Eyes Wide Shut, Scientology, & Vivian Kubrick - The Conspiracy

a reply to: Willtell

For example, was he a mason, an atheist, a mystic?

He was jewish by blood but a very strong agnostic. You might consider him an atheist but I think that definition is just slightly over the line for Kubrick. No memberships to any secret societies, as you mentioned he was quite reclusive. He was utterly disgusted by celebrity culture.

He definitely had a mystical side, or, at least a very defined and developed sense of curiosity in areas of interest that society would consider paranormal or Occult.

See this rare audio interview about The Shining where Kubrick talks about his belief in ESP and telepathy:

a reply to: ColdWisdom


What I would look for is any associations with certain groups he had to indicate any interest in esoteric things. If there aren’t any then one might conclude he was hiding something, considering EWS just had to many occult themes in it to not have him in-tune with such topics.

a reply to: Willtell

I don't think he was hiding anything beyond shielding his personal life from the prying eyes of popular culture.

He told his children once to:

"Stay away from power. It always corrupts people."

He seemed to believe this wholeheartedly, hence his departure from Hollywood to England, and the reason he sent his children to private progressive schools in the UK. He didn't want his children to be distracted by cliques of "the IN crowd" when they should be getting an education.

Remember that his wife was the niece of a filmmaker that worked for Goebbels making propaganda films for the Nazis.

Kubrick was very keen on history and believed firmly that we are doomed to repeat it.

I can't tell you why yet Shriner's Masonry symbolism seems to appear in both Kubrick and Spielberg films (as I said this theory is only half-baked). But the top left painting is the one from Dr. Bill's office that not only resembles NASA's discovery mission logo, but there's also a person wearing a fez. You also see an interesting crescent shape in Fight Club imagery.

a reply to: firesnakeprophecy


Uh, that scene takes place in Egypt, why wouldn't some of the locals being wearing a fez?

Wow what an awesome thread. I've been sitting here with a glass of merlot, and read the entire thing, and enjoyed every minute of it. I've been feeling shallow though, wondering how I missed so many of the complexities and interesting takes on interpretation. (Duh, was I smashed when I watched it? Half-asleep? I hope so.)

It's been years since I've seen it, but will rewatch it soon. Thanks for a great read CW.

You too, Willtell, I enjoyed your comments and insights very much.

Now that I think about it, I believe I enjoyed reading about the movie, more than I did actually watching the movie.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

The fez by itself of course nothing. But the guy in black is wielding a huge scimitar which is also one of the main symbols on the Shriner's logo. Some interesting animals heads in the background also could be related to occult rituals/worship.

a reply to: firesnakeprophecy


What other type of sword would you prefer he have wielded?

a reply to: firesnakeprophecy

I've heard of all the supposed masonic references in A Clockwork Orange and The Shining, but, I just don't see them as anything more than happy accidents or over analysis.

And yes, Kubrick himself was the one that pulled A Clockwork Orange, due to the death threats he and his family received. Some teenagers who saw the film actually went and beat up some homeless people somewhere in the UK, supposedly emulating Alex in the opening scene. Some coffee house film buffs actually decided to screen it in the late 80s and Kubrick himself sued to shut them down citing his concern for his family's well being. And shut it down they did.

EWS definitely has masonic references, as well as illuminati, scientology, rosicrucian, thelema, etc.

a reply to: angeldoll

Thank you by the way! I always appreciate an honest compliment.

For what it's worth, I had seen EWS at least 10 times before I really started to look at it from the angle that produced this thread.

