7 Underrated Films By Great Directors

4. Eyes Wide Shut

Though arguably less dynamic than 2001: A Space Odyssey or The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut is, at least for me, Kubrick’s greatest achievement in cinema. Based on Arthur Schnitzler’s novella Traumnovelle, about a young doctor contemplating various forms of adultery and debauchery after discovering that his wife has entertained comparable fantasies, the film skilfully portrays the dark side of desire in a successful marriage.

The main difference between Kubrick and Schnitzler may be that Kubrick is more of a moralist, even if he’s unusually subtle about it. Take the Zeus-like tycoon Victor Ziegler (played perfectly by Sydney Pollack), who pretends to explain the plot shortly before the end but in fact only summarises the various mysteries; his cynicism and chilly access to power reveal that Kubrick was more of a moralist than Schnitzler could have ever been.

Overall, Eyes Wide Shut is a gripping, suggestive, and inventive piece of storytelling that, like Kubrick’s other work, grows in mystery over time.

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