At the Crossroads of the Arts
In Eyes Wide Shut, it is common that pieces of the film’s mise-en-scène and dialogue have not been included for merely arbitrary or aesthetic reasons. Often, they are subtle intertextual references which have been employed to accompany the film’s thematic objectives. References to known works of art, consumable media and famous individuals are strategically arranged in the film to form unannounced semiotic relationships between different concepts. This creates a sort of out-branching phenomenology which relies on the viewer’s familiarity with the referenced subjects in order for a more ‘complete’ meaning to be understood.
This page is dedicated to the indexing of all the known works of art/consumable media featured and referenced in Eyes Wide Shut, ordered by their different disciplines. Where it is apparent, I may attempt to detail the thematic reasons for inclusion.
These referential items in the film vary in their levels of obscurity, and many of them are as yet unidentified. If you have recognized a creative work or article of media which you believe should be added to to this record, please contact me with the details at 33degreesofeyeswideshut@gmail.com.
I. – Paintings & Sculptures
At the Harford’s apartment:
Apples painted on January 17th 1991 – oil on canvas, Christiane Kubrick, 1991
Seen in hallway adjoining Bill and Alice’s bedroom to the living room.
Polly – oil on canvas, Christiane Kubrick, year indeterminate
Seen in hallway adjoining Bill and Alice’s bedroom to the living room.
Homage to Van Gogh – oil on canvas, Christiane Kubrick, year indeterminate
Seen above the breakfast table to the right of the kitchen counter.
Flowering Hawthorn and Bracken – oil on canvas, Christiane Kubrick, year indeterminate
Seen outside Helena’s bedroom.
Seedbox Theatre – oil on canvas, Christiane Kubrick, year indeterminate
Seen in the Harford’s dining room.
View from Kitchen in Winter – oil on canvas, Christiane Kubrick, year indeterminate
Seen in corner of the Harford’s bedroom above a set of drawers.
View from Kitchen – Sunset – oil on canvas, Christiane Kubrick, year indeterminate
Seen in the Harford’s bedroom to the left of the bathroom door.
Presents from Tourists – oil on canvas, Christiane Kubrick, year indeterminate
Seen in the Harford’s dining room to the right of the entrance to the kitchen.
Dried up Donkey Field – oil on canvas, Christiane Kubrick, year indeterminate
Seen in the Harford’s bedroom to the right of the bathroom door.
Three Orange Trees – oil on canvas, Christiane Kubrick, year indeterminate
Seen above the Harford’s bed.
Pumpkins on Bricks – oil on canvas, Christiane Kubrick, year indeterminate
Seen above dresser on the left of the Harford’s bed.
At the medical practice where Dr. Bill works:
Counterweights – oil on canvas, Wassily Kandinsky, 1926
Seen on back of the office’s elevator
View into a Lane – watercolour, August Macke, 1914
Seen beside the receptionist’s desk
Jenner: Smallpox is Stemmed – oil on canvas, Robert Thom, 1960
Seen in the examination room.
Pasteur: The Chemist Who Transformed Medicine – oil on canvas, Robert Thom, 1962
Seen in the examination room.
Woman in a Green Jacket – oil on canvas, August Macke, 1913
Seen next to the door in Bill’s office.
Fashion Window – watercolour, August Macke, year indeterminate
Seen in the hallway through Bill’s office door.
Türkisches Café – oil on canvas, August Macke, 1914
Seen on the wall besides Bill’s desk in his office.
At Ziegler’s Mansion:
Paula 6 months on Red – oil on canvas, Christiane Kubrick, year indeterminate
Seen in Ziegler’s bathroom, above the mantelpiece.
Hillside at Ballynatray – oil on canvas, Christiane Kubrick, year indeterminate
Seen in Ziegler’s bathroom, on the left of the towel rack.
L’Amore degli Angeli – Marble sculpture, Giulio Bergonzoli, 1864
Seen at the bottom of the large spiral staircase as Alice and Bill enter the Christmas party.
At the Nathanson apartment:
The Bacino di San Marco on Ascension Day – oil on canvas, Canaletto, 1733-4
Seen in the corner of Lou Nathanson’s room, next to a small Christmas tree.
At Somerton:
Family Portrait – oil on canvas, William Beechey, year indeterminate
Seen during the orgy sequence in room with multiple women on a table.
Portrait of Jon Acland at age 3, title indeterminate – Thomas Hudson, 1749
Seen during the orgy sequence behind the couple using a man’s back as a table.
Sculpture of a young boy and girl, title indeterminate – marble, Pietro Tenerani, year indeterminate
Seen at base of staircase where dressed and undressed couples are slow-dancing with each other.
At Sharky’s Cafe:
Ophelia – oil on canvas, John William Waterhouse, 1894
Located to the left of the cafe’s entrance
Astarte Syriaca – oil on canvas, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1877
Located on the wall opposite to the cafe’s entrance.
II. – Film, Television & Theatre
At the Harford’s apartment:
The Nutcracker – ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 1892
Directly referenced by Helena in dialogue during the opening scenes of the movie.
Fright Before Christmas – Looney Tunes short directed by Friz Freleng, 1979
Playing on the TV at the breakfast table during the montage of the Harford’s average workday.
Monday Night Football – Game indeterminate
Watched by Bill as he drinks a beer at the end of the montage showing the Harford’s average workday.
At Ziegler’s Mansion:
Where the Rainbow Ends – children’s Christmas play by Clifford Mills and John Ramsey, 1911
Intertextually alluded to through dialogue from Gayle and Nuala Windsor.
At the Sonata Cafe:
Monday Night Football – game indeterminate
Seen on the bar’s television as Bill walks to his table.
