Eyes Wide Shut (1999): Unmasking Desire in Relationships

In this episode of Sex, Bodies, and Cinema, Jason and Ashley dive deep into Stanley Kubrick’s provocative 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. The film follows Dr. Bill Harford on a bizarre, night-long journey through the hidden worlds of desire and secrecy after his wife, Alice, shares her secret fantasy of another man. As Bill navigates his own sexual awakening, the couple’s relationship faces a crisis of trust, power, and unspoken truths.

Trigger Warning: Discussions of infidelity, power dynamics, sexual fantasies, and intense emotional distress.

Hosts

• Jason Goode is Somatic Sex Educator and Somatic Performance Coach. Learn more about his work and offerings at somarelating.ca.

• Ashley Rose is a Sexological Bodyworker & intimacy coach who specializes in internal pelvic care. Visit her website at ashleyelisabethrose.ca for resources, workshops, and private coaching.

Explore Your Relationship Patterns

Take Jason’s Hidden Relationship Patterns Quiz. Uncover subconscious patterns that influence how you show up in your relationships.

Get started with the quiz at https://kiki-g8bvhlnj.scoreapp.com.

Transform Your Relationships

Jason also offers The Authentic Intimacy Course as a follow up to the quiz, designed to help you bring clarity, confidence, and authenticity to your relationships. It’s only $59 and you can use promo code CINEMA25 to get 25% off. Go to: http://www.somarelating.ca

Find the Podcast:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ZV2L3Qv4TQzXnYSfpFutU

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sex-bodies-and-cinema/id1782598061

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sexbodiesandcinema

Youtube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGjmizQHfiZhIe5WgPnPMQ3XV7iXGOMVY

Topics Discussed

[01:00] Introduction to Eyes Wide Shut and the film's main premise

[02:00] Jason and Ashley’s personal history with the film and Stanley Kubrick’s filmmaking style

[06:00] The power dynamics in the opening scene between Bill and Alice

[15:00] Exploring the theme of masking and unmasking in the film’s cinematography

[25:00] The role of Christmas symbolism and its connection to alienation and the commercialization of life

[32:00] The pivotal moment where Alice shares her secret fantasy and how this triggers a crisis in Bill’s character

[45:00] The clinical yet erotic atmosphere of the secret society orgy and the power dynamics within

[56:00] Domino’s role as one of the few characters showing integrity and humanity

[01:03:00] The significance of the morgue scene and the emotional reckoning it triggers for Bill

[01:12:00] The final scene and Alice’s statement about being “awake,” unpacking its emotional and spiritual implications for Bill and Alice’s relationship

[01:20:00] Conclusion on the complex layers of desire, power, and relationships explored in Eyes Wide Shut

Additional Resources

• Eyes Wide Open: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/318531.Eyes_Wide_Open

• Stanley Kubrick: a Life in Pictures: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278736/

• Cosmo Meens’ website has great resources around navigating desire: https://www.himerosproject.com/resources

• Also sign up for his Anatomy of Desire workshop to learn how to express and explore unspoken desires.

About the Podcast

Sex, Bodies, and Cinema explores films that tackle taboo subjects of sex, embodiment, and intimacy. Co-hosts Jason Goode and Ashley Rose bring their expertise in somatic sex education and filmmaking to spark thought-provoking conversations.

Produced by Jason Goode
Editing and Mixing by Taqi
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/infraction/ultraviolet
License code: 3UEKTOITJOY0Q2PO

Support the Podcast

Please rate, review, and follow the show on your favorite podcast platform. Share with anyone who loves movies and meaningful discussions about sexuality and embodiment!