‘Eyes Wide Shut’ Documentary Will Examine Stanley Kubrick’s Final Film

Stanley Kubrick, one of the most acclaimed filmmakers in the history of the medium, left this world in 1999, but right before his death he completed work on his final film, Eyes Wide Shut. The psychological journey into a night of Christmastime orgies and sexual frustration divided critics and audiences alike upon release, but in subsequent years has gained a steady following of fans who appreciate how brilliant the film is. Now, an Eyes Wide Shut documentary will attempt to dissect Kubrick’s challenging final film.

Just saying the name “Stanley Kubrick” can inspire a wide range of emotions and hot takes, but the general consensus seems to be that Kubrick was one of the very best filmmakers of his, or any, generation, creating several masterpieces throughout his lengthy career. However, one particular part of Kubrick’s legacy that tends to inspire a mixed reaction is his final work, Eyes Wide Shut. The film, which starred the then-married Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, was surrounded in a sea of hype even before Kubrick’s sudden death. After the filmmaker’s passing, the interest in the film only intensified, to the point that anticipation before release was at a fever pitch.

Yet upon release, Eyes Wide Shut left some people cold. The film’s use of sex and sexuality had been much touted pre-release, but while sex plays a big part in the narrative, Eyes Wide Shut is not exactly what you’d call a sexy romp. Instead, it’s a cold, often disturbing exploration of one man’s long night of the soul as he struggles with his own sexual inadequacy and frustrations. Some viewers didn’t know what to make of all this, nor the film’s deliberately mysterious tone, giving the whole thing the feeling of being one long fever dream.

Now Kubrick’s final film will be studied in a new documentary. Per Variety, Tony Zierra, who recently helmed the documentary Filmworker about longtime Kubrick associate Leon Vitali, will direct SK13, an inside look at the making of Eyes Wide Shut. “The one movie that I feel is the wrinkle in Kubrick’s filmography is Eyes Wide Shut,” Zierra said. “The people that love him always say, ‘He’s a genius, but I’m not sure what the hell that movie was about.'”

This won’t be the first time a documentary has attempted to grapple with one of Kubrick’s films. Rodney Ascher’s Room 237 attempted to explore and dissect several wild theories that surrounded Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining. Something tells me SK13 won’t be as extreme or strange as that, though. No release date for the doc has been announced yet, but in the meantime, why not head over to Netflix and stream Eyes Wide Shut? It’s Christmas setting will start getting you into the inevitable holiday spirit. Well, if your idea of holiday spirit is a little depraved…

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