Eyes wide shut- Kyle Rollins

Stanley Kubricks last film "Eyes Wide Shut," is a film that deals with jealousy and sexual temptation. Cinematographer Larry Smith overlights the initial party scene and uses natural lighting for many of the scenes on the street and specifically the orgy scene in the mansion. The pacing of this film is very slow and this film has many long shots in it. These decisions are made so the audience can better understand and feel what Tom Cruises character Bill is feeling. Throughout this whole film, Bill feels as if he is in a dream like state. Each scene in this film is very dark and in some scenes we see the camera positioned in front of doors and mirrors when characters are talking or making love. The camera placement off mirror reflections reperesent the darkside of these characters and it also goes back to Kubrick and the cinematographer making this film appear as a dream. The camera is positioned from the point of view of Bills character and we are taken throughout the house and the audience is able to see what Bill sees. Even though Kubrick uses cross dissolves to show the passing of the time, the orgy scene is the longest scene in the film and has the longest shot. This film was criticized for being very unrealistic and that was the angle Kubrick was aiming for. Kubrick wanted this film to seem dreamlike and each decision cinematographer Larry Smitch made with the camera made the audience feel like they were in a never ending dream.