University of Virginia

A Mirror and a Mold

Perspective on the Sexual and Occult Themes in Eyes Wide Shut

Macie O’Connor

Professor Britta Rowe

ENWR 1510 - 018

February 5, 2018
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A Mirror and a Mold: Perspective on the Sexual and Occult Themes in Eyes Wide Shut

A discovery that captivated much of the media’s attention over the past several months

was the outing of numerous alleged sexual assaults by some of our beloved Hollywood personas.

Stars such as Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and Louis C.K. are just a few of those who have

been accused as instigators of sexual assault or harassment (Corey). These allegations shocked

the public, as it seemed that as soon as a new story was revealed, more and more followed suit.

Sadly, however, these types of incidents have been happening for decades, and it almost seems

as if we as a society have made little progress in this area. Scandals like these have the power to

impact the people and environment around them, and these impacts can definitely be seen in the

heart of Hollywood’s biggest business - the film industry. Many forms of media like film reflect

concerns of the real word, and one example of a work of art that does so is Stanley Kubrick’s

Eyes Wide Shut. This film’s major plot element focusses on the doings of a demonic sex cult and

how it comes to affect a struggling married couple. Eyes Wide Shut mirrors aspects of our

modern culture through the portrayal of sex as practically irresistible over fidelity, and

specifically parallels the occult sexual tendencies found in Hollywood.

The first and maybe most apparent correlation between the film and our culture is the

blatant objectification of women. Throughout Eyes Wide Shut, the film portrays women in an

extremely objectified manner, similar to the way many forms of media portray women in modern

times. The most prominent place in which this is established is in the scene of the cult’s orgy,

where many women stand in a circle around a male leader. These women appear to follow the

orders of this man, such as when they undress upon the strike of his staff upon the ground

(Kubrick, 1:14:13). Naked female bodies are displayed prominently everywhere during the orgy,
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and far more frequently than the few naked male bodies. Also, the robed figures lead the naked

women around and monitor their every move. Through these details, the scene gives off the

sense that the woman are essentially sex slaves, simply succumbing to the desires of those in

charge with no autonomy. An article on Kubrick’s films by Film International comments on the

matter, saying, “The women's individuality is unimportant: wearing masks, their job is to satisfy

men's drives and fulfil their wishes, in the system they have created” (Planka 62). The most

disturbing part about this aspect of the film is perhaps not the images themselves, but rather the

way that similar types of behavior exist in real life. The whole idea of women satisfying men and

not having a consensus of their own can be linked to instances of rape or sexual assault.

Although certainly not always bound to those specific gender roles, this type of objectifying

behavior exhibited by the characters in Eyes Wide Shut is a reflection of the behavior associated

with sexual aggression. The orgy itself can almost be viewed as one large portrayal of a strange

type of assault, as one party dominates while the other remains submissive.

Another association between the film and our culture lies in the fact that sex is regularly

idolized. The main characters Bill and Alice are motivated by their sexual desires, which drives

most of the film’s action, and are willing to disregard their fidelity to satisfy themselves. Alice

basically cheats on Bill, although not physically, by fantasizing about an affair with another man

and admitting that she’d imagined a relationship with him. Bill, who feels jealous and conflicted

over this, goes out on an excursion to find sexual pleasure outside of his wife. Their actions are

influenced by the primary ambition of sex, and such complex characters are seemingly “reduced

to their sexuality” (Planka 64). For this reason, the movie idolizes sex as an ultimate prize to be

won, in which people are willing to go to extreme measures for. Just as sex is the primary motive

for the Harfords, it would also be the primary motive for the aggressor of a sexual assault. There
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exists no emotional element to committing an act like this, and one puts aside the moral

standings or commitments they once had. The characters’ motivations exemplify the dark reality

that much of our culture is centered solely on sex.

Eyes Wide Shut is also riddled with occult themes and practices, but one might question

exactly what “occult” means in this instance. One definition of occult by the Oxford English

Dictionary is “to be kept secret” and “communicated only to the initiated.” Using this definition

in relation to the film, the secretive and secluded tendencies of the sex cult are an

exemplification of the occult. It is very evident that the cult’s members intend to keep it a secret,

and they even threaten Bill Harford as to keep his mouth shut about what he has seen (Kubrick,

1:51:30). Additionally, the cult is allegedly (according to Victor Ziegler) full of people whom

Bill “wouldn’t want to know about,” possibly elite or powerful figures. This entire plotline about

the occult and secretive sex cult in the film is highly similar to the way that sexual scandals in

Hollywood are often covered up. For example, with the scandal involving Harvey Weinstein,

many women came out about his actions even though a majority of the events occurred many

years ago (Deerwester and Mandell). It is as if all of these cases were hidden for a bigger reason,

perhaps for the victims’ fear of being reprimanded or shamed by the business of Hollywood. In

Hollywood, people seem to be able to hide behind their fame or wealth, masking their

wrongdoings and flaws. Theses numerous sexual assaults are occult in the sense that many were

kept secret until recently revealed. It’s reasonable to assume that accused famed assaulters will

not face legal repercussions for their actions, because they can use their social prestige to escape

such situations. Like the shock that Bill Harford feels in the revelation that respected individuals

were involved in a secretive sex organization, the public experiences shock and sorrow when it

learns that esteemed figures have done wrong.

