EYES WIDE SHUT: An Analysis by Jerry Saravia

STANLEY KUBRICK'S EYES WIDE SHUT, PART 1 EYES WIDE SHUT: An Analysis by Jerry Saravia

Fan-Made trailer

A complete shot-by-shot analysis (or mere description to some) of the late director's last film

By Jerry Saravia

There were outstanding films in 1999 such as Magnolia or American Beauty, but there was nothing quite like Stanley Kubrick's final masterpiece, the superbly fascinating Eyes Wide Shut. This film, like most of the late director's work, merits close introspection and patience and needs to be seen more than once since it unearths many meanings, coincidences and extreme subtleties in every single frame thereby evoking its dreamlike power.

First, we have the title credits indicating that this is a Stanley Kubrick film starring two glamorous Hollywood actors, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. The music playing in the soundtrack is from Dmitri Shostakovich's "Waltz from Jazz Suite II." Then there is a cut to a lovingly composed, highly erotic shot of Alice (Nicole Kidman) who walks into a room where there is a large-scale mirror and two tennis rackets'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">tennis rackets'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">tennis rackets. Her backside is shown to us as she slowly removes her black dress'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">black dress'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">black dress baring all. We see that she is centered between two pillars, the curtains that barely close a window are red, and the whole shot itself is in warm yellowish tones. Right away, there is a cut to the title of the film, "EYES WIDE SHUT." This shot is a tease, as is the whole film - a game of foreplay where we can see but not touch, much like the highly touted trailer.

Next we have Dr. Bill Harford (Tom Cruise) who is dressed in a tuxedo ready to leave while looking for his wallet (and meanwhile picks up a handkerchief in a chest drawer'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">chest drawer'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">chest drawer, a mobile phone'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">mobile phone'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">mobile phone, and a set of keys on a table). He asks his wife, Alice, the whereabouts of his wallet. She tells him offscreen that it is located on the bedside table'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">bedside table'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">bedside table. He finds it and tells his wife, who is sitting on the loo, that they need to get to the party soon since they are running late. She asks him how she looks as she stands up from the loo. He says, "Perfect." She continues to ask if her hair is okay. He says, "It looks great." Then she says another important line that is the summation of one of the film's strong themes about marriage: "You are not even looking." The line is simple and direct but so damn honest, as indicated in the adjoining moment where, ultimately, his response to Alice is "It's beautiful. You always look beautiful." As they are about to leave, Alice asks Bill if he has given the babysitter, Roz, the phone and pager numbers. He says that they are on the refrigerator door. Bill shuts off the music on the stereo, which is incidentally the Shostakovich music we had been listening to from the beginning. They leave the bedroom and shut the lights. Next shot is a slightly canted Steadicam tracking shot (and there are many) of the couple walking down the hallway as Bill helps Alice put her coat on. Bill asks her the name of the babysitter. She says "Roz", a name he had forgotten already. They approach the living room where Helena, their seven-year-old daughter, is sitting next to Roz, and we get our first glimpse of a Christmas tree next to the sofa. Roz compliments Alice on her looks, while Helena asks her mother if she can stay up to watch The Nutcracker. Alice agrees to it, and they wave their kisses and goodbyes to Helena. The scene dissolves to an exterior night shot'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">night shot'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">night shot of Victor Ziegler's mansion in New York City.

Bill and Alice are inside the mansion, walking through a corridor filled with display cases'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">display cases'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">display cases and works of art. They walk past a decorative, star-shaped light fixture'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">light fixture'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">light fixture as they are greeted by Mr. Ziegler himself (played by Sydney Pollack), a millionaire, and his wife Ilona (Leslie Lowe) inside a large marbled hall - a Christmas tree laden with decorations is seen next to a staircase illuminated by a curtain of light. There are the customary greetings and then a line is said by Ziegler later reflected in Alice's monologue.

Ziegler: "Alice, look at you! God, you're absolutely stunning."

Alice: "And I don't say that to all the women, do I?" (motioning to Ilona)

Ilona: "Oh, yes, he does."

