Fans are convinced ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ secretly talks about Illuminati — and they have proof
Stanley Kubrick's 1999 movie 'Eyes Wide Shut' continues to be in the limelight to this day for various reasons. When the film released, it sparked an intense debate among viewers. Starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman the erotic mystery psychological drama is based on the 1926 novella 'Dream Story' by Arthur Schnitzler. The story follows Dr. William "Bill" Harford (Tom Cruise), who is shocked to find that his wife Alice (Nicole Kidman) had once considered having an affair with another man she met. This revelation kicks off a long, mysterious night as Bill gets drawn into the covert world of a masked orgy hosted by an unnamed secret society.
During the 90s, Cruise's movie 'Eyes Wide Shut' was considered controversial due to its explicit content, featuring numerous sexual scenes. While the movie received good feedback from critics, it failed to perform at the box office. According to Farout magazine, one of the posters used for the movie's promotion caught significant attention. It shows Kidman's Alice looking away, while Cruise leans in for a kiss —only one of her eyes is visible. Some speculated that the pose shared an uncanny resemblance to the Illuminati's 'All-Seeing Eye' symbol found on the one-dollar bill. Further adding fuel to the fire, fans speculated that Kubrick, before his death in March 1999, had tried to expose the real Illuminati, as per Bustle.
Over the years, many fans have even linked the film to the Illuminati, with a fan taking to Reddit with a question: "Quick Question- Was Eyes Wide Shut really about the Illuminati? (Sean McDougall video analysis)." A user quickly replied to this: "Quick Answer: If by "Illuminati" you are referring to the metaphoric term for "powerful people in some kind of ritualistic sex magick cult" then yes. If by "illuminati" you mean the real organization that existed in Bavaria in the late 1700s then no."
Another Reddit user went on to say, "Yes, it does pay quite a disservice to Eyes Wide Shut to say that it's merely about the "Illuminati" – when, in reality, as with most other SK films: it's about all sorts of things; not the least about sexuality and sociological matters. In fact, I personally believe the "secret society" aspect to the story is meant to be taken metaphorically (and, perhaps, dare I say, almost incidentally?) as an abstract yet very real outside danger to an otherwise relatively conventional life, marriage, and family. As Ziegler says to Bill towards the end of the film (and he's absolutely right): "You've been way out of your depth for the past 24 hours." How does the story conclude? With Bill and Alice making up and going back to having their eyes wide shut."
Followed by a user who penned, "I can tell you the illuminati didn't like it. Kubrick died shortly after making this film. Spielberg had to finish A I on his own. It showed too." Another Reddit user chimed in, "It's not about the illuminati. it's about assumptions. yours is wrong." It’s easy to uncover a conspiracy if you’re determined to find one, and Kubrick’s 'Eyes Wide Shut' is no exception. Depending on who you ask, the secret society either lurks in the shadows, pulling strings in plain sight.
When Kubrick died, just days after screening his cut of the film for friends and cast, conspiracy theorists claimed the director was killed for exposing the Illuminati. Is there any real evidence to support such claims? Absolutely not. Kubrick died of a heart attack but the misinformation era ensures facts get lost in the rush to spin conspiracy theories. For the unversed, 'Eyes Wide Shut' was an adaptation of Schnitzler’s 'Dream Story', and no accusations were ever directed at the source material for revealing the Illuminati’s true nature, as per Farout Magazine.