Fidelio – opera by Ludwig van Beethoven, 1805
Directly referenced by Nick Nightingale in dialogue.
At Rainbow Fashions:
The Wizard of Oz – film directed by Victor Fleming, 1939
The store beneath Rainbow Fashions (“Under the Rainbow”) is named in reference to Somewhere Over the Rainbow, a song from the film.
III. – Books, Magazines & Poetry
At the Harford’s apartment:
Fear – novella by Stefan Zweig, 1925
Seen on the bookshelf in the extension of the Harford’s bedroom during the opening of the movie.
GQ – British magazine issue, November 1996
Seen on small circular table in living room when Bill and Alice say goodbye to Helena and Roz. Features David Duchovny on the cover.
In A Glass House – novel by Nino Ricci, 1993
Seen on the Harford’s dresser when they embrace in front of the bedroom mirror.
By Desire – novel by Sam North, 1996
Seen on the Harford’s dresser when they embrace in front of the bedroom mirror.
Lord Longford – biography by Peter Stanford, 1994
Seen on the Harford’s dresser when they embrace in front of the bedroom mirror.
Rage – novel by Wilbur Smith, 1987
Seen on the Harford’s dresser when they embrace in front of the bedroom mirror.
Alice Through the Looking-Glass – novel by Lewis Carroll, 1871
Obliquely referenced when the Harford’s embrace in front of the bedroom mirror. The scene is filmed with the camera looking at Alice through the mirror, slowly zooming in as the scene fades out.
The Shadow – poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, 1885
Read by Helena during the montage of the Harford’s average workday.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! – children’s book by Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel, 1957
Seen on breakfast table during montage of the Harford’s average workday.
TV Guide – November 1996 issue (covering programming for Nov. 16-22)
Seen on coffee table in living room when Bill is watching football on TV. Features Lance Henriksen on the cover.
Requiem – novel by Graham Joyce, 1995
Seen on the dresser in corner of the Harford’s bedroom when Alice starts an argument with Bill.
In the Beauty of the Lilies – novel by John Updike, 1996
Seen on the table next to Bill the morning after he confesses to Alice.
At Ziegler’s Mansion:
The Picture of Dorian Gray – novel by Oscar Wilde, 1890
Dialogue from this novel (“The one charm about marriage is that it makes a life of deception absolutely necessary for both parties”) is paraphrased by Sandor Szavost in dialogue.
Ars Amatoria – elegy by Ovid, 2 A.D
Directly referenced by Sandor Szavost in dialogue.
Time Magazine, December 20, 1993 issue
Seen on the small table next to the bar in the rumpus room.
At the newsvendor stall outside Sharky’s Cafe:
Sunset Magazine, December 1996 issue
Southern Living Magazine, December 1996 issue
Travel & Leisure Magazine, December 1996 issue
Seen on the racks of the stall.
At Domino’s Apartment:
Shadows on the MIrror – novel by Frances Fyfield, 1989
Seen next to the stereo.
Introducing Sociology – textbook by Peter Worsley, 1970
Seen next to the stereo.
IV. – Music
Waltz 2 From Jazz Suite – Dmitri Shostakovich, 1938
Performed by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Heard during the opening and closing credits of the film, as well as the montage of the Harford’s average workday.
Chanson d’Amour – Wayne Shanklin, 1961
I’m in the Mood for Love – Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields, 1935
Old Fashioned Way – Georges Garvarentz & Charles Aznavour, 1953
When I Fall in Love – Victor Young & Edward Heyman, 1952
I Only Have Eyes for You – Harry Warren & Al Dubin, 1934
Performed by the Victor Sylvester Orchestra
Heard at Ziegler’s Christmas party.
It Had to Be You – Isham Jones & Gus Kahn, 1924
Performed by the Tommy Sanderson & The Sandmen
Heard at Ziegler’s Christmas party.
Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing – Chris Isaak, 1995
Heard when the Harford’s embrace in front of their bedroom mirror.
If I Had You – Ted Shapiro, Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly, 1928
Performed by Roy Gerson
Heard in the Sonata Cafe
Blame It on My Youth – Oscar Levant & Edward Heyman, 1934
Performed by Brad Mehldau
Heard in the Sonata Cafe
Wien, du Stadt meiner Träume – Rudolf Sieczyński, 1914
Heard when Alice is watching TV while Bill is in Domino’s apartment
I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good) – Duke Ellington & Paul Francis Webster, 1941
Performed by the Oscar Peterson Trio
Heard in Domino’s bedroom.
Strangers in the Night – Ben Kaempfert, Charles Singleton & Eddie Snyder, 1966
Performed by the Peter Hughes Orchestra
Heard during the nude slow-dance at Somerton.
I Want A Boy For Christmas – C. Kiler, B. Paige, 1961
Performed by The Del Vets
Heard in Gillespie’s diner.
Musica Ricercata II: Mesto, Rigido e Cerimonale – György Ligeti, 1950
Performed by Dominic Harlan
Heard when Bill is unmasked in Red Cloak’s court, when he returns to the gates of Somerton, when his stalker is following him in the street, when he reads of Mandy’s death in the newspaper, and when he comes home to find the missing mask on his pillow.
Requiem K626, Rex Tremendae – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1791
Performed by RIAS Kammerchor, Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin
Heard when Bill goes into Sharky’s Cafe.
Nuages Gris – Franz Liszt, 1881
Performed by Dominic Harlan
Heard when Bill is looking at Amanda’s corpse in the morgue.
Jingle Bells – James Pierpont, 1857
Heard during the film’s final scene in he toy store.
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The 33 Degrees of Eyes Wide Shut 