MovieChat Forums > The Shining (1980) Discussion > Eyes Wide Shut connection

Eyes Wide Shut connection


The Overlook Hotel is supposed to be frequented by “all the best people,” including celebrities and politicians and other members of high society. I wonder if some of these same “best people” who visit the hotel are the same members of the secret society in Eyes Wide Shut. Could the Overlook possibly be a “Bohemian Grove” of sorts for members of the upper elite of society?

Also I find it interesting how both Jack Torrence and Bill Hartford aren’t members of the elite society but get glimpses into their inner workings.

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They are thematically similar in that you have a middle class (lower middle for Jack and upper middle for Harford) protagonist wanting to become more than they are and brushing up against societal forces more powerful and connected than themselves. The scene in the red bathroom with Grady the butler/caretaker makes it clear that his egging on Jack to "correct" his errant family is a necessary task he must perform before he will be accepted into their society. For Harford, his first test is helping out Ziegler with passed out hooker and agreeing to keep silent about it early in the film. His second test is keeping quiet about what he'd seen at the mansion later in the film.

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Also don't forget Lord Wendover in Barry Lyondon says his friends are "The best people"...
He goes on saying "I don’t mean that they’re the most virtuous, or indeed the least virtuous, or the cleverest of the stupidest or the richest or the best born. But the best. In a word, people about whom there is no question.” (or no questions asked?)

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In the very first shot in Eyes Wide Shut (Kidman slithering out of her dress) we see two tennis racquets propped up against the wall. One has to wonder whether this scene is a flash forward to some FUTURE event and some future party. If that scene took place the night of the Christmas party, how come neither Harford (shown to be a brown-noser throughout the film) nor his wife mention the fact that they are tennis players when Ziegler indicates that he and his wife play tennis? Harford could very easily have suggested they play doubles sometimes, and yet he doesn't. Neither of them make mention of playing tennis at all, in fact. Does this suggest the Harfords will continue to associated with the Zieglers, perhaps even more closely than before despite their seeming "come to Jesus" talk at the end of the film, and knowing what they know about Ziegler? Perhaps the Harfords were also "absorbed into the hotel" just as Jack was at the end of The Shining?

P.S. The dress Kidman slips out of is different than the one she wears at the party. Does she have two black cocktail dresses, and why is she slipping out of it if she is dressing for the party?

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