Ziegler then mentions to Bill that the osteopath Bill recommended has fixed his arm and that his tennis serve is better than ever. Meanwhile, Alice and Ilona briefly complement each other on their magnificent dresses. Bill and Alice leave as Ziegler and his wife greet the other incoming guests. The scene dissolves to a slow-zoom out long shot of the interior ballroom where two chandeliers of light are shaped as if they were breasts while below is an orchestra playing. Bill and Alice dance and Alice asks him if she knows any of Ziegler's guests. Bill's reply that exemplifies Kubrick's dreamlike approach of dragging out every syllable is: "Not...a...soul." Suddenly Bill recognizes the piano player, who was studying to be a doctor before dropping out. He asks Alice if she will accompany him to say hello. She says she needs to go to the bathroom. Alice walks away from the ballroom and gets a glass of champagne from a waiter and drinks it in one gulp - giving the impression that she does not take such parties seriously.

Cut to Bill greeting Nick Nightingale (Todd Field) whom we see standing next to his piano. They keep tapping and patting each other on the shoulder and on the stomach. Nick jokes that he was never cut out to be a doctor because he is used to walking away. They laugh and drink until Nick is interrupted (the first of many interruptions in the film) by Ziegler's secretary that Nick is wanted. They pat each other again and Nick reminds Bill that he will be playing at the Sonata Cafe.

Dissolve to Alice at the bar having another glass of champagne. She sets it on the table and a suave, tall, elegant man picks up her glass. Alice notices this yet the man drinks from her glass anyway. He then introduces himself as Sandor Szavost (Sky Dumont), a Hungarian playboy, perhaps. Alice introduces herself, and she accepts his invitation to dance. They leave the ante-room and there is a dissolve to the ballroom where they are seen dancing. They make small talk about art galleries'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">art galleries'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">art galleries until Alice gazes and smiles upon seeing Bill with two gorgeous women in the ante-room. Sandor asks her the identity of the man she is staring at, and she responds, "My husband." Sandor asks her why she should be married if she can have any man in the ballroom.

Cut to Bill conversing and giggling with two models, Nuala and Gayle (Stuart Thorndike and Louise Taylor) who have their arms draped around each other. Nuala flirts with Bill, spelling out every syllable of her name. Gayle reminds Bill that they had met at a photo session at Rockefeller Plaza and that he gave her a handkerchief for something she had caught in her eye (the handkerchief that Bill puts in his shoulder pocket at the beginning of the film).

There is then a cut back to the ballroom with Sandor and Alice as they continue to dance (the steadicam shots that follow them around are gracefully stable). Sandor, who must hold a doctorate degree on the history and art of love, tells Alice that women used to get married to lose their virginity and thus, they could have any man they wanted.

Cut to Bill walking with Gayle and Nuala headed for the marble hall. At one point, while Gayle mentions how knowledgable doctors are, Bill looks at Nuala who then makes eye contact with him. At that precise moment, Bill turns away. As they arrive in the marble hall, Bill asks where they are going, and Gayle says they are headed where the rainbow ends.

Bill: (smiling) "Where the rainbow ends?"

Nuala: "Don't you want to go where the rainbow ends?"

Then comes another interruption, this time Ziegler's personal assistant. He tells Bill that he is needed by Ziegler. Bill leaves the two women indicating that their flirtatious byplay will be continued. Bill and the assistant walk up the staircase illuminated by the curtain of light.

Cut to a barechested Ziegler putting on his suspenders in long shot standing next to a nude body traipsed on a dark red sofa'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">red sofa'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">red sofa. In this very same shot, you'll notice a glass partition on a bathtub which seemingly obscures the vagina of a nude woman in the background painting. There is a knock on the door and it is Dr. Bill. Ziegler tells Bill that the girl on the sofa, Mandy (Julienne Davis), has been shooting up speedball ("It is heroin and coke," says the nervous Ziegler. Interestingly, Ziegler doesn't seem to remember her name and repeats it twice, as if he is waking up from a shock of reality.) Another interesting point is the framing of Ziegler in close-up - he is standing in front of the very same nude painting and again obscures the vagina right in the center - shades here of similar framing shots in A Clockwork Orange such as Alex's boa constrictor just barely covering a nude woman's vagina in a painting. Finally, Bill wakes up Mandy.

In the meantime, Alice continues dancing with the Hungarian who suggests they go to the upstairs sculpture gallery to look at some Renaissance bronzes. Alice responds in another dreamlike state by pausing between each word:

Alice: "Maybe...not...just...now."

We return to Ziegler in the bathroom, putting on his shirt as he looks at Mandy who is now covered with a blue towel. Ziegler reaffirms the shock of reality by indicating to Mandy that she gave him one hell of a scare. Ziegler takes Bill aside and asks him to keep the situation just between them, entrusting Bill as if he was one of his own personal assistants.

