‘Eyes Wide Shut’ Star Says Stanley Kubrick’s Last Movie “Would Have Been Different”

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Stanley Kubrick’s last film, the 1999 erotic thriller Eyes Wide Shut, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, has long been the subject of speculation. Shortly after Kubrick screened a version of the film for Warner Bros. and the two leads, he unexpectedly passed away. Rumors immediately surfaced that the studio altered the film before its release. Now, Todd Field, an actor in the movie who later became a respected director himself, is asserting that the theatrical version likely differs from Kubrick’s intended final cut.

Ronald Field recently discussed the film with IndieWire, following its re-release by Criterion in a new 4K restoration. He shared his appreciation for having worked with the director of classics like Paths of Glory and 2001: A Space Odyssey, but noted that the version he viewed was likely an early cut and may have been altered before the film’s final release.

This is Stanley’s initial edit of the film. Sadly, he passed away just six days after showing it to Tom, Nic, and the heads of Warner Bros., Bob Daly and Terry Semel. Knowing how much Stanley usually refined his films in post-production, it’s likely the final version would have been different. But it’s pointless to guess what changes he might have made if he’d lived to finish it.

The ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ Shoot Continued Kubrick’s Unmatched Approach to Making Movies


Warner Bros.

As a movie fanatic, I’ve always been fascinated by Stanley Kubrick. He was notorious for taking forever to make his films, really pushing his crew to achieve his incredibly specific vision, no matter how difficult. He was a total perfectionist, and would shoot scenes endlessly. But with his last movie, Eyes Wide Shut, he really took it to another level! It ended up breaking the world record for the longest movie shoot ever – over 15 months! It’s amazing, and a little crazy, how much time he poured into that film.

In an interview with IndieWire, Field verified that Kubrick was known for his incredibly detailed approach and his insistence on filming numerous takes until he felt they were perfect. He explained that this stemmed from Kubrick’s desire to achieve the highest possible quality of performance from his actors.

Stanley often filmed scenes multiple times, but with a specific goal in mind. He wasn’t striving for realism; instead, he wanted to recreate the powerful, dramatic style of old Hollywood movies. He explained that actors in those days would practice their lines for weeks using actual props. This created a refined, almost mesmerizing quality in their performances – the way they’d handle an object or deliver a line while doing so. It wasn’t about being authentic, but about creating a captivating and magical effect for the audience.

Most directors film several different angles of a scene, often with between 30 and 60 takes. Stanley Kubrick, however, usually filmed only one or two angles and rarely needed more than 25 takes – he almost never went beyond 60. He preferred a method of continuous repetition to help actors move beyond self-consciousness and avoid what he saw as the artificiality of modern screen acting.

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2025-11-29 18:34