eyes wide shut was alice at the ritual eyes wide shut was alice at the ritual

Eyes Wide Shut: Directed by Stanley Kubrick. What's the deal with the costume shop owner's daughter? Eyes Wide Shut told a seemingly strange story about a married couple, Bill (Cruise) and Alice (Kidman), over the holidays as they go to a rich friend Victor's (Sydney Pollack) Christmas party, both of them experiencing flirtations with attractive strangers. Nonetheless, Eyes Wide Shut is a very symbolic and metaphorical film. 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. of their value on the sexual market. Furthermore, there is a wonderful quote that parallels this: The pendulum of the mind oscillates between sense and nonsense, not between right and wrong. Carl Jung wrote in his semi-autobiographical book Memories, Dreams, Reflections. While, this scenario may not be the most likely one. Merely an hour after his wifes big revelation, he gets a front-row seat to a similar scenario, this time froman outsiders perspective. In the end, the abundance of choice creates temptation but alsomakes it harder for people to settleand make up their minds. I have read the novella multiple times. SOMERTON We saw that Bill and Alice Harford are a married upper-class couple that was not immune to the temptations of adultery. 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. It's a meta commentary on Nicole and Tom's marriage as well as an allusion to Bill's sexuality. Neither Bill nor Alice fit that definition, but its not a prerequisite for them to continue living their married life. We can speculate as to what this actually means at some length. The host is the same. What is the significance of this ? I believe it was her at the party, and I think that is the reason the mask is on his bed at the end. Does Alices desire to elope with another man not count as cheating? Also, everything at the orgy is a stage show for Bill and it really wont begin properly until he leaves. If a tree falls in the forest and theres no one to hear it, did it fall, Before his wife revealed her mental infidelity, Bill was 100% sure of the sanctity of their marriage and trusted his wife completely. How did Mandy know it was Bill under the mask? What were some of the references to Kubrick's other films? However, Sobieski was only 14 or 15 at the time of filming. Shes a super-fan of Game of Thrones, Cats, and Indie Rock Music and can often be found engrossed in complex films and books. But something entirely new just hit me the other day. It is about the eternal back-and-forth between the male and female principles in a confused and decadent modern world. As a result, the groundwork for his Pinnochian adventure has been laid. Once you understand that Pollack is Red Cloak, then you come to understand that there was only ever one party - in two forms - on the same night. Eyes Wide Shut: What happened to Domino? Metacritic Reviews. And Freud always would say dreams are wish fulfillment. True, Eyes Wide Shut is more about Bill's psychological state, but how many people realized that the only reason Alice tells Bill about the naval officer is that Bill went missing at the party with the two models? 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. And, like at the Christmas party, he never has an affair, although again, this is also inverted. Cookie Notice He goes over there to express his condolences. 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. There was no second password, that was a trick question. Had he not returned to Dominos, he would have never found out that he dodged this bullet. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. A trivium was a crossroads where three highways met. Therefore, it is likely that some kind of unfortunate ordeal awaited the woman from the masked ball.Remember, Bill is actually quite gullible and never questions anything that he is told throughout the movie; he believes his wife, Alice, when she tells him of a fantasy about having a sexual tryst a naval officer; he believes Sally when she tells him that Domino is HIV positive; and he believes Victor in the scene in the billiard room about Mandy's death and Nick Nightingale being sent back to Seattle. Kubrick has updated the story to present-day New York City, with Cruise and Kidman playing Dr. William and Alice Harford, the two principals. This scene was filmed in an ac. Also, the word recur comes from the Latin term recurrere, which means to run back. Just in the same way, Jocelyn Pooks music can be heard in the backdrop during the ritual, which is a sample of an Orthodox liturgy played backward with Romanian chanting. The movies message may be understood from quite feminist perspective even though it's not too evident. But I personally prefer the dream theory, which is what the original book Traumnovelle, "Dream Story" in english, tend to expose. Although it is easy to miss upon a first viewing, note the parallels between Red Cloak's gestures with the incense ball and Ziegler's moves playing with the white cue ball at the billiards table, and later with the chalk how Zeigler hits the pool table twice while talking with Bill about the death of Mandy.Zeigler also points at Bill in a threatening manner when Bill questions him about the death of Mandy, which is very similar in camera angle to Red Cloak's threat to Bill at the mansion.Also, the scene with Bill and Zeigler ends with Bill stepping into a blue light emulating from outside a window. Some viewers have also speculated that the gathering at the Somerton Mansion was symbolic rather than literal a dream sequence of sorts influenced by Bill smoking pot with Alice earlier in the evening.Red Cloak and Victor Zeigler are both hosts of their own party. 