MovieChat Forums > Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Discussion > How much of this movie was actually dire...

How much of this movie was actually directed by Kubrick

posted 7 years ago by DuesExBiological (99)
20 replies | jump to latest

The dialogue exchange between most of the main characters feels contrived and rehearsed, which most would say is Kubrick's signature narrative style of story-telling, but there's just too much of an "initial draft" vibe to every scene, even with the photography. Only in certain instances does it feel like Kubrick spent weeks framing a shot, but in most of the film it looks spliced up with transition shots and intercuts he would never utilize as exhibited in his previous films.

[–] LetThemEatCake (2717) 7 years ago

he died after principal photography ended, so.

[–] DuesExBiological (99) 7 years ago

So he wasn't in the editing room it seems.

There are only two scenes that felt like Kubric scenes, A) The flirtation dance between Nicole and the older Fox, and B) the subsequent argument between Tom and Nicole in their bedroom about their mild indiscretions at Xmas party. The rest of the movie felt like dress rehearsal scenes that needed more buttoning up. Even the whole Fidelio party sequence looked nothing more than a Zalman King rip-off from a Red Shoe Diaries episode.

It's a pity Stanley succumbed to illness at his older age. I would have loved to see this movie in its complete realization, as well as Stanley directing AI instead of Spielberg.

[–] LetThemEatCake (2717) 7 years ago

what do you mean rehearsal scenes? they don't shoot those. Everyone says that they followed his directioons and the film is what he wanted but who knows. I dislike the whole costume shop scene.

[–] DuesExBiological (99) 7 years ago

the other scenes looked like rehearsal not final product. I wish I could link some old youtube vids I found of BTS scenes from Full Metal Jacket but they are a good example of what I mean. Most movie productions have rehearsed dialogue and pre-photography sessions where actors read from the written script in hand and act out the scene. It's usually rigid and out of rhythm. That's how those other scenes played out for me.

[–] LetThemEatCake (2717) 7 years ago

yes but they weren't rehearsal.

[–] DuesExBiological (99) 7 years ago

whatever, they scenes looked premature and rigid.

[–] BlissNEsb (108) 6 years ago

You realize this film's based on a novella called "Dream Story" which also reads rigid and off rhythm? The husband floats through these situations as if he's in a daydream. I don't doubt this decision was intentional, and in that regard Kubrick nailed it.

[–] fleischwolf (294) 7 years ago

Sorry, but it doesn't get any more Kubrick than the scene at the orgy with all the people in masks starring at Cruise. Did you even see the film?

[–] DuesExBiological (99) 7 years ago

The entire Fidelio orgy sequence looked like B-movie Playboy movie channel fair to me.

[–] fleischwolf (294) 7 years ago

I'd post something mean, but I don't pick on the visually impaired.

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

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[–] Salem2018 (73) 7 years ago

It looks very much like an unfinished film, no matter what the "official story" from Warner Bros. is.

[–] Renovatio (2990) 7 years ago

Fully directed by Kubrick, but he died before the final edit was complete... That's what I heard... I have the Blu Raupy, but haven't checked the commentary/extras to see if this was covered... I think there must be documentaries and interviews about this... I think Movie Geeks United podcast/website did a lengthy series on Kubrick...

The acting in Eyes Wide Shut seems a little "Brechtian", it's intentionally stilted, detached and not fully naturalistic because it seems Kubrick wanted the audience to be able to have some distence from the characters instead of automatically using Cruise as their avatar and not being able to see the bigger picture...

[–] DuesExBiological (99) 7 years ago

Where and when did Kubric state anything about the audience wanting stilted, detached and not fully naturalistic acting?

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

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[–] Renovatio (2990) 7 years ago

I don't know for sure. It just seems that way to me.

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

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[–] Heisenberg (6730) 6 years ago

That depends of what you mean by "directed".
Hollywood directors usually move to another project after principal photography. Rarely, they do pickups. They seldom participate in the post production.
REAL directors elsewhere, like Kubrick, stick around till it's finished and want to be involved with the editing and any other production phase till it's released.

So, yeah, Kubrick officially finished shooting it, we'll never know if he wanted to do more pickups or if he was happy with this editing. WB say he was done with it. You can understand the (little) value of shuch statement from the distributor.
So, you tell me, how much of it was "directed" by Kubrick?

[–] Adam60z (3766) 6 years ago

Well it was no 2001.

[–] snepts (11123) 6 years ago

Not even 2019 . ;-)