Eyes Wide Shut

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Timing: 2:40 (160 min)

7.487/10
6956

7.554/10
158182

7.5/10
425000

All about film

Video 14

Photo 220

Actors and characters

Release date

1999-07-16

Country

United Kingdom, United States

Production

Warner Bros. Pictures, Stanley Kubrick Productions, Hobby Films, Pole Star

Genre

Drama, Thriller, Mystery

Budget

$65 000 000

Revenue

$162 100 000

Website

http://eyeswideshut.warnerbros.com

Director

Stanley Kubrick

Actors

Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack, Marie Richardson, Rade Šerbedžija, Todd Field, Vinessa Shaw, Alan Cumming, Sky du Mont, Fay Masterson
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Stanley Kubrick, Brian W. Cook, Jan Harlan

Operator

Larry Smith

Composer

Jocelyn Pook

Artist

Audition

Denise Chamian, Leon Vitali

Editing

Nigel Galt
All team (78)

• The film is based on Arthur Schnitzler's novella 'Dream Story' (Traumnovelle, 1925).
• Screenwriter Frederic Raphael believed that the role of Dr. Schoyer (that was the surname in the original novel) should be played by a Jew, as described in the novel. But Stanley Kubrick thought it would be better to make Schoyer and his wife ordinary Americans and change the surname.
• Stanley Kubrick said he saw Schoyer as somewhat resembling Harrison Ford – that’s how the surname “Harford” came to mind.
• Director Sidney Pollack agreed to play Victor Ziegler at the last moment, as Harvey Keitel had been fired from the film.
• In order for the film to be shown in the US for censorship reasons, some of the most explicit sexual scenes had to be “refined” using computer graphics.
• When Stanley Kubrick had the idea for this film in the 1980s, he considered Steve Martin for the lead role.
• The password "Fidelio" comes from the Latin word "fidelis", which means "faithful". Additionally, "Fidelio" is the title of Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera.
• Filming lasted 400 days. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman agreed to sign "open" contracts, meaning they committed to filming for as long as Stanley Kubrick needed, no matter how long it took. After filming, the film remained in post-production for almost a year.
• In the beginning of the film, at a party, two women offered Tom Cruise's character to go "where the rainbow ends". This is also the title of a children's play from the early 20th century (1911) and a feature film of the same name (1921).
• Stanley Kubrick passed away a few weeks before the film's premiere, and the director's last cinematic wish was to prohibit dubbing the film into foreign languages – "Eyes Wide Shut" was released with subtitles in foreign markets.
• Kubrick became interested in Schnitzler's novella back in the late 1960s, when he suggested his wife read it.
• Jennifer Jason Leigh had already finished filming when Kubrick decided to completely reshoot her role, giving it to another actress.
• During filming, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman had to spend a lot of time nude, and immersing themselves in the role of a detached couple, as is commonly believed, negatively affected their own relationship. They broke up shortly after filming ended.
• According to studio representatives, the director died four days after the editing was completed. However, film experts debated how much the official statements about the film's completion corresponded to reality. Known for his perfectionism, Kubrick could have continued to make changes to the editing for a long time. Rumors circulated that Sydney Pollack and Steven Spielberg helped to finish the film after Kubrick's death.
• The film is based on Arthur Schnitzler's novella "Dream Story" (Traumnovelle, 1925).
• Stanley Kubrick said he saw Schöyer as somewhat similar to Harrison Ford – and that’s how the surname “Harford” came to him.
• The password "Fidelio" comes from the Latin word "fidelis", which means "faithful". Additionally, “Fidelio” is the title of Ludwig van Beethoven’s only opera.
• Filming lasted 400 days. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman agreed to sign "open" contracts, meaning they committed to filming for as long as Stanley Kubrick needed, no matter how long it took. After filming, the film remained in post-production for almost a year.
• Early in the film, at a party, two women offered Tom Cruise's character to go "where the rainbow ends." This is also the title of a children's play from the early 20th century (1911) and a feature film of the same name (1921).
• Stanley Kubrick passed away a few weeks before the film's premiere, and the director's last cinematic wish was to prohibit dubbing the film into foreign languages – "Eyes Wide Shut" was released with subtitles in foreign markets.