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[CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY
BUENA VISTA TELEVISION]
>> LADIES FIRST.
>> EXACTLY.
ARE WE GOING?
EXACTLY.
>> WHERE ARE THE RAIN GIRLS?
>> TOM CRUISE IS A *** MAGNET
FOR EVERYONE HE MEETS
IN "EYES WIDE SHUT," THE 13TH
AND FINAL FILM BY THE LATE
STANLEY KUBRICK.
AND WE'RE DEVOTING THE ENTIRE
PROGRAM THIS WEEK TO
A DISCUSSION OF
"EYES WIDE SHUT."
I'M ROGER EBERT, FILM CRITIC
OF THE "CHICAGO SUN-TIMES."
AND JOINING ME HERE TODAY ARE
FOUR OF MY CHICAGO COLLEAGUES.
>> HI, I'M MIKE WILMINGTON,
MOVIE CRITIC OF THE
"CHICAGO TRIBUNE."
>> I'M RAY PRIDE, FILM CRITIC
OF "NEW CITY."
>> I'M DANN GIRE, FILM CRITIC
OF THE "CHICAGO DAILY HERALD."
>> AND I'M JONATHAN ROSENBAUM,
FILM CRITIC OF THE "CHICAGO
READER."
ROGER: WHEN THE NEWS
OF THE UNEXPECTED DEATH
OF STANLEY KUBRICK ARRIVED,
THERE WAS A SENSE OF SHOCK
IN THE FILM WORLD, WHERE KUBRICK
WAS GENERALLY CONSIDERED A GRAND
MASTER.
HERE HE IS DIRECTING
"THE SHINING", WHICH HE BEGAN
FILMING IN 1978.
>> DON'T LOOK AT YOUR HANDS,
DANNY.
DON'T LOOK AT YOUR HANDS WHEN
YOU COME OUT.
KEEP IT LOW.
SLOWING.
ROGER: WHEN HE DIED LAST MARCH,
HE HAD JUST FINISHED WORK
ON "EYES WIDE SHUT," WHICH WOULD
BE HIS LAST FILM, AND HE LEFT
A LEGACY OF OTHER MOVIES THAT
HAVE SURVIVED THE TEST OF TIME
TO BECOME FAMILIAR CLASSICS.
AFTER SOME EARLY WORK,
HIS CAREER REALLY TOOK OFF
WITH "THE KILLING" IN 1957,
THE STORY OF A RACETRACK
ROBBERY.
>> NOW, GET YOUR HANDS UP,
ALL OF YOU.
NOW, ONE MOVE OUT OF ANY ONE
OF YOU AND I'M GOING TO START
FIRING.
ROGER: THEN CAME
"PATHS OF GLORY" WITH KIRK
DOUGLAS AS A WORLD WAR I FRENCH
OFFICER WHO LOSES HIS FAITH
IN THE CAUSE.
>> I'M SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU
SOONER YOU ARE A GENTLEMAN, A
SADISTIC OLD MAN.
AND YOU CAN GO TO HELL BEFORE
I APOLOGIZE TO YOU NOW OR EVER
AGAIN!
ROGER: "SPARTACUS", AN EPIC THAT
KUBRICK SAID HE DIDN'T LIKE,
BUT AUDIENCES DID.
THE CONTROVERSIAL "LOLITA,"
WITH JAMES MASON IN LOVE
WITH A NYMPHET.
>> I DON'T WANT YOU AROUND.
ROGER: THE CLASSIC BLACK COMEDY
"DR. STRANGELOVE" WITH PETER
SELLERS IN THREE ROLES
AND GEORGE C. SCOTT
AS A GUM-CHEWING GENERAL.
>> THE BOMB, DIMITRI.
THE HYDROGEN BOMB.
ROGER: THE VISIONARY
"2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY,"
GENERALLY CONSIDERED ONE
OF THE BEST FILMS OF
THE CENTURY.
"A CLOCKWORK ORANGE," ABOUT
A FUTURE SOCIETY WHERE MIND
CONTROL DOES BATTLE
WITH VIOLENCE.
"BARRY LYNDON," BASED
ON THACKERAY'S NOVEL ABOUT
A PETTY LITTLE MAN WHO LIVES
AGAINST THE BACKDROP
OF TUMULTUOUS TIMES IN EUROPE.