Alice and the Hungarian continue dancing. Alice's eyes are closed and they suddenly open as the background music ends. She tells the Hungarian she needs to go. He asks why. She says, "Because...I am married.", as she shows her wedding ring'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">wedding ring'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">wedding ring to him. Last shot of Alice is framed against the warm-toned star in the background as she kisses her index finger and plants it on his lips.

There is an abrupt cut to a naked Alice wearing glasses and removing her earrings in front of her bedroom mirror. She is gently swaying supposedly to the beat of the song playing in the soundtrack, Chris Issak's Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing. Bill appears next to her, naked as well (they are both shot from the waist up), as he kisses her. She smiles, removes her glasses, and kisses him as she places her arms around him. She stares at herself in the mirror, and at him, and there is a fade to black. We are again denied the opportunity of watching a lovemaking session as Kubrick teases us yet again.

It is the morning after, as Bill arrives at his office from an elevator. He is greeted by his secretary (who does speak in a New York accent, more on accents later). As he goes to his office, we notice that there is a blue seating area, red tinsel along the desk area, a blue carpet leading to his office, and a Christmas tree with the requisite colored lights, plus the yellow star. There is something cold and sterile about the enviroment, as later evidenced in the morgue scene. This whole sequence plays like a montage as Kubrick crosscuts between Alice and her daughter and Bill's examination room scenes.

First shot following Dr. Bill's arrival is of Alice and her daughter, Helena, at breakfast time in the kitchen, as the daughter eats her cereal and watches a Bugs Bunny cartoon, while Alice reads the paper - there is also a green book on the table, which again showcases the importance of representing all the colors of the rainbow in almost every shot. You'll notice that the scene has that "shock of reality" again since Alice is not made up to look like the beauty she was the night before - a noticeable aspect during the confession scene later in the film (this scene echoes Shelley Duvall's breakfast with Danny Lloyd in the early morning light in The Shining). Light blue is the dominant color in these scenes with Alice. There is also another "tease" shot of Alice naked, shown from her backside as she puts on her black bra. Another shot follows of Helena wearing a red dress'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">red dress'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">red dress as Alice, in her blue bathrobe, combs Helena's hair with a blue hairbrush.

Dr. Bill first examines a woman who is seated on a hospital bed'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">hospital bed'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">hospital bed naked - he is checking her heart. Next he examines a young boy's neck glands as his mother stands in the background silently observing. Another examination scene is of Bill examining a man lying on a bed as he lifts the man's leg. All these scenes are virtually monochromatic - cold and sterile once again. White fills every shot, from the white walls to the white bed and gowns, with dark blue only slightly represented.

The crosscutting ends as Bill and Alice listen attentively to Helena, who reads from a children's book. There is a cut to Alice in the living room as she asks Bill, who is watching football on television, if they should continue wrapping the presents. Bill says it can be finished another time. Alice then goes to the bathroom and removes a Band-Aid tin from the cabinet which has a bag of marijuana in it.

This leads to one of the most important scenes in the film - the first confession scene. Alice is seen smoking a joint on their bed. The bed sheets and bed posts'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">bed posts'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">bed posts are a faded red color. Finally, as she chuckles to herself, Alice asks Bill if he had sex with the two models at the party. Bill is nonplussed to hear her asking such a question, dissuading himself by downplaying his flirtatious behavior with the models. He grabs Alice's breasts and counterattacks by asking if she had sex with the Hungarian - she admits she did not yet he understands why this man would want her wife. The "shock of reality" sets in yet again, interrupting a possible lovemaking session as Alice tries to understand Bill's statement.

Alice: "So...because I'm a beautiful woman'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">beautiful woman'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">beautiful woman the only reason any man wants to talk to me is because he wants to fuck me! Is that what you're saying?"

Bill:"Well, I don't think it's quite that black and white, but I think we both know what men are like."

Alice (seen leaning against the door frame as dark blue light fills the back room): "So, on that basis, I should conclude that you wanted to f*** those two models?"

Bill: "There are exceptions."

Alice: "And what makes you an exception?"

Bill: "What makes me an exception is that...I happen to be in love with you and because we're married and because I would never lie to you or hurt you."

Alice starts to walk to the other side of the room past the red curtains'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">red curtains'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">red curtains. She then says: "Do you realize that what you're saying is that the only reason you wouldn't fuck those two models is out of consideration for me, not because you really wouldn't want to."

