Identified initially as an erotic thriller, Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999), foregrounds marriage and infidelity as central motifs to explore the fragile nature of trust, desire and psychological barriers within relationships. Gradually the film garnered enough critical acclaim to emerge as something much more profound than a simple erotic, psychosexual thriller. The film follows Dr Bill Harford (Tom Cruise) and his wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), as they grapple with feelings of jealousy, temptation and the unmet expectations that sometimes accompany long-term commitment.

The concept of infidelity—both real and imagined—plays a pivotal role in their marriage. When Alice confesses to having had fantasies about a naval officer, Bill is forced to confront his own assumptions about fidelity and the stability of their relationship. Alice’s confession stirs intense feelings of insecurity and jealousy within Bill, strongly challenging his perception of their marriage as an unshakable foundation. It is this confession on the part of Alice, more than any actual betrayal, that drives Bill to explore the boundaries of his own desires, sending him on a surreal journey that tests the strength of Bill’s commitment to Alice. It sets him on a journey of transgression, both real and imagined.

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Kubrick treats infidelity in the film as something more complex than a mere physical act. Instead, he shows how even the thought of betrayal can be destabilising and corrosive. Bill’s encounters with various women during his Ulysses-like nocturnal odyssey reflect his conflicted emotions. However, the fact that Bill contemplates it so deeply, reveals the impact that a partner’s (here his wife Alice’s) fantasies—or the sheer acknowledgement that desire may exist outside the marriage—poses a challenge or rather a threat to the perceived sanctity of a marital relationship.

Kubrick also examines the constructed roles and expectations within marriage, especially around the ideas of loyalty, control and possession. Towards the beginning, Bill seems to view his marriage as secure and straightforward, while Alice’s fantasy shatters this notion, exposing an underlying need for honesty and an acknowledgement of personal desires. Interestingly enough, it is Alice’s confession that begins the self-exploratory journey for Bill. The film’s ending hints that, while their marriage has been profoundly shaken, it is not necessarily broken; instead, they reach a fragile but honest understanding of the complexities of desire and the importance of trust, and forgiveness as they continue to accept issues of marital infidelity.

The film blurs the line between fantasy and reality, transgression real and imagined, emphasising that even the mere thought of infidelity or sexual experimentation can have a profound impact on the human psyche. Alice’s fantasies are never acted upon, yet they are powerful enough to destabilise Bill’s perception of their marriage. They are powerful enough to destabilise the deeper recesses of the human mind. In response, Bill becomes almost obsessed with exploring his own subconscious desires, as if to validate or equalise the imbalance he feels.

Bill’s journey through the nighttime streets of New York and, eventually, to the surreal orgy scene represents a dangerous, life-threatening descent into his own subconscious. He encounters a strange and enigmatic orgy in a mysterious password-protected mansion. Masks in the orgy scene symbolise the facades people wear to conceal their true selves, a theme that extends to marriage and personal identity. The encounters he has, accompanied by haunting music—tempting but ultimately unfulfilled—mirror his inner struggle between the thrill of the unknown and his sense of moral duty. The orgy scene is a world of sexual freedom and anonymity that is opposed to the expectations of monogamous marriage.

The allure of forbidden romance in Eyes Wide Shut is depicted as both enticing and dangerous; it exposes Bill to aspects of himself he never fully acknowledged and his adventures force him to grapple with his own vulnerabilities, desires and sexual jealousies. In the orgy, sexual desire is presented as something primal and unrestrained, existing outside societal norms. The masked participants of high society engage in bizarre rituals that strip away individuality and personal connection, suggesting that in this hidden world, sexual desire is untamed and devoid of the emotional bonds typically associated with intimacy. This setting becomes both alluring and frightening. In a different style altogether, like Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, Eyes Wide Shut reveals how the allure of the forbidden can draw individuals into dangerous territories where desire is unfettered and devoid of moral constraints.

Kubrick uses lighting, set design, costume, décor and music to heighten the sensual and mysterious atmosphere. The mise-en-scene creates an immersive, dream-like state that reflects the characters’ internal conflicts, suggesting that desire and fantasy often lie beneath the surface, ever-present and influential, even if unexpressed. In the end, Eyes Wide Shut suggests that desire, while natural and often unavoidable, is complex and fraught with both pleasure and peril. It raises questions about the nature of commitment and the boundaries between fantasy and fidelity, urging the audience to consider what lies beneath the desires that go unspoken in our own lives.

Music in Kubrick’s style is never just a background; it drives the narrative and mood, with pieces like Ligeti’s Musica Ricercata II underscoring the repetitive, obsessive quality of Bill’s thoughts, and Pook’s choral score heightening the mysterious allure of the orgy sequence. This atmospheric layering of music and sound design creates a haunting, immersive experience that conveys the themes of repression, temptation, and fear in a way that dialogue alone cannot.

Kubrick’s style in Eyes Wide Shut combines technical mastery with psychological nuance, creating a film that feels as haunting as it is enigmatic. His meticulous approach to pacing, composition, music, and symbolism weaves a surreal, immersive experience that invites viewers to confront the dark, unspoken aspects of human nature. This stylistic cohesion is what gives Eyes Wide Shut its distinctive tone, making it both a compelling exploration of desire and fidelity and a powerful visual and emotional experience.

Kubrick’s framing is carefully controlled, and nearly every shot is composed with a symmetrical, almost clinical precision. He uses a wide-angle lens for many interior shots, capturing the environments around the characters in an all-encompassing way as if exposing every hidden corner of their lives. This detached, controlled framing also serves to highlight Bill’s isolation, portraying him as insignificant and vulnerable against the vastness of his surroundings, whether he is in his apartment, on New York’s streets, or inside the mansion at the orgy. Kubrick’s geometric compositions lend an eerie beauty to the scenes, as if the spaces themselves hold secrets waiting to be uncovered.

Kubrick’s exploration of desire—its repression, allure, and moral implications—reveals the tensions between societal expectations and personal impulses. Through the lens of Bill and Alice’s marriage, the film critiques the limitations imposed by conventional norms and highlights how unacknowledged desires can disrupt even the most seemingly secure relationships. Ultimately, Kubrick invites viewers to confront the darker aspects of human desire, illustrating that the pursuit of intimacy is fraught with challenges, contradictions, and complexities that lie beneath the surface of everyday life.

Eyes Wide Shut paints marriage not as a perfect union but as a delicate balance between intimacy and individuality, with infidelity and fantasy acting as forces that either destabilise or deepen a relationship. After 25 years, as we revisit the legendary filmmaker’s last masterpiece, we see how his nuanced exploration of marital infidelity suggests that maintaining a marriage requires confronting the hidden aspects of oneself and one’s partner, embracing both the beauty and the difficulty that come with commitment.

The writer is a film critic, and associate professor, department of English, Vidyasagar College for Women, Kolkata