"THE SHINING" WITH JACK
NICHOLSON SLOWLY GOING MAD
DURING A LONG SNOWBOUND WINTER.
>> DAMN SOULS!
JUST A GLASS OF BEER!
>> HI, LLOYD.
>> WHAT WILL IT BE?
ROGER: AND "FULL METAL JACKET,"
WHICH BEGINS WITH BASIC TRAINING
AND THEN TAKES HIS CHARACTERS
TO VIETNAM.
>> ♪ DON'T Y KNOW
ABOUT THE BIRD
WELL EVERYBODY'S TALKING
ABOUT THE BIRD
WELL THE BIRD
BIRD
THE BIRD BIRD BIRD ♪♪
ROGER: AND WHAT'S AMAZING ABOUT
ALL THOSE FILMS IS THAT
THEY DON'T GET OLD.
I MEAN, HIS FILMS REALLY SEEM
TO EXIST IN OUR MEMORIES,
AND THE IMAGES REMAIN SHARP EVEN
AFTER ALL THESE YEARS.
HE'S A MASTER OF STYLE,
A PERFECTIONIST, A MAN WHO NEVER
MADE A MOVIE CASUALLY OR JUST
FOR BOX OFFICE GAIN.
JONATHAN, WHAT'S THE FIRST
ATTRIBUTE YOU THINK OF WHEN
YOU THINK OF STANLEY KUBRICK?
>> I THINK OF INTELLIGENCE.
IT'S FUNNY, I OFTEN THINK
OF EACH OF HIS FILMS AS BEING
LIKE ABOUT THE INSIDE
OF A BRAIN, ABOUT A FILM THAT
SORT OF STARTS WORKING AND THEN
STARTS BREAKING DOWN.
AND YOU KNOW, PEOPLE OFTEN SAY
HE WAS COLD.
BUT FOR ME, WHAT'S DIFFICULT IS
THAT THE EMOTIONS ARE TWISTED,
SO YOU HAVE TO LIKE FOLLOW THEM
THROUGH A MAZE.
BUT THEY'RE NEVER COLD.
THEY'RE JUST ELUSIVE.
ROGER: MICHAEL?
>> WELL, I THINK OF TWO WORDS
THAT KEEP POPPING UP
IN HIS TITLES -- "FEAR
AND DESIRE," "KILLER'S KISS,"
"STRANGELOVE" --
THAT KIND OF -- THAT KIND
OF TENSION THAT YOU SEE IN ALL
HIS OILMS BETWEEN LOVE
AND DEATH, SEX AND ***,
BETWEEN THE TWO, THE CREATIVE
SIDE OF LIFE AND THE DESTRUCTIVE
SIDE OF LIFE.
HE WAS A FILMMAKER WHO WAS
A GREAT PERFECTIONIST, WHO WAS
WAS A MASTER OF IMAGES
AND A MASTER OF A CERTAIN KIND
OF EXAGGERATED PERFORMANCE
STYLE.
BUT HE ALSO DEALT WITH VERY
LARGE ISSUES.
HE GRAPPLED WITH THE ETERNAL.
HE WAS NOT A SIMPLISTIC
OR SIMPLE DIRECTOR, AND THAT'S
ONE OF THE BEST THINGS
ABOUT HIM.
ROGER: DANN?
>> STANLEY KUBRICK HAS BEEN
CALLED THE HOWARD HUGHES
OF CINEMA BECAUSE HE WAS SUCH
A RECLUSE.
I PREFER TO THINK OF HIM
AS THE FRANK SINATRA OF CINEMA
BECAUSE HE ALWAYS DID EVERYTHING
HIS WAY.
I MEAN, LET'S FACE IT,
HERE'S A GUY THAT WOULD BE
TIRELESSLY PUTTING TOGETHER
THE THINGS THE WAY HE WANTED TO.
NOBODY INTERFERED WITH HIM.
YOU CAN GO BACK TO ANY KUBRICK
FILM AND FEEL REBIRTH,
REGENERATED, BECAUSE HERE YOU'RE
IN THE PRESENCE OF SOMEBODY WHO
GENUINELY STOOD FOR WHAT
THE HEART AND THE SOUL
OF THE CINEMATIC ART REALLY
WAS.