What follows is Alice's intention to understand her husband's flirtations, thereby testing his faithfulness. She even laughs at him, giggling uncontrollably - an unusual occurrence in any Tom Cruise film for a female lead to be laughing and mocking the lead movie star. Bill, wearing black underwear, is sitting hunched over and shot in close-up with some headroom - a rather unflattering, vulnerable portrait of Bill. As he listens to Alice's story of their past summer in Cape Cod, she admits that she fantasized of having an affair with a naval officer she had seen in a restaurant. Her confession also further underlies the fragility of their marriage - Alice says she would have left Bill, their future together, all for one night of ecstacy. Bill sits in silence, starting to swell up when the phone rings (one of many repeated interruptions in the film, and here it is accompanied by Jocelyn Pook's musical score). It is a phone call from a patient's daughter.

We see Bill in a cab out to the patient's house. Part of the dreamlike power of these scenes is that rear-screen projection is used, as it used to be with films from the past to save money from shooting on location. In the case with Kubrick, who had never returned to New York since leaving the United States back in 1960, it was a matter of recreating New York in England. During this scene, Kubrick makes it clear that it is Bill's story by taking a subjective stance - we are, in effect, inside Bill's mind. The first of three flashbacks of Alice's supposed infidelity with the naval officer takes place - we see in black-and-white, the naval officer lying on top of Alice in bed as he removes her panties. Cut back to Bill, who is obviously affected by Alice's confession. Interestingly, in the novella by Arthur Schnitzler from which this film's screenplay is based on, Bill (Fridolin) also tells Alice (Albertina) of a fantasized love affair he had.

Bill enters the apartment of the patient, Nathanson, and we see blue windows in the background. He is let in by the maid, and finally arrives at the patient's bedroom where Marion Nathanson (Marie Richardson) is seen. The corpse of Lou Nathanson, Marion's father, lays on her bed, which has blue bedsheets. A small Christmas tree is seen at the entrance of the bedroom with a faded pinkish glow. Bill and Marion sit down and talk, he tries to comfort her. She speaks of moving away with her fiancee, Carl, but she is barely able to comport herself. Suddenly, Marion kisses Bill on the lips, and he pulls away. She admits she is in love with him, and he tells her that they barely know each other. Another interruption comes in the form of a doorbell. It is her fiancee, Carl (Thomas Gibson). Marion hesitates kissing him, and when Carl approaches Bill and thanks him for coming and for his support, Bill wipes his mouth while talking to Carl. There is a close-up shot of Marion, as she stands waiting for Bill to acknowledge her before he leaves. She is about to say something to him when she is interrupted by Bill, who says "good night", as he abruptly walks out.

Dissolve to the night life of Greenwich Village, as Bill is seen walking the crowded streets (one of the few shots in the film where New York is shown to be crowded as it normally is). He sees a couple necking at one point, and immediately there is a flash to Alice's B&W sex fantasy - this time the naval officer is reaching his hand down to her vagina. Cut back to Bill, walking faster and far more furious, as he punches his hand in frustration (if you look quickly, you'll notice a red glow from the bottom of the screen as he punches his hand, more noticeable in the trailer). Bill walks past several Christmas shops as he sees a gang of youths walking on the street talking about some "Mexican lap-dance." As they approach him, they taunt him with sayings like "Looks like the pink team,"and one of them elbows Bill who falls next to a dark blue car. They continue taunting him, telling him to go back to San Francisco where all homosexuals belong. Bill looks back angrily, and slowly you start to notice a slight rainbow effect form just below his chest. This scene is misunderstood by many but it is another example of how each one of Bill's encounters borders on the sexual or, in this case, sexually demeaning.

Bill continues walking, and is stopped by a woman in a fur coat'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">fur coat'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">fur coat who asks for the time. He tells her it is past midnight, and continues walking. She follows, asking if he would like a "little fun." They pass a neon blue video store and a red neon liquor store, which can be seen across the street, as well as a hotel neon light'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">neon light'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">neon light sign in yellow. Bill is surprised at her request and she insists it will be alright and that they will not be bothered. She shows him the entrance to her apartment, which has a prominently red doorway.

They enter her apartment, which of course has yet another Christmas tree (the lights are off and only a strong blue light comes through from her windows). A bathtub can be seen in the kitchen as she turns on the lights and apologizes for the mess. What follows is an extraordinary long take where she removes her fur coat revealing a purple dress'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">purple dress'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">purple dress, and they discuss what will be done for fun and for how much. Christmas lights are blocked in the background by a pillar. A pair of bras and red packaged Christmas gifts are seen above the bathtub (only in Europe do they have bathtubs in the kitchen, certainly not in any New York apartment I know of). She reassures him that she does not keep track of the time.

