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Features: DVD
Stanley Kubrick's daring last film is many things. It is a compelling psychosexual journey. A haunting dreamscape. A riveting tale of suspense. A major milestone in the careers of stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. And "a worthy final chapter to a great director's career" (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times). Cruise plays Dr. William Harford, a New Yorker who plunges one fateful winter night into an erotic foray that threatens his marriage--and may even ensnare him in a lurid murder mystery--after his wife's (Kidman) admission of sexual longings. As the story sweeps from doubt and fear to self-discovery and reconciliation, Kubrick orchestrates it with masterful flourishes. Graceful tracking shots, controlled pacing, rich colors, startling images: bravura traits that make Kubrick a filmmaker for the ages are here to keep everyone's eyes wide open.
"Kubrick's haunting final masterpiece. Vivid, brilliant, unforgettable." Richard Schickel, Time
Editor's Note
Stanley Kubrick's final film is a mature, highly intelligent, thrilling masterpiece of sexual obsession and marital (in)fidelity. Tom Cruise stars as Bill Harford, a doctor who becomes obsessed with a sexual fantasy that his wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), confesses to him. Although the fantasy (involving a naval officer) occurred only in Alice's mind, Bill can't get it out of his own head; his obsession leads him through a series of potential sexual encounters, each one surrounded by the specter of death. His whole world threatens to unravel as he falls deeper and deeper into a web of mystery, lies, and deceit.Kubrick's film breathes with vivid blues, reds, and blacks, the threat of illicit sex and death lurking around every corner. Cruise and Kidman, who are married in real life, are utterly convincing as a happy couple suddenly forced to reexamine their faith in each other. Sidney Pollack, Todd Field, Julienne Davis, Marie Richardson, and Vinessa Shaw sparkle in minor roles. Based on the novella TRAUMNOVELLE by Arthur Schnitzler, EYES WIDE SHUT is a brilliant examination of the psychological nature of sex and marriage, of faith and faithlessness, of obsession and desire. Kubrick said that his last film (he died shortly before the film opened) was "my best film ever;" while that is debatable, there is no doubting that the film is a splendid finale to a glorious career.
| Features | English Subtitles | | French Subtitles | | English 5.1 Surround Dolby Digital | | Theatrical Trailer | | TV Spots | | Scene Access | | Interviews With Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman And Steven Spielberg | | Interactive Menus | | Production Notes |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Warner |
| Release Date: 6/3/2003 |
| Running Time: 159 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1999 | | Catalog ID: 21152 | | UPC: 00085392115228 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English | | Available Subtitles: Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | 4:3 |
| Cast & Crew
| Memorable Quotes| "Don't you think one of the charms of marriage is that it makes deception a necessity for both parties?"----Sandor Szavost (Sky Dumont) to Alice Harford (Nicole Kidman) |
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| | Professional Reviews | Variety
"...Riveting, thematically probing, richly atmospheric....A deeply inquisitive consideration of the extent of trust and mutual knowledge between a man and a woman..." 7/12-18/1999 p.37-41Sight and Sound
"...Endlessly fascinating....[Kidman gives] a raw and powerful performance..." 09/??/1999 p.38-44 Total Film
"...EYES WIDE SHUT is unquestionably the uncompromised artistic statement Kubrick intended to release, with every frame meticulously and elegantly crafted..." 10/01/1999 p.54-5 New York Times
"...This astonishing last film is a spellbinding addition to the Kubrick canon....[A] brilliantly provocative tour de force..." 06/16/1999 p.E1 Premiere
"...A movie that deals honestly and disquietingly with genuine adult themes....For anyone with the eyes to see it, EYES will reveal itself as an uncanny masterpiece..." 09/01/1999 p.32 USA Today
"...EYES WIDE SHUT is a dreamy movie....Kidman is so powerful baring her soul in an extended monologue that next year's best-actress Oscar could be hers..." 07/16/1999 p.2E Los Angeles Times
"...[When Kubrick] cuts words to a minimum and uses pure cinematic technique to go to the core of his emotions, what results has the powerful, lacerating impact of inescapable nightmare..." 07/16/1999 p.C1 Chicago Sun-Times
"...EYES WIDE SHUT is like an erotic daydream....Kubrick pays special attention to each individual scene..." 07/16/1999 p.29 Chicago Sun-Times 9 of 10
...like an erotic daydream about chances missed and opportunities...Kubrick pays special attention to each individual scene...to give each encounter the intensity of a dream... it creates a mesmerizing daydream of sexual fantasy. - Roger Ebert
San Francisco Chronicle 8 of 10
...Kubrick's...most heartfelt film...[it] is totally absorbing...Kubrick plays off Cruise and Kidman's genuine devotion to good, and moving, effect. - Bob Graham
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