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. The state of affairs as Bill begins the next phase of his journey. Edit, Throughout the movie, Kubrick does make little references to his earlier body of work. After the opening ceremony is over, the masked man would probably then check on who this newcomer is which leads to Bill being tracked down and ultimately being led before the cult leader. 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. Marion, the patients enigmatic daughter, who appears distraught, decides to have a high old time with Bill and declares her love for him abruptly and ambiguously in the middle of the room where her late father lies. She is blissfully aware of Bill being at this secret party until he tells her the entire truth about his two days of intended infidelity. Also, the odd dialogue between bill and nightengale is a result of nightengale half playing a part, half making fun of bill to his face. Some notable ones include:2001: A Space Odyssey: A sign on a building prominently displays the name "Bowman", a reference to David Bowman, a major character in the film. As for the masks, Victor says "those weren't just ordinary people", implying that they may be politicians or other well-known people who can't have themselves discovered.On the other hand, if this is a real cult, rather than a bunch of play actors, then we can't even speculate on their motives. It is about the eternal back-and-forth between the male and female principles in a confused and decadent modern world. While its easy to judge them, who is to say that this will not work for the two. Second, his behavior was probably suspicious from a mile away. One intriguing reading of the Eyes Wide Shutmask being on the pillow is that it's only in Bill's head as if he's exhausted by trying to hide his attempts at infidelity or true feelings from Alice, leading to an emotional breakdown. Eyes Wide Shut is not Stanley Kubrick's best film. She had to show restraint while (from her perspective) he was gone for an hour doing who knows what. You saw. While she lives very comfortably, Alice appears to be extremely bored with her life as a stay at home mother. This is a subtle line implying that she might have some awareness of the event that Bill is heading to. This is the implication of Dream Storytoo - with the movie being quite faithful to the structure of the novella - though Kubrick obviously leaves this moment up to interpretation. What's with the guys on the street jeering at Bill and calling him gay? A sub for fans to discuss the work of Stanley Kubrick, Press J to jump to the feed. Could they have been as tragical as Bills potential elopement with Domino? Virgil not only shows Dante the physical path through Hell, but he also reinforces moral tenets. Knowing she knew, he'd have no choice but to tell her, or perhaps she felt it would make it easier for him to explain.Within the context of the film, another possible interpretation is that there is no mask on the pillow. The character is portrayed by Leon Vitali, but his identity is never revealed in the movie. ), Let the Right One In (2008 Swedish) : Ending Explained, I Origins (2014) : Movie Plot Ending Explained, The Awakening Ending Explained (2011 Film Plot Analysis). On the evening of the following day, when Bill returns home, he discovers the rented Venetian mask on his pillow next to his sleeping wife. Catalogued as an erotic thriller or psychological drama by critics, the movie was followed by a series of unfortunate events . nothing happened to her after the masked ball and she subsequently took a second accidental overdose which this time killed her.Mandy (the woman in the bathroom at Victor's party) and the woman that Bill reads about in the newspaper are indeed the same person. 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. , to begin with. With Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Madison Eginton, Jackie Sawiris. Nicole Kidman, 55 Alice Harford. Warner Bros. cut this before release of the film due to protests from Hindu organizations due to a holy scripture's use during a lustful scene. Alice throws back her head and laughs. This scene puts Dr. Harford's social class in context. Significantly the characters Alice Harford and Victor Ziegler serve as Virgilian guides throughout the films plot. Its the opposite of a couple living in constant suspicion of each other, even though both may be loyal. There is an overdosed hooker upstairs. The best show of this is the whole episode with Domino, where destiny intervenes at the last moment and prevents Bill from cheating on his wife. In the film, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman play Bill and Alice Harford, a couple who have been married for nine years. Privacy Policy. To find where to stream any movie or series based on your country, use This Is Barrys Where To Watch. You can find other film explanations using the search option on top of the site. I cannot believe it took me this long to realize the connection between the two parties. I believe it was her at the party, and I think that is the reason the mask is on his bed at the end. amateur, milf. 