Cut to Alice sitting in her kitchen, surrounded by the ethereal blue light from outside, watching Blume in Love on the television. She is seen drinking a glass of milk and smoking a cigarette - isolated in her own home while her husband is out enjoying the night life. There is a dissolve then to a close-up shot of Bill with the woman in the apartment (at this time, she remains unnamed but is later on referred to as Domino, played by Vinessa Shaw). She kisses him sweetly and softly, as faded red and blue lights can be seen in the background. She asks him, "So, shall we?" Before he can answer, there is yet another interruption, this time Bill's mobile phone is ringing. He gets up from her bed and turns the jazz music down on her radio. It turns out to be his wife Alice calling, who inquires when he will be back. He is not sure as he lies about still being at Nathanson's apartment and waiting for relatives to arrive. Alice tells him she is going to bed. He hangs up, as Domino asks him if that was Mrs. Dr. Bill. Worth noting in the medium shot of Domino, lying on her bed, is that her purple dress appears to be crimson red, no doubt caused by the reflection of all the Christmas lights. Bill leaves, paying for her services though all she did was kiss him. This scene is as erotic as they come, again in the hands of Kubrick who continues to tease us. Whoever thought that there could be a romantic, electrifying scene with a prostitute that did not show sexual happenings or gratuitous nudity. Kubrick's teasing game continues.

Cut to Bill now walking the streets again. He sees a Sonata cafe sign with white letters and a red background, and the Sonata Jazz sign above in blue neon lights'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">neon lights'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">neon lights. Bill smiles and enters the cafe. He passes an entrance full of yellow lights and we hear Nick Nightingale, whom we met at Ziegler's party, playing with his band. Bill sits at a table just as Nick finishes his piece. Another shot of sexual suggestiveness is apparent when there is a low-angle shot of Nick sitting at the piano holding a microphone with a cable extending from it - it is as if he is receiving oral pleasure or giving it. Nick is called over by Bill at his table, and they talk about their current life situations. As they talk, Nick tells Bill he has a gig later that night, unaware of where or when he will play. Bill is nonplussed by this strange gig, and Nick tells him it is a place where he plays the piano blindfolded and has learned that incredible women attend the gig. There is another interruption, as Nick's cell phone'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">cell phone'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">cell phone rings. We do not hear the conversation but Nick does write the word "Fidelio" on a napkin. Bill asks Nick what the word is, and Nick tells him it is the cryptic password to the gig. Bill asks to go to this gig, and Nick is reluctant to give him any more information. Bill insists, and learns that all he needs is a cloak and a mask to get in, as well as the password.

Cut to Bill arriving at a costume shop called "Rainbow." A man named Milich (Rade Sherbedgia) answers in the intercom, though Bill was expecting to see the previous owner. He explains to Milich that he is a doctor and shows his State Medical board card (a running gag through most of the film), as a way of getting a costume at such late-night hours. Milich lets him in knowing that Bill will pay extra.

Milich and Bill enter the costume shop through a red gate - the inside of the store is dark and blue light again comes in through the outside windows. They enter an inner room where mannequins are on display - red curtains are in the background and yellow lights. Bill requests a black cloak, a mask and a tuxedo. While Milich is looking through the costumes, he hears a noise. Bill hears it as well, as Milich walks into a room with a glass wall and finds a bra and leftover Chinese food. He hears someone giggling and finds two practically nude Japanese men and a young girl in bra and panties'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">bra and panties'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">bra and panties, who is in fact Milich's daughter (played by a young Leelee Sobieski). While Milich berates the men, Milich's daughter stands behind Bill and whispers into his ear, "You should have a cloak lined with ermine." She walks backwards and gives him a suggestive look.

Cut to Bill driven in another taxi, this time to Long Island. Close-up of Bill in cab closing his eyes, as Jocelyn Pook's music starts again and he has another flash of his wife Alice engaging in more sex with the naval officer, all in black-and-white. There are a few dissolves as Bill arrives at a mansion called Somerton (the nighttime scenes in the cab and the sign of Somerton outside the mansion recall Alex's rampage at a place called simply "Home" in "A Clockwork Orange.") Two men are seen outside the mansion, which has a blue fence at the entrance. Bill pays the cab driver to wait for him. Bill walks to the two gatemen and gives the password. He is driven to the front of the mansion in a red jeep.

