MovieChat Forums > Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Discussion > Questions about this movie

Questions about this movie


First of all, I noticed this moviechat forum looks exactly like the old IMDb discussion board, which I enjoyed a lot, but sadly they took it down. Maybe it was created by the same person? Lol.

A few questions about Eyes Wide Shut. I've read a lot of people share the theory that almost everything that happens in this movie is a dream, not reality. Maybe Bill's dream.

1) Do you think what happens in the movie is a dream? Or do you think it's reality? In case you think it's a dream, how much of the movie you think is a dream? 80% dream 20% reality? 90% dream 10% reality? If you consider most of the scenes are a dream, can you name the scenes you think are reality (awake) instead of a dream?

Many aspects in the movie I thought made no sense and are not realistic. But that doesn't mean they have to be a dream. For example, when Alice first tries to make Bill jealous by telling him about her fantasies about another guy. I understand they were under the effect of drugs, but still, her behavior seems to make no sense, very weird, she suddently turns into an evil psycho, for no reason, trying to hurt him.

A lot of what happens in the movie makes us ask questions but gives no answers, are left to open interpretation, maybe that was on purpose by Stanley Kubrick. The movie ended abruply, was unexpected for me, I was expecting and wanted more explanations, I wanted more answers about the secret society.

Everyone knows secret societies, or half-secret are real. Freemasons as an example, and many more. The secret society in Eyes Wide Shut can be a parallel to real life secret societies. If you consider all those scenes in the secret society are just a part of Bill's dream, that is one possible interpretation. However, it's also realistic and makes sense to admit maybe it's all real, not a dream. A wild adventure by Bill inside a secret society.

2) What is your interpretation of the scenes involving the fantasy costumes shop keeper, his daughter and the 2 men that were with her? Also a dream? Or reality? What is the meaning of these scenes? When Tom Cruise returns to the shop, the shop owner seems to try to prostitute his daughter to Tom, sell her body to him. All the scenes in the shop seem weird as well, over the top, crazy. What is the point? A portrait of how sick society is? I've read Lelee Sobieski was 14 or 16 at the time.

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