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It is evident that Eyes Wide Shut is a film that is echoic of sexual tendencies prevailing in

our society and in Hollywood today. However, on top of serving as a portrayal of life, does

Kubrick’s movie provide a way to influence it? By mirroring our culture, films such as Eyes

Wide Shut also have the power to shape it. The more prevalent that themes such as sexual

submission, female objectification, and occult practices become in the media world, the more

people that will be exposed to these ideas on a frequent basis. With the public watching concepts

such as these being displayed on a widespread platform, the movie (or television) industry runs

the risk of normalizing these types of behaviors, which could have great consequences. Problems

like rape and sexual assault could conceivably get worse over time with movies portraying

questionable sexual practices. A widely researched topic is that of the effects that movie

watching has on its viewers; the Association for Psychological Science published an article

describing some of these effects. Researcher for the association Dolf Zillmann commented, “You

can discount [a film] and initiate getting rid of a strong emotion by discounting reality, but if it’s

based on reality, you cannot discount it.” Thus, when movies mirror what we see in real life, it

becomes harder to distinguish what is and is not real, and furthermore to judge the morality of

what we see (Jaffe). This is just one possible implication of the power of Eyes Wide Shut upon its

audience.

Moreover, outside of the silver screen, the presence of influential figures in Hollywood

who commit assault could have an influence on the people who look up to these figures. If

people get the impression that such acts are “ok” and do not have punishments for famous

people, these acts could potentially become more normalized. Fortunately, certain groups in

Hollywood have come together to speak out against sexual assault and raise awareness, such as

the #MeToo social media movement, and the demonstration by actors and actresses to wear all-
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black to the Golden Globes (Arkin). However, more must continue to be done to ensure that the

amount of sexual assaults diminishes and that the dangers are made aware to everyone.

On the other side of things, the influence of Eyes Wide Shut may not be all bad. Despite

the implications of sexual aggression, Kubrick does shed light on a dark subject that few people

know about. There are all sorts of hidden and mysterious entities all around, and Kubrick hints

that the community may need to be warier of such things. Similar to the unsuspecting Bill

Harford, anyone could get sucked into an occult environment without even knowing, and may be

completely unaware of the danger they are in. This concept can reflect how one must be

cognizant of issues like sexual assault that are happening right before our eyes, but are masked

behind social institutions or cultural norms. It calls out the fact that we need to make changes and

uncover the secrets that may be harmful to us. Eyes Wide Shut is an extremely powerful film,

because it both shows viewers aspects of society that often go unnoticed, and has the potential to

wield an influence over how people behave. Films like these must be both respected and

cautioned, and one should take the time to consider how their own lives may be impacted by

sexual and occult themes presented in Eyes Wide Shut.

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Works Cited

Arkin, Daniel. “#MeToo, Powerful Speeches Dominate the 75th Golden Globe

Awards.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 8 Jan. 2018,

www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/awards/golden-globes-2018-metoo-casts-shadow-over-

celebration-movies-tv-n835451.

Corey, Dan. “Since Weinstein, Here's a Growing List of Men Accused of Sexual

Misconduct.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 10 Jan. 2018,

www.nbcnews.com/storyline/sexual-misconduct/weinstein-here-s-growing-list-men-

accused-sexual-misconduct-n816546.

Deerwester, Jayme, and Andrea Mandell. “Weinstein: Timeline of Hollywood Success and

Hidden Abuse.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network,

www.usatoday.com/pages/interactives/news/harvery-weinstein-timeline/.

Jaffe, Eric. “Reel to Real: Psychology Goes to the Movies.” Association for Psychological

Science, 1 Mar. 2007, www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/reel-to-real-psychology-

goes-to-the-movies.

Kubrick, Stanley, Director. Eyes Wide Shut. Warner Bros. Pictures, 1999.

“Occult.” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Mar. 2004,

www.oed.com/view/Entry/130166?rskey=Oe8xAx&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid.

Planka, Sabine. “Erotic, Silent, Dead: The Concept of Women in the Films of Stanley

Kubrick.” Film International, vol. 10, no. 4, 2012, pp. 52–65., doi:10.1386/fint.10.4-

5.52_1.