill and it really wont begin properly until he leaves. Its possible that Alice was just frustrated that she refused the advances of a man she was attracted to while Bill was drooled over by two models just across the room. Edit, It is implied that the two Asian businessmen had paid off Mr. Milich not to report them to the police, and he had decided to pimp his daughter after that. We cant, not really. And Freud always would say dreams are wish fulfillment. What happened to the woman? The couple on the balcony almost certainly did not recognize the mask that Bill is wearing and are therefore curious about him. The word trivium means three (as in triple and trinity), and vium means way. It is likely that these masked balls are regular events and that each guest has a specific mask that they always wear. It's pronounced Paw-rick, not Pad-raig. It may be assumed that Alice tells Bill about the naval officer, ostensibly, because she believes Bill had sex with the two models. The incident with him being shoved aside and then mocked and taunted could simply illustrate that a guy like Bill shouldn't be out roaming the streets at that time of night and that he is out of his depth, so to speak.Alternate Answer: We use cookies to optimize our website and our service. We can certainly go on and on. Edit, The draft screenplay refers to her as being "maybe 14." So I apologize if this has been already discussed and pointed out. - Nicole Kidman; Alice in Eyes Wide Shut . It is based on the 1926 novella "Traumnovelle" ("Dream Story") by Arthur Schnitzler. The difference is that the movie indicates that it might be better that way. simulation), both of which are part of the films motifs. There are many, many readings of the story available, with the movie itself embracing a sort of dream/nightmare logic. Eyes Wide Shut Cast. Alices monologue encourages the use of ones imagination, which is often more powerful in manifesting the desired effect in Film. Marion, the daughter of his deceased patient, professes her love to him mere minutes before her fiance enters the room. It is something that will go to bed with him forever. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Oh, and if this article doesnt answer all of your questions, drop me a comment or an FB chat message, and Ill get you the answer. Do you notice how the light turns blue around the two men men near the end of the scene? As an illustration, when you conjoin the rainbow sisters with Alice, as well as the occult symbol that appears over her head in the background as she dances with the Mephistopheles-like character Sandor Szavost (Sky du Mont), you get a vaguely related conjuring of Hecate. . That double-hitting is something I saw earlier in the film. The masked man, Red Cloak, is a leader of the organization/cult whose orgy Bill attends. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) is Stanley Kubricks final film, the directors final outing before his death at the end of the 20th Century. Significantly the characters Alice Harford and Victor Ziegler serve as Virgilian guides throughout the films plot. . He considers it a sign of luck and is thankful for the life he already has. While at the Christmas party he is seduced and declines, during the night and the masked ball, he attempts to have sex, but never succeeds. The next night, he goes to her place, remorseful that he has missed out on his opportunity, only to find out (from her roommate) that she was diagnosed with HIV that very morning. Edit, They were just random strangers. Now that's out of the way, a brief introduction. In the film, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman play Bill and Alice Harford, a couple who have been married for nine years. In the modern world, theres the idea that partners are not indispensable and that there are always other options out there. Edit, You should have a cloak lined with ermine. | Pingback: Eyes Wide Shut - mise en bouche | plotwhole. Given how upset she appeared following his confession, it's very unlikely she knew exactly what he was out doing, however. Sydney Pollack (1934-2008) Victor Ziegler. How did Mandy know it was Bill under the mask? Answer (1 of 4): The End Of the movie is the key to understand the whole movie. What does the chanting at the mansion party mean? It is about the eternal back-and-forth between the male and female principles in a confused and decadent modern world. The ending of the movie Eyes Wide Shut shows us that Bill and Alice know too much about each other and the adultery they are capable of committing, yet they would prefer to live blissfully, ignoring it all. 'Red Cloak' also strolls in circles on a square red carpet and he twirls an incense ball in circles and he hits the floor twice with his staff rod to give commands. The movies message may be understood from quite feminist perspective even though it's not too evident. Was this a fantasy he had of the original party? It is implied that the masked man with the three-cornered hat might be Victor Ziegler and the masked woman with him might be his wife or maybe another one of his mistresses/escorts greeting the new arrival to the gathering; both of them unaware of who it really is until Bill is forced to take off his mask for the red-cloaked cult leader. While its easy to judge them, who is to say that this will not work for the two. Parties like this possibly happen all over the world, all the time; the same goes for all sorts of nefarious activities by secret societies. The same thing goes with the party at the mansion. Could they have been as tragical as Bills potential elopement with Domino? Only the glass. What is the real meaning of Eyes Wide Shut? Baron Guy and Baroness Marie-Hlne de Rothschild Cruise and Kidman were married, and Tom had left the church temporarily (from 1992-2000), because Nicole would . Dr. Harford becomes shocked and almost ruined when he learns that Alice had an erotic fantasy about a man that she had seen during a family holiday in Cape Cod; as he wanders the street late at night, he grapples with his desire for revenge by sleeping with another woman. It is based on the 1926 novella Traumnovelle ( Dream Story) by Arthur Schnitzler, transferring the story's setting from early twentieth-century Vienna to 1990s New York City. No, it was not a dream, or rather there is not a lot of evidence that points to the fact that it was all a dream. Edit. Edit, Yes. Tom Cruise in the Masked Ball ritual scene from Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece Eyes Wide Shut with Jocelyn Pook's haunting score filling the temple. The whole movie holds very strong Message for whole both ancient and . ), The Pale Blue Eye: Ending Explained (Who Is The Killer? It was completed to great acclaim in 1185. Still, not every opportunity is worth taking advantage of. He also learns of asecret society sex partyhe tries to infiltrate. vjav.com. One of the main themes of this movie is that. Did Stanley Kubrick have final cut before he passed away? Edit, They may take turns, or they may simply enjoy watching and being watched. Trivia was her Roman epithet, which she shared with Diana/Artemis in their respective duties as protectors of travel and crossroads. But there is no escaping the conclusion that there is a single party, presented from two different vantage points. Realizing something was up, she left it on his pillow so that he'd find it. User Reviews *In the lengthy shot where Nicole Kidman dances naked in front of a mirror to Chris Isaak's "Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing," the second half of the shot, once Tom Cruise walks over, has been zoomed considerably for the DVD. , its not outside of the realm of possibility. . her volunteer to sacrifice herself so the orgy managers would let Doctor. The word trivia derives from the Latin trivium, which is divided into two parts. 3. After that, she just puts on her mask of a loving partner and acts as if nothing happened. I have read the novella multiple times. Yes, 100 times. Stacey is a talented freelance writer passionate about all things pop culture.