EYES WIDE SHUT
It was already the year's most talked about (non Jedi) film, but the death
of Stanley Kubrick has brought Eyes Wide Shut even more attention. Here, NICOLE KIDMAN gives us a glimpse into the making of a thriller shrouded
in mystery. ‘.‘.'0'cs: Rob Fraser
STN’S LAUH
THERE ARE STATE SECRETS, PERSONAL secrets. and then there is Stanley Kubrick‘s [Lin’S Wide Shirl. (loyernment dirty deeds find their way into the broadsheets and tabloids at embarrassingly regular interyals. but try to find out anything about one of the year‘s most eagerly anticipated moyies and you'll come up against a sea of sealed lips and a brick wall of contractual confidentiality clauses. Ironically enough. the first public utterances from anyone inyolyed in Eyes Wide Slur! came about as a consequence of the death of Stanley Kubrick. who as well as directing. orchestrated the media blackout.
In the film. Nicole Kidman and real-life hosband Tom Cruise play married psychiatrists who experiment by haying affairs with their patients. Paying tribute to the man she came to regard as a benign. patriarchal figure.
110 THE “ST 4.1,” ‘999
Kidman gives some intriguing insights into the film‘s content and the late auteur's unique modus operandi.
‘II was an honour to work with him.' she says. ‘He would liye and breathe moyies and he enjoyed the process so much. I spent a year and a half with him. reyealing myself. So Stanley really knew me. and I trusted him. He was protectiye of me and I did things for him that I won‘t eyer do again.'
These ‘things' included scenes that post-watershed TV' announcers sombrely refer to as being of an explicit nature. In fact one of many rumours circulating claims that Kubrick created the ultimate tracking shot. using a fibre optic camera to trayel down. then inside Kidman's body. 011 top of this. the cast had to deal with Kubrick's idiosyncrasies.
'Stanley would direct Tom and me
'Stanley really knew me, and I trusted him. He was protective of me and I did things for him that I won't ever do again.’
Nicole Kidman
separately.‘ Kidman says. 'Sometimes it would get yery intense.’ The actress has subsequently appeared naked to award-winning effect on stage in The Blue Room. and surprisingly found a theatre audience less intimidating than a film crew. 'l was a bit embarrassed doing it on stage. but once you get locked in your character. it's far easier than doing nudity in film.‘ she reyeals. 'You're not surrounded by lots of cameras and crew. You're just in the scene with the other actor. and you can get lost in character far more easily.’
Rewarding as the Kubrick experience may ultimately haye been. initially Kidman experienced some difficulty interpreting the director's sport metaphors: ‘ln the beginning he’d say "now you’ye got to hit the home run. You‘re Mickey Mantle. let‘s go".' she recalls. ‘l'd say