ROGER: RAY?
>> IN RELATING TO KUBRICK'S
HEART AND MIND, I THINK
OF A QUOTE FROM HIS COLLABORATOR
MICHAEL HERR, WHO CO-WROTE "FULL
METAL JACKET."
HE SAID THAT "MERCILESS IS NOT
THE SAME AS PITILESS."
BUT I WOULD ALSO THINK ABOUT
HIS PAINSTAKING PREPARATIONS
HE WOULD MAKE TO PREVENT A MOVIE
FROM DIVULGING ALL ITS SECRETS
ON A SINGLE VIEWING.
THESE ARE FILMS THAT NEED TO BE
SEEN A FEW TIMES BEFORE
YOU START REALLY GETTING
AT THE NICE SMART THINGS
UNDERNEATH.
ROGER: HE MADE VERY COMPLEX
FILMS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU CALLED HIM
THE FRANK SINATRA OF CINEMA
@@CAUSE HE DID THINGS HIS WAY,
IN A WAY HE KIND OF REPRESENTED
SOMETHING TO ALL OF US
BECAUSE HE WAS OVER THERE
ON HIS ESTATE IN ENGLAND.
HE WAS FAR FROM HOLLYWOOD.
HE OWNED HIS OWN CAMERAS,
HIS OWN EDITING EQUIPMENT,
HIS OWN SOUND, AND HE WORKED
ENTIRELY ACCORDING TO HIS OWN
SCHEDULE.
IT'S KIND OF INSPIRING AT A TIME
WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE SEEMS TO BE
MARCHING TO THE DRUMS
OF COMMERCE AND COMMOTION.
>> OR WHEN YOUNG SCREENWRITERS
ARE BEING TAUGHT THAT 12 WEEKS
IS TOO LONG TO SPEND ON CRAFTING
A SCREENPLAY.
ROGER: HE'D SPEND 12 WEEKS
ON A SINGLE SCENE IN A MOVIE.
MICHAEL?
>> WELL, HE BELIEVED
IN MOVIEMAKING AS AN ART,
AND HE WAS NOT ASHAMED TO CALL
HIMSELF AN ARTIST.
AND HE WAS A PROUD
PERFECTIONIST, SOMEONE WHO
REALLY WANTED TO GET IT RIGHT.
HIS LEGEND WAS OF A GUY WHO
WOULD SHOOT NOT JUST 20 OR
30 TAKES, BUT 50 TAKES,
60 TAKES, 100 TAKES, WHO WOULD
KEEP ON GOING AND PUT HIS ACTORS
THROUGH GRUELING PACES UNTIL
THEY GOT IT RIGHT, UNTIL
THEY GOT IT PERFECTLY,
UNTIL THEY GOT THE ART
AND THE POWER AND THE PASSION
THAT HE WANTED.
>> YEAH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME
HE WAS REALLY A KIND OF LIKE
EXPERIMENTAL PERSONAL FILMMAKER,
WHICH I THINK IN EFFECT
HE REPRESENTS ONE OF THE RARE
CASES IN FILM HISTORY WHERE
THERE'S A MEETING POINT BETWEEN
THIS KIND OF TRADITION
OF THE SMALL PERSONAL
EXPERIMENTAL FILM AND THE BIG
STUDIO FILM AS WELL.
HE SOMEHOW MANAGED TO PUT THEM
TOGETHER.
ROGER: SOMETHING ELSE MICHAEL
SAID, WHICH IS INTERESTING
IN LOOKING AT THE CONTRAST
BETWEEN "KILLER" AND "KISS"
OR "FEAR" AND "DESIRE" OR,
FOR THAT MATTER, "CLOCKWORK"
AND "ORANGE" -- THE ORGANIC
AND THE MACHINE.
THE TITLES THEMSELVES SHOW
A CONTRAST BETWEEN THE
CONTROLLING IDEA AND THE ORGANIC
IDEA.
>> THE KEY TO HIS SUCCESS
AS A FILMMAKER -- IN
A COLLABORATIVE SENSE, NOT JUST
THE AUTEUR SENSE -- IS THAT
HE WAS THE RUTHLESS GENERAL
EVERYONE WANTED TO MARCH WITH.
