Synopsis

A New York doctor is shaken when his wife admits to having imagined an affair. Later that night, he begins a wandering journey through Manhattan's hidden social worlds, encountering old acquaintances, sexual temptations, and a secret masked gathering. As his curiosity draws him deeper into danger, he is forced to confront jealousy, desire, and the uncertain boundaries between fantasy and reality.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is adapted from Arthur Schnitzler's 1926 novella Dream Story. The setting was moved from early 20th-century Vienna to contemporary New York.

• Production lasted more than 15 months, including an unbroken 46-week shoot. With approximately 400 shooting days, the film became recognized by Guinness World Records for the longest constant movie shoot.

• Although the story takes place in New York, much of the city was recreated at Pinewood Studios in England. The production built several blocks of Greenwich Village facades using photographs, measurements, street details, and imported New York props.

• Harvey Keitel was originally cast as Victor Ziegler but left the production during its prolonged shoot. Sydney Pollack subsequently took over the role.

• The eerie choral music heard during the masked-ball sequence was created by Jocelyn Pook using a Romanian Orthodox vocal recording played backward.

• Kubrick submitted a cut of the film to Warner Bros. in early March 1999. He died on March 7, 1999, making Eyes Wide Shut his final film and its release posthumous.

• The film's secrecy extended to its marketing campaign. Warner Bros. promoted the movie while withholding most production information, preserving the deliberately mysterious atmosphere surrounding it.