Each of those 10 times, and especially the first time (when I was 16), I knew it had to be one of the deepest films I had ever seen but I just couldn't figure out why. I guess I was trying much too hard to interpret EWS the way I would interpret a David Lynch film but that logic so does not compute with EWS.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Like I said I'm just bringing up things that may or may not add up to something more at the end. Figured other people might find them interesting and have input of their own.

a reply to: firesnakeprophecy


I agree with Cold on this one, I think it is just simply being part of the film without being a part of the film.

a reply to: ColdWisdom

My pleasure. Thank you for your confession. It makes me feel a wee bit better. I remember the reviews when it first came out -- important film- scientology- and this -- they had to hire a "sex-coach" to get Nicole and Tom through their sex scene, as they were both very awkward with it, and couldn't pull it off. I remember thinking that was weird.

a reply to: angeldoll

The sex coach tabloid could have just been noise. I didn't read anything about a sex coach from anyone involved with the film and apparently the only people allowed on set for the sex scenes were Kubrick, Tom, & Nicole, (and probably one or two people for sound) but Kubrick was operating the remote controlled dolly that the camera was mounted on. There are some pictures of the set with Kubrick in the foreground holding the remote. I'm sure I can't publish them on ATS but you can search for them.

Jan Harlan, Kubrick's widow's brother (also Executive Producer for EWS and many other Kubrick films), said that Kubrick was actually quite skillful with the remote controlled dolly and that he worked it better than most DPs in Hollywood at the time.

originally posted by: angeldoll
Wow what an awesome thread. I've been sitting here with a glass of merlot, and read the entire thing, and enjoyed every minute of it. I've been feeling shallow though, wondering how I missed so many of the complexities and interesting takes on interpretation. (Duh, was I smashed when I watched it? Half-asleep? I hope so.)

It's been years since I've seen it, but will rewatch it soon. Thanks for a great read CW.

You too, Willtell, I enjoyed your comments and insights very much.

Thanks for the comments.

I like CW, loved the movie and still study it. EWS is one of the two movies I have ever bought.


I recall me and a friend counting the number of woman who were in that circle dancing at the sex ball—I think we counted 12.

There are so many scenes in EWS that are vital to whatever Kubrick was trying to convey. I can think of so many. What a movie!


That doctor had a hell of a night.


Recall the doctor’s patient who dies, which brought him out of the house late, and the side story of the daughter who had a love obsession on him that sprung to life the night her father died and the doctor being there to tend to the body.


I even think the time the doctor spent at the masquerade shop and that series of scenes, conveying duplicitous sexual activity and deception with the two Japanese TWIN midgets has some meaning.

JAPANESE MIDGETS playing a game of deception with a tall woman.


What is Kubrick trying to tell us here?

a reply to: Willtell

Hmm. I'm sure they are short but I don't think the two Japanese men are midgets. I don't remember them being twins either? I'll have to go back and check. The dialogue in that scene is almost verbatim from the novella. I don't think the daughter was with any men in the novella when she is found, either. She also isn't mute in the novella, she clearly says to her father:

"But for this man, we should have a cloak lined with ermine and a doublet of red silk."

Kubrick was genius to make the daughter whisper that line to Cruise, only visible through the subtitles.

It's arguably the most revealing line of the film. I touted it in my sig on here for a while.

edit: I also wanted to say to FSP that I believe that painting he linked us to in the office of Bill's medical practice was done by Kubrick's widow. All of the paintings in their apartment are done by her, and most of the paintings in Bill's office were Christianne's, as well. I think there was one painting on the wall of his office that was by a famous painter. I'll dig up the link I saved that talks about it.

a reply to: Willtell

My theory why we see 3 small actors in the costume shop is because they symbolize aliens or little green men and the shop itself is Roswell with high security at the entrance but also floor to ceiling glass observation or "containment unit" farther inside.

I had also speculated Kubrick had been "shut down" for including what he did in The Shining which is why only 2 releases (FMJ in 1987 and EWS in 1999) after that. So, I had sort of been looking for "unofficial" Kubrick releases where he may have served as a "ghost director" similar to how there are ghost writers.

It sure seems there's a lot more influence than chance between the work of Kubrick and Spielberg. Now, the how and why I couldn't say. I could give some wild theories right now that aren't even in the oven not to mention half-baked, but seems my credibility is a little strained at the moment so I'll hold off on those.