HE GOT EVERYONE ON HIS SIDE,
AND NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENED
HE EXPECTED HIS CAST AND CREW
TO KEEP UP WITH HIS STANDARDS.
>> YET HE WAS ABLE TO INSPIRE
A LOT OF LOYALTY, SO THAT
SOMEBODY LIKE CRUISE WAS ABLE
TO TAKE THREE YEARS OUT
OF HIS CAREER TO MAKE THIS FILM
AND STILL SPEAK FONDLY ABOUT HIM
IN THE END.
>> HE WAS A GENERAL THAT PEOPLE
WERE WILLING TO TAKE ARMY PAY
FROM.
>> BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK
THE PRESS HAS GIVEN HIM A BAD
RAP WHEN THEY KEEP -- I MEAN,
EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT HIM BEING
ASOCIAL AND A RECLUSE.
HE DIDN'T LIKE TO TALK
TO THE PRESS.
BUT HE HAD FRIENDS.
HE WAS A FAMILY MAN.
HE COMMUNICATED WITH PEOPLE ALL
THE TIME.
ROGER: OK.
WELL, NOW, LET'S TURN
TO KUBRICK'S FINAL FILM,
"EYES WIDE SHUT," WHICH STARS
TOM CRUISE AND NICOLE KIDMAN
AS A WEALTHY MANHATTAN DOCTOR
AND HIS WIFE.
THEY LEAD A COMFORTABLE LIFE
THAT SEEMS HAPPY ENOUGH,
BUT UNFILLED NEEDS ARE BOILING
AWAY BENEATH THE SURFACE,
AND ONE NIGHT, *** ON POT,
THEY GET INTO AN ARGUMENT.
>> YOU'VE NEVER BEEN JEALOUS
ABOUT ME, HAVE YOU?
>> NO, I HAVEN'T.
>> AND WHY HAVEN'T YOU EVER BEEN
JEALOUS ABOUT ME?
>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW, ALICE.
MAYBE BECAUSE YOU'RE MY WIFE.
MAYBE BECAUSE YOU'RE THE MOTHER
OF MY CHILD AND I KNOW YOU WOULD
NEVER BE UNFAITHFUL TO ME.
ROGER: THEIR ARGUMENT ESCALATES,
SHE INFLAMES HIM WITH HER ***
FANTASIES, AND HE LEAVES
THE HOUSE AND ENTERS
ON AN ODYSSEY THAT TAKES HIM
INTO A *** UNDERWORLD
TO A SECRET, PRIVATE *** THAT
AN OLD FRIEND TELLS HIM ABOUT.
>> REMOVE YOUR CLOTHES.
>> PLEASE.
>> REMOVE YOUR CLOTHES.
OR WOULD YOU LIKE US TO DO IT
FOR YOU?
ROGER: AFTER HE RETURNS AT DAWN
FROM THE ***, HE FINDS HIS WIFE
IN THE MIDDLE OF A NIGHTMARE,
AND SHE DESCRIBES IT TO HIM.
>> THAT'S NOT THE END.
IS IT?
>> NO.
>> WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME
THE REST OF IT?
ROGER: ONE OF THE FILM'S BEST
QUALITIES IS THE WAY IT GIVES
SCREEN TIME AND WEIGHT
TO THE SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE.
WATCH THE WAY HERE THAT SYDNEY
POLLACK DOMINATES THIS SNE
AS A RICH MAN WHO ASKS
THE DOCTOR TO LOOK AFTER A DATE
WHO HAS OVERDOSED.
>> I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH
FOR TH[S.
YOU -- I'M GLAD.
BILL, I PROBABLY -- OH, I KNOW
I DON'T HAVE TO MENTION THIS,
BUT THIS IS JUST BETWEEN US, OK?
ROGER: "EYES WIDE SHUT" PLAYS
ALMOST LIKE A DREAM ODYSSEY
TO A SERIES OF EROTICALLY
CHARGED SCENES.
ALL FIVE US WILL BE BACK
TO DISCUSS WHAT WE THINK ABOUT
IT AFTER THIS.
>> WHEN I READ THE SCRIPT,
I MUST HAVE READ IT IN ABOUT
AN HOUR.
I'M NOT SOMEONE THAT -- I'M NOT