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IFDB Review: Eyes Wide Shut - Fidelio Edition:

MCP

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Intro: Eyes Wide Shut is one of my all time favorite movies. It's a devastating and surreal journey into the human psyche and the horrific true face of the powerful elite (and the Illuminati?) and their dehumanization of society and the human soul. If the original was one of the greatest achievements in filmmaking, then Gatos' Fidelio Edition is one of the greatest achievements in fanediting. It's quite remarkable how different a film this is with over an hour removed, yet the plot and themes are well thought out and there is not a cut that doesn't work. Definitely one of my new favorite fanedits! Audio/Visual Quality: 10 The DVD looked pretty great, with the beautiful grain intact and no problems to report. I watched it in 5.1 surround sound and it was pretty immersive. This was just a really excellent presentation! Visual Editing: 10 If I had watched this cut without ever seeing the original then I wouldn't even notice the missing hour. The only transition that caught my attention was the cut from Bill and Ziegler in the bathroom to Bill entering the hospital the next day. It was a bit jarring and possibly could have worked better with a fade out. Besides that the editing was pretty much perfect. Audio Editing: 10 I did not hear a single noise out of place, so good job! Narrative: 9 It's amazing how Gatos has radically altered the narrative and character motivations yet Kubrick's vision is still mostly intact. The most noticeable change was Alice's decreased role, which actually worked very well. She is nothing more than Bill's trophy, just like Milich's daughter and the masked women at the orgy. They are all symbolic prostitutes (is Bill and Alice's daughter on the same path?). The removal of all the sex stuff is well handled and our main focus is now on the mysterious cult made up of the world's most powerful people. The pacing is brisk yet Gatos is still able to build the tension all the way until the shocking ending. The original ends with a deceptively happy ending that shows the dark side of Christmas consumerism and that the protagonists still have their eyes wide shut to all the evil going on around them, while the Fidelio edition ends with Bill finally realizing the true power of the corrupt elite. This was the only way this edit could have ended and it will haunt me for days. My only problem with the narrative is that the final scenes lacked weight, due to the shortened runtime and faster pace. I don't think Gatos could have done anything about this, but it just lacks the power of the original. Enjoyment: 10 This won't be a replacement disc, but it is a thrilling reinterpretation of Kubrick's final work that really shows all the hard work that was put into it. For fans of Eyes Wide Shut, this is a must see! Thank you very much for sharing Gatos!

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