Audience Wide Asleep (P.S. Spoilers)

[Keith Woodward]

At 12:00 PM 7/19/99 PDT, Rich wrote:

>Keith, my man, never underestimate the human heart.  Unfortunately, there 
>are far too many stories of men killing wives, girlfriends, etc. over the 
>issue.  Yes, they are monsters for thinking such thoughts, but Mr. Cruise's 
>character is saved by a woman twice. Once at the party and once by his wife 
>by calling at the right moment when he's picked up by a hooker. He's a 
>decent guy who gets in over his head.
>I admit to it being not Kubrick's best, but better than most.
>
>Is it msyognist to show the nude female? I say it's beauty.

The nude body is fine with me.  But the camera generally is pretty rough on
Kidman (e.g., the opening scene in which Cruise is looking dapper (and,
incidentally, at himself in the mirror) while Kidman urinates) etc etc.  The
lighting's a little too harsh during the ritual that preceeds the orgy, and
the stasis of most bodies during the orgy was a little disturbing, but I
could be off on these points.  Granted, men (and women) have killed over
this issue, but I think it was more common 200 years ago.  Cruise's problem
is that women are capable of an autonomous sexual identity and that they are
capable of fantasy.  It immasculates him (he's threatened by a group of
teenagers who think he's a homosexual, rents a costume from "Under the
Rainbow", a gay hotel clerk flirts with him), and the approach that Kubrick
takes to represent that immasculation is just too tacky for words (this is
1999, remember).  His salvation by Kidman (?) is, at best, accidental.  He
tells her he'll be home later, and then, by virtue probably of conscience,
granted, opts to leave.  I suspect that his "salvation" at the orgy is all
an act.  The language of those involved (other than Cruise) during the scene
is highly rhetorical (if it isn't meant as such, it's so over the top that
it's comedic) and secret societies tend to have similar rituals for
individuals who sneak in.  It's probably all smoke.  Frankly, I don't think
he gets in over his head, I think he's just unrealistic, a bit vain, and a
loose cannon.  I'd take just about any Kubrick over this one.

Keith 
keith w