Parable Of Zarathustra

Am I the first?

Of all of the reviews and discussions about - I'll not say 'critiques' (no one can do that) - of Eyes Wide Shut, there are none as yet, I believe, that have made reference to Kubrick's interest in Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra as the actual basis of the movie.

No doubt you will recall the beginning of 2001 A Space Odyssey, which completely relies on the fanfare beginning of Strauss's tone poem (Also sprach Zarathustra), and of course Kubrick himself noted the significance of Nietzsche's great work about the (his) character of Zarathustra, who rushes into a public place seeking god with a lantern, only to be derided by the crowd and deemed a fool or a madman.

Nietzsche by Eduard Munch

Although everyone seems to hold that the movie Eyes Wide Shut is a filmed version of the story The Nightmare by Arthur Schnitzler, this is only a bare 'clothes horse' and in fact it is Kubrick's working of the ideas and philosophy of Nietzsche's Parable Of Zarathustra that is the real story and the intention.

The movie itself cannot be understood merely from the perspective that it is Schnitzler's story, simply because of the symbological discussion that Kubrick makes to go on within the scenes; and these ideas expressed in symbols are calls back to Kubrick's past attention to Nietzsche. There are no such ideas and symbols in Schnitzler's work.

Tom Cruise pointed out that 'Kubrick does not make mistakes, and everything is in the movie on purpose.' I suppose it is a radical perspective of mine to even go so far as to say that very likely Kubrick himself desired both the actors themselves and other directors to finish the film - because that is exactly how Nietzsche concludes the body of his work dealing with the fictional philosopher 'Zarathustra.' And I am sure no one has realised this yet about this particular movie.

A nerd, a genius, and Nicole.

Yes, a lot of people have said that the (this particular) movie occupies an important place in modern literary work, but I'm not sure they know why.

In fact, it is intended that this movie be re-made by future people... That is the whole point of Zarathustra's philosophy.