r/kubrick

If you’d like to explore more of what you probably already know or understand to some degree, this may explain a bit about Actor’s Allusion and its companion technique Film Allusion. These are the methods I know Kubrick utilised along with a whole separate bag of storytelling tricks. This is just a beginning of discovery, and breakthroughs and only a shortlist.

In Gross Anatomy (1989) Todd Field’s character, a medical school student who also happens to play piano, is asked to leave medical school by the administration. Modine’s entrance as unserious is an allusion to his Full Metal Jacket character.

Ghosts: The Chemistry Lesson (1994) Alan Cumming comes across a circle of witches in an old henge and begins to affect all involved. A nod to 2001 at start is notable.

Here is the shortlist unexplained. Far and Away (1992)
Jerry MaGuire (1996)
The New Mike Hammer: S3E9 (1986) Two Deaths (1995)
Sunday’s Children/ Söndagsbarn (original title) 1992 (Bergman)
The Boys From Brazil (1978)
The Electric Horseman (1978) Pollack Reunion (1994) dir. Lee Grant
In the Presence of a Clown (1997) Bergman Marie Richardson.
Half Moon Street (1986)
Alexa (1988) Lowe
Feel free to add what you know to the list.
If there is not one film alluded to each actor in Eyes Wide Shut it would be a surprise therefore this list above is incomplete.

Each film or series should be watched with a level of intensity as if a witness to a crime.

Each film or series carries away with it a little piece of the plot of Eyes Wide Shut and it is a dark, dark ride.
This I believe to be Kubrick’s most complicated and artfully abundant work, yet another masterpiece in his canon but maybe his greatest contribution.

Late to the list:

Crooked Hearts (1991)
Mac (1992)
Point of No Return (1993)

Illustrated by Rion Vernon

On Photography (1977): Susan Sontag. Taken from the front page of the New York Review featuring Sontag’s “Illness as Metaphor” as displayed on the Torrance’s coffee table, contains the inspiration for the twins. Points toward the author’s canon of work.

The Catcher in the Rye (1951) J.D. Salinger alludes to the double dog eared pages 132 to 133 and finishes out chapter 17 with page 134. The pages allude to the turbulent relationship between both main characters specifically the screaming and whether or not Holden Caulfield is a madman.

The Bell Jar (1978): Taken from the January 1978 Playgirl edition, stars Ann Jackson as Greenwood’s doctor with similar but reversed lines in The Shining. Points toward actor’s canon of work and the appearance of the magazine issue seems as “self referential” in The Shining.

Omnibus: The Blue Hotel (1956) S05-E08 contains heavy elements of the Grady character. Was known to be a favorite or Kubrick’s. The themes explored share common underlying threads with The Shining.

Rocky (1976): Tony Burton. Shares some similarities to his role in The Shining.

Road Runner: Stop! Look! and Hasten! (1954): as featured in The Shining. Refers to the beginning of the relationship between Roadrunner and Coyote as seen through the eyes of a child.

Jesus Christ Superstar (1973): Barry Dennen Roles are similar in that both characters seem to have made decisions against their will. Alludes to the actor’s canon of work.

The Twilight Zone: Stopover in a Quiet Town: Barry Nelson.
Points toward the actor’s canon of work.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977): Left Unexplained with the exception that Winnie the Pooh makes an uncredited appearance in The Shining as himself.

Black Narcissus (1947) film, written by Rumer Godden: taken from the book In This House of Brede by Godden which sits on the shelf above the doctor. Points toward author’s canon of work.

Das Labyrinth (1922): by Ina Seidel taken from The Wish Child (1930) also by Seidel which resides on the side table in a stack of books in the Torrance apartment. Points toward author’s canon of work.

Emergency! (1972) S02E02 “Kids” taken
from the Emergency! lunch box behind the doctor in Danny’s bedroom. Kubrick utilised not only lines of script from this episode yet some of the camera work as well.

3 Women (1977) dir. Robert Altman: Duvall. Twins. eerie af.

Young Jethro by Roy Clews this novel sits at the very bottom of the stack of books between the doctor and Wendy. Clews wrote under the name Sara Fraser, a pseudonym for himself, a one-time Marine Commando and Foreign Legionnaire who has travelled and worked all over the world.

Now Voyager (?) 1942: Contained within the film Summer of ‘42 and is by definition
mise en abyme, a tool Kubrick often used in storytelling.

Foul Play (1978): left unexplained

Black Christmas (1974) Dullea, left unexplained

Marnie (1964) an allusion from the title Angell, Pearl and Little God by Winston Graeme observed on the window shelf in the Torrance apartment.

One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (1975): Nicholson, taken from his initial interview with the hospital doctor and correlates to the Overlook hotel office, its salmon painted walls and the framed photographs of trophy fish.

“The Parish Boys Progress,” a blue hardcover which sits atop the stack of books between Wendy and the doctor on the side table in the Torrance apartment living room is sometimes known as “all of a twist” but mainly as Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. This book appears without a title or author’s name and is an allusion to itself.

The Fourth Ghost Book (1968) James Turner: considered one of the great anthologies to ghost stories.

The Beach Girls (1959) John D. MacDonald: As seen in the larger stack of books behind the main column, an homage or nod to Stephen king, who is known to have great praise for this book and writer. The novel is told in a mysterious round robin fashion by each of the witnesses.

The Witches Thread Throughout The Shining:
The excerpt from the opening title sequence is from Dies Irae but this piece is specifically titled “Dream of the Witch’s Sabbath.”

Beldam: The name Beldam as in Lia Beldam the actress in the bathtub is an archaic word for an old woman, often carrying a derogatory or frightening connotation meaning a hag, crone, or witch.

Chang'e and her Jade Rabbit: Chang’e is China’s moon goddess, is banished along with her jade rabbit to the moon for eternity.
Every culture has their moon goddess or witches and the room 237 witch appears as an amalgamation of those including the guest who stayed there from the book. The bathroom itself is the jade rabbit. Go check it out.

Mayday or May 1st or Beltane: is the 6 month mark to Halloween. April 30 is additionally known as Witch’s Night.

- an allusion to the Collection of works from: Dorothy Oxborough

Crying Boy
The Girl with Pigtails
Native Child
Native Pastel
Native American Girl Child

Alex Colville - an allusion to the Colville Collection:

Horse and Train (1954)** **
Woman and Terrier (1963)
Moon and Cow (1963):
Dog, Boy and St. John River (1958)

An allusion to the omitted painting in the Colville collection:
Mayday (1970)

https://gallerix.org/storeroom/1562503238/N/1214016715/