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While Tom Cruise is known for his action films, he has also experimented with his stardom. He has worked with acclaimed directors like Paul Thomas Anderson, Michael Mann, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and more. Cruise was also legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick’s final leading man.
Kubrick’s final filmEyes Wide Shutwas touted as an erotic thriller when it was first announced but the final film seemed to be a more surreal look into the world of secret societies, cults, and the elite. While the film polarized viewers, Cruise later defended the film saying that the expectations of the audience clouded their judgment.
Tom Cruise Defended Stanley Kubrick’sEyes Wide Shut
Tom Cruiseplayed the role of Dr. Bill Harford in Stanley Kubrick’sEyes Wide Shut. The film also starred his then-wife Nicole Kidman and was reportedly the longest shoot ever, with a fifteen-month filming period and a 46-week unbroken schedule. The film was based on a novella calledDream Storybut Kurbick changed the setting to contemporary times.
Nicole Kidman: ‘That’s how I take off the dress’ on Real Reason Why Stanley Kubrick Cast Her in Eyes Wide Shut
Marketed as an erotic thriller, critics have since come to categorize the film as a surreal psychological drama. However, the earlier genre might have worked against Kubrick’s debatable masterpiece as it received polarizing reviews upon release, with many calling the sx scenes and the infamous ogy scene tame.
Tom Cruise, however, defended the film. He said toVanity Fairthat the notion ofEyes Wide Shutbefore its release was that it was a “sx movie” and that Kubrick was specific about the themes of the film which he said were sxual obsession and jealousy. He said,
And there were rumors out there about how Stanley was going to make a p*rnographic picture. But that wasn’t the movie he was making. You can see that they didn’t quite grasp what the movie was, even when they saw it because they carried the baggage in.
Cruise also blamed screenwriter Frederic Raphael’s memoirEyes Wide Openabout his time on the film’s sets and Stanley Kubrick’s artistic process and its reception for clouding the audience’s judgment of the film.
Tom Cruise BelievedEyes Wide Shut’s First Trailer May Impacted The Film’s Reception
Eyes Wide Shutwas not released before Stanley Kubrick’s death and was a posthumous release. Though Kubrick was reportedly very happy with the film before his death, many had opined that the cut that was released was not his final cut of the film. Due to Kubrick’s habit of editing until the last minute, many suggested Warner Bros. may have released whatever was available.
“Because one person could feel ganged up on”: Stanley Kubrick Was Worried About Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman’s Love Story in Eyes Wide Shut
When it came to the reception of the film, lead actor Tom Cruise felt that many people missed the point of the film and that the trailer was a huge misdirect. He said to Vanity Fair,
You have to understand: it’s Stanley Kubrick. It’s not going to be what you think it is. And he’s not going to tell you everything. So even the people who think they know Stanley Kubrick’s movies … missed it. Because whatever preconception you have, you’ve got to take it on its own merits and not the surrounding elements.
The film has since gained a cult following mainly due to Kubrick’s lasting legacy as an auteur filmmaker.
Eyes Wide Shutis available to stream on Apple TV+.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2417
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
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Eyes wide shutStanley KubrickTom Cruise