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. Marion, the daughter of his deceased patient, professes her love to him mere minutes before her fiance enters the room. The (unnamed) woman in the mask who warns. The Window. The couple on the balcony almost certainly did not recognize the mask that Bill is wearing and are therefore curious about him. He even told his cab driver to wait outside. One explanation for this would be the idea that it could be anyone. The same thing goes with the party at the mansion. While the women are dressed, there are echoes of seduction and sexuality, despite the outward appearance. The big question is how did the mask get there, and who left it? The picture begins with the distinctive surroundings and vividness of a dream. In Eyes Wide Shut, when Alice dances with the Hungarian, he makes the comment about marriage - people get married so they can then be with the ones "they really want". 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 . 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 . In total, Fortuna is well-known for her numerous appearances and references in literary works published in languages other than Romance. 2:10:32. Was this a fantasy she had of the original party? Bill then expresses gratitude for Dominos time and departs for the night after compensating her. Again, Bill doesnt want to probe further; he is OK with the belief that keeps him happy. Edit. The word trivium means three (as in triple and trinity), and vium means way. Before long, Bill arrives at the patients home. Likewise, Amor is an anagram of Mora. To find where to stream any movie or series based on your country, use This Is Barrys Where To Watch. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. *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. 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. What if thats exactly how it played out, and she just told him that she never acted upon it? Eyes Wide Shut is indeed not simply about a relationship, it is about all of the outside forces and influences that define that relationship. It seems that Bill always repeats any question asked of him and repeats back any information given to him. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) is Stanley Kubricks final film, the directors final outing before his death at the end of the 20th Century. . 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? In this film, director Stanley Kubrick gives clues that are mostly visual rather than in straight dialogue. 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. The woman, Mandy, dies. (OC x harem) No, Alice was not at the party with the ritual. The Christmas party is the ritual party. Page updates daily! The only difference between that night and the previous one was Billsawareness of their existence. Edit, Eyes Wide Shut is based on the novella "Traumnovelle", by Arthur Schnitzler. 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. It appears Nick may have either been killed or he actually left town and went back to Seattle. On Edit: I just noticed that the above clip of the pool table scene did not include the ball hitting and the chalk hitting. This applies to the entire universe.. Full Metal Jacket is on top.The Shining: A poster for the original theatrical release of the The Shining is the subject of a solo shot for several seconds before Bill enters the nightclub where he meets Nick Nightingale. What did Leelee Sobieski whisper into Tom Cruise's ear at the costume shop. Firstly, the meeting is organized only for the wealthiest members of the society, and while everyone came in a limo, Bill arrived in a cab. It had never occurred to me before as I was always so engrossed in the conversation. You can find other film explanations using the search option on top of the site. Domino, the sex worker, is diagnosed with HIV. Did she find it and then leave it there to confront him? Was this a fantasy he had of the original party? She may have discovered it lying around after it was accidentally misplaced by Bill. The second, and more terrifying suggestion, is the mask is a final warning from the secret society for Bill to drop any further investigation or the fate that befell the woman who saved him could be visited upon Alice. In the end, Bill cries his eyes out and confesses everything about the two previous days to his wife. How many versions of Eyes Wide Shut are there? While still traumatized from this cognition, the phone rings, and Bill discovers that one of his patients has just died. I believe in part that these events that they experience is kind of like the Jungian dream of the shadow- what you suppress inside and deny as part of yourself manifests and confronts you from the outside. Both being cheated on and being gay are not one's own fault, yet are two things that people feel as if is their own fault.It is also possible that the guys weren't really there, but were a symbol of Bill's own self-doubt and fear. There is obviously a lot of other shit going on in this movie, so while I think you are right picking up on that idea, I wouldn't say that