MovieChat Forums > Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Discussion > Sad

Sad

posted 3 years ago by Lemming (67)
4 replies | jump to latest

It sucks that Kubrick died so shortly after completing the final edit of 'Eyes Wide Shut.' It was reportedly his favourite film of his career as well as his most personal, and is a cruel irony that he didn't live to see it's worldwide reception. It sucks that he never got to create his biopic on Napoleon, and it sucks that he didn't get to oversee and produce 'A.I.' which while being a good movie, in my opinion, would've been different with his creative input.

Also according to everyone involved on EWS, he got along like a house on fire with Cruise and Kidman. I imagine he would've worked with them again. Cruise was the perfect Kubrick leading-man (maybe second to Peter Sellers and Nicholson) being that he was equally as patient and meticulous about details as was Kubrick.

[–] cyguration (3951) 3 years ago

it sucks that he didn't get to oversee and produce 'A.I.' which while being a good movie, in my opinion, would've been different with his creative input.

You could literally see the shift in tone the movie took when Spielberg was left to his own devices. I loved the first half, but then the second half was pure trite.

This is what was most disappointing to me about his death; he didn't get to finish a movie that could have been great, but instead is relegated to being "meh" due to the second half losing steam and verve.

[–] Lemming (67) 3 years ago

He gave the script to Spielberg to direct. Being a good friend, he felt in his heart that the story's sentimental arc was more suited to Spielberg's sensibilities. I actually really like the second half of A.I. which is the ending Kubrick wrote. It's a common mistake that Spielberg created the ending, it was all Kubrick's idea.

However he was renowned for altering scripts during production on his own films, so who knows whether he and Spielberg would've discussed changing the ending.

[–] Ace_Spade (9506) 3 years ago

The loss of anyone is tragic (ask not for whom the bell tolls and all that), and it is moreso when a brilliant artist dies, since we must wonder what their future art could have been.

Still, I am grateful I got to see Kubrick's works that he did make. What a master!

[–] ElizabethJoestar (946) 3 years ago

Makes me sad too since Kubrick is one of my favorite directors. I have to wonder what Kubrick would have thought of the modern filmmaking landscape though.