I’ve been writing a yearly article about Eyes Wide Shut since 2018, and I don’t plan on stopping until I have nothing to say about this movie. No matter what, I will always plan on watching this movie around Christmas so I can watch it amid the glow of Christmas decorations. I truly think it enhances the experience. One day I might run out of things to share about this movie, but that didn’t happen this year. That said, I do believe my days of doing deep dives on this Kubrick film are over, and I’ll just write short articles about whatever jumps out at me with each subsequent viewing.
Part of the reason I’m stopping the deep dives is because of the fandom this movie has produced over the years. Just spend a few minutes on reddit or YouTube regarding this movie, and it’ll make your head spin. The conspiracy theories almost ruin the film for me at this point because nearly every one of them seem to claim that the “movie isn’t what it seems.” I like what “it seems” to be, though. Too many of these conspiracy theories seem born of people who initially hated Kubrick’s last film and had to find a way to enjoy it. I just enjoy it.
Beyond the crazy stuff, there are people much more knowledgeable and motivated than me that have written book-length articles just about the art on the walls of the Harford apartment or how each degree of Freemasonry is represented in the film, etc. Whenever I try reading those articles, I just get lost in the history or whatever that I don’t know, and it just makes my head spin. Much like the conspiracy theorists, this stuff seems obsessed with everything but what is actually happening on screen.
For me these days, I only want to watch this movie and judge it by what I see on the screen and what I already know. I don’t want to have to do homework to watch this movie. I just watched it, and this is what spoke to me this time: the bathroom handshake.
Victor Ziegler: Big Dick Energy
My favorite scene in Eyes Wide Shut has always been the Victor Ziegler scene near the end around the pool table. The whole thing plays out very similarly to the orgy ritual, with Ziegler hitting the cue ball on the pool table like Red Cloak hitting his staff on the ground (some have theorized that this means Ziegler is Red Cloak, but that’s fucking stupid since he’s clearly the one in the pirate mask). It also leads to what makes me revisit this movie each year: Ziegler’s explanation of what happened. I change my mind on what I believe from him each time I see it. And Pollack is so good in the scene. He’s somehow convincing as both someone who wants to save and kill Bill.
But that scene isn’t what stuck out this time. It’s that first creepy moment near the beginning of the film. Bill is called up to Ziegler’s insanely fancy bathroom featuring erotic artwork, a couch, and a vanity (I used to think it was just a desk, but I noticed the mirror this time; it’s still a doozy of a vanity, but it’s more normal than just a desk being in there). Ziegler, a true rich degenerate, was sampling a hooker, Amanda, for the orgy the next night when she OD'd on him.
That alone is fucking insane. How unhinged is this man to pull this shit during his own Christmas party with what appears to be hundreds of guests? This couldn’t wait? This is just evidence that Ziegler feels above basic humanity. He’s rich and powerful enough to do whatever he wants, which apparently includes banging hookers in his bathroom/small apartment during social events.
Despite this feeling of power, though, he still sticks with simple customs, like handshakes. As Dr. Bill arrives to check on Amanda, Ziegler shakes his hand. This always struck me as odd. First off, they’ve already seen each other that evening, so it wasn’t a “hello” handshake. It feels more like a business handshake, because that’s what this situation has become: a cold, non-emotional issue that needs to be resolved. And you shake fucking hands when dealing with things like this.
From this point on, Ziegler is all business. He just wants this woman out of the house as soon as possible because he’s done with her. You can see the annoyance on his face when Bill tells him Amanda needs to stay there for a few hours. Sure, he was worried that she might die, but not because the loss of human life would trouble him; it was because getting rid of a dead body in the middle of his Christmas party would be a nightmare.
During this, Ziegler makes an odd power stance behind Bill, seeming to point to his own crotch while Bill checks on Amanda. He does a similar thing in the later scene when he stands at the pool table with the pool cue situated at his crotch. As if the situations weren’t example enough of his power, Ziegler must be exuding big dick energy at all times.
This has ramifications for Ziegler’s later explanation of the events at the orgy. There are times when I’ve watched this and believed everything Ziegler tells Bill. Perhaps that’s naive of me, but as I’ve gotten older conspiracy theories have become less interesting to me because they require more energy. It’s easier to just believe this prick. But not this time.
While I still think Nick Nightingale is alive (mainly because he was taken back to his hotel, which doesn’t really make sense if the goal is to kill him), I don’t believe that Amanda died of an overdose. He was so ready to be rid of her in the earlier scene that it was clear he didn’t see her as human. She was a product for him to use and throw away, if need be. The bathroom handshake started me down this route, but one line from Ziegler sealed it for me during the pool table scene when he describes Amanda’s death: “The police are happy.”
First off, how does he know they’re “happy”? And what a weird way to say that. Why not, “The police don’t suspect foul play” or something? Why bring up the police at all? It all just sounds like he’s trying too hard to make it seem normal when he’s already made it clear that he thought of her only as a disposable hooker. He draws the line at killing musicians with families (because that would lead to questions) and doctors (who can be of use to him), but a woman with an established drug problem? No loss there. All this from a handshake; so much for no more deep dives.
Random Thoughts
You can tell Nick is bored playing at the party at the beginning. He's probably thinking, “The fuck party job is so much cooler than this shit.”
There are random stacks of books throughout the Harford residence. I imagine Kubrick’s house always had books lying around everywhere.
“Would you like to sit down?”
“Sure, but first I need to put my hand on your dead dad's forehead because that seems like a doctorly thing to do.”
Of all the Christmas movies, this benefits the most from being viewed next to the glow of a Christmas tree.
“You should have tits you're standing so close!” What?
I wonder how many takes of eating Snackwell’s and smoking Kubrick put Kidman through. “Stanley, I'm on my third box of cookies and second pack of cigarettes, what do you want!”
This is the first time my dumbass noticed the tribal masks on Domino's wall.
There's never a good time to tell your husband about your dream of fucking other men while you laugh in his shamed face, but the night that you also told about your naval officer fantasy and his disastrous attempt at infidelity leading to a sex cult of the wealthy elite possibly planning to kill him is probably the worst time.
Cruise is such a cocky prick when he hits on Domino's roommate. The way he says, “Hello, Sally,” makes me wish he contracted HIV from Domino.
Having Matt Pinfield stalk you through the streets of Pinewood NYC must be terrifying.
Always cracks me up seeing Bill drinking Budweiser.