you can take that and try to rationalize any kind of infer from it on Alice's part. A sinister gathering attended by the rich and powerful there are sleek limousines waiting outside, while our hero unwittingly arrives in a yellow cab it's a cavalcade of carnality filled with. In general, I believe there is no distinct pattern of right or wrong in Stanley Kubricks film, only a hazy hue for us, the audience, to deduce the meaning despite indistinctness or ambiguity. The partys password was Fidelio, the name of Beethovens opera. In the last few scenes, the couple seems to be traumatized but strongly determined totry and fix their situationby keeping theireyes tightly shut. Since he was going to pay Domino for her services, Bill gave her the money anyway, because he acknowledged he wasted Domino's time and probably lost her money that she could have gotten if she was in the street looking for another customer this whole time. For more information, please see our It is almost ritualistic. It is a purely symbolic way to show Bill's realization that he can never forget or leave behind his near-infidelity. Photo: Warner Bros. Tragically it was the director's final film with Kubrick dying less than a week after screening an incomplete cut for the studio and its stars. and our Both Bill and Alice areattractive young peopleat the peakof their value on the sexual market. He hears about it from Nick, an old friend from medical school who had dropped out and become a pianist. Humans are programmed to have impulses, and relationships and marriages are human-created constructs. However,a choice is never free of consequences. 11:00. 4. 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. Leon Vitali was a long-term personal assistant to Stanley Kubrick on several of his films, including 'Eyes Wide Shut'. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Realizing something was up, she left it on his pillow so that he'd find it. A part-time hobby soon blossomed into a career when he discovered he really loved writing about movies, TV and video games; he even (arguably) had a little bit of talent for it. The movie went through post-production following Stanley Kubrick's death, though some have argued about how much it represents his intended vision. Kubrick films, especially this one, are extremely dense and defy easy explanation. 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. 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. XXX PORN. Marion, the daughter of his deceased patient, professes her love to him mere minutes before her fiance enters the room. This is why this is such a great "conspiracy movie". Throughout the movie, we see Bill getting approached by several beautiful women whose advances he refuses out of loyalty to his wife. The name of the store where Bill rents his elite ritual costume: "Rainbow". She was caught messing around with those two guys, and then the next day they were leaving like everything was okay? Who was the masked man? The attendees are in many ways wearing masks too. Stacey is a talented freelance writer passionate about all things pop culture. *In the DVD/Video version, when Nicole Kidman gives her monologue about yearning for the Naval Officer, she mouths the words "We made love." The picture begins with the distinctive surroundings and vividness of a dream. Throughout his adventures, like any dreamer, he is occasionally saved by the bell. 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? Who is Amanda Curran? The goddess Fortuna (Greek equivalent: Tyche) owns the wheel, which she spins at random, changing the positions of those who sit on it; some suffer terrible misfortune while others gain immense profits. The wheel appears in Dantes Inferno, and the Major Arcana Tarot card Wheel of Fortune was named after it (circa 1440, Italy). The actual chant is an edited recording of Romanian priests singing Orthodox Liturgy, which was then played in the background. In the modern world, theres the idea that partners are not indispensable and that there are always other options out there. Because of the film's controversy, original NC-17 versions of the film have been released in the United States. Throughout his career, Stanley Kubrick notoriously disliked shooting. A Romanian liturgy played backwards is a satanic invocation in a Tom Cruise movie. Lets discuss in the comments below. How so? The wife set everything up? He goes over there to express his condolences. Watch his stick and as he hits it against the red floor: At the end of that scene (not in this clip), the two men are enveloped in blue light, just like they are later in the film. In the theatrical version and the original unrated trailer, when Cruise enters, the frame goes well below his navel. Of course, when they acknowledge him from the balcony they wouldn't know that it is Bill. In Eyes Wide Shut, the couple perfectly follows that instinctive scriptPlayed by Nicole Kidman, Alice lost her job in the art world and is now fully supported by her husband's salary. Some of the main themes in the movie aremarriage, trust, and infidelity. The official cause of death was from a heart attack. It deals with sexual obsession between two couples in Vienna, Austria. Kubrik leaves a hint at the identity of the secret society: Kidman's "one eye" is a symbol frequently used by Freemasons.