Once inside the mansion, Bill gives the password to a masked butler, and promptly puts on his own mask and cloak as he walks on a red carpet leading to the ante-room, surrounded by red curtains. He walks past another masked man and sees a ceremony given by some man in a red cloak and mask (known in the credits as "Red Cloak" and played by Leon Vitali, Kubrick's long-time personal assistant). The Red Cloak is leading the ceremony of naked masked women who form a circle around him. He is holding an incense burner on one hand and a staff on the other. The blindfolded Nick can be seen playing the piano. Bill is then seen by two masked figures on the balcony, and one of them with a tricorn mask bows to Bill as if he recognized him. Bill gives a returning bow, unaware of who this masked figure is (my guess is that it is Ziegler, as we later find out that he attended this very same ceremony). The masked naked women in the circle leave and each of them arbitrarily picks one man from the spectators to accompany them, all of whom are dressed in black cloaks and wearing Venetian Carnival masks of different designs. Each woman kisses the masked men while wearing their masks. One mysterious woman (Abigail Good) comes up to Bill, kisses him and then they leave hand in hand.

The woman asks Bill what he is doing and why he is there. Bill feels she has mistaken him for someone else but there is yet another interruption - this time it is a man wearing an oversized mask who takes her away. Bill is left alone, and begins looking around. What follows is the controversial sequence that was censored by the MPAA for apparently gross nudity and visible genitalia. Instead of seeing all these sex acts that transpire on Bill's journey through the mansion, we see digitally created nude figures (!) blocking all the sex acts that should be seen from Bill's point-of-view - it is all subjective in endless tracking shots but the point is lost when we cannot see what Bill has been waiting to see, as has the audience at this point - it is another tease but perhaps not in the way Kubrick intended since he was forced to censor these acts. In 1999, for the MPAA to think that the audience is not ready to see an innocent little orgy, which anyone can see in HBO films to X-rated fare in any video store, is incomprehensible. More than likely, it is due to the nightmarish intensity of it, especially after having viewed the original footage intact. An essential moment since it is shaping Bill's own sexual awakening, as well as showing sex as purely animalistic and devoid of emotion.

Nevertheless, Bill admires one sexual act of a masked man on his hands and knees while on his back is a naked woman having sex with another man. An objective shot follows of the tricorn masked man and another masked nude woman entering this room, unbeknownst to Bill. He signals her to get Bill's attention. Bill notices her standing next to him. She asks if he is enjoying himself and would accompany her for a more private room. Before this goes anywhere, there is another interruption by the mysterious masked woman he was walking with earlier. She leads to him a small hall and tells him that he has to leave, warning him of imminent danger. The mysterious woman flees while a tall masked butler tells Bill that the taxi driver wants to talk to him. Bill and the butler leave.

We then see the blindfolded Nick led across a dance hall by a masked man - the dance hall is full of naked men and women dancing to an instrumental version of Strangers in the Night. All these masked principals, the ballrooms, and the music suggest the atmosphere of the ballroom scenes from "The Shining."

Bill is led back to the ante-room where Red Cloak is seen seated in the middle of the room between two blue-costumed guards. All the other spectators that were seen earlier are there, and all are staring at Bill while the ominous piano theme in the soundtrack begins to play (it is Musica Ricercata II by composer Gyorgy Ligeti - a favorite of Kubrick's who used some of his musical compositions in "The Shining"). As Bill walks toward the middle of the room, his black cloak suddenly changes into a dark blue color, particularly when he passes an overhead flood light. The Red Cloak asks Bill for his password and the password to the house. Bill does not know the latter and lies, admitting he had forgotten it when there never was such a password. Bill is taunted by the Red Cloak who asks Bill to remove his clothes. Suddenly, there is another interruption - this time it is the mysterious woman who is seen above in the balcony and says she will "redeem him." She is then escorted by a bird masked man and taken away, though we are not sure what will happen to her. Bill asks about her plight, but the Red Cloak only warns him of dire consequences, especially with his family, if he is ever to speak of what he had seen at the mansion.As played Leon Vitali, Red Cloak (who is not referred to as such) has a sarcastic tone and is quite polite in his requests ("May I have the password, please!"). He never shouts or utters obscenities, as perhaps other less imaginative filmmakers might have if they had written the dialogue. The politeness and sarcasm make his requests that much more threatening or as Vitali explained in an interview, "It's almost like a sadistic English schoolmaster talking to his unfortunate pupil."

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