By: Antonis Ch

Arthur Schnitzler back in the 19^th
century wrote ‘A Dream Story’ which was later brought to the big screen by
Kubrick under the name Eyes Wide Shut. One of the many interesting things about
Schnitzler was that his work was affected by Freud’s theories regarding the
interpretation of dreams and the unconscious. This influence is more than
obvious in ‘A Dream Story’ and resultingly in Kubrick’s adaptation.

Schnitzler’s erotic
fiction and Kubrick’s swan song

Even though it is an adaptation, ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ has its own unique message and for it to show, Kubrick made a few creative changes. 19th Century Vienna becomes 20th century New York, and Fridolin, the protagonist of ‘A Dream Story’, is renamed Bill. These changes bring the story to a more familiar setting for Kubrick, which allow him to move on a deeper level in order to alter the main theme…