2003-09-05 Are our truths stranger then our fiction???

I have to say that, having read this after watching Eyes Wide Shut, I wasn't expecting to like this as I hadn't loved the movie. Yet on reading this beautiful novella, I wonder what Stanly Krubrik was doing mucking about with it. The story may have been set in the past, and therefore I can understand the idea of bringing it into modern times to make it more accessable to this generation, but this original story is absolutely beautiful. The original imagery of turn of the century Vienna adds to the underlying romance of the story, and Krubrick edited out a vital part of the story - that the Wife was not the only one to have nearly been tempted to stray from the realationship - the husband (or shall we say Tom Cruise!!!) also admits to having been tempted to - which puts a whole new spin on the story and adds another dimension, as you can understand why both are suffering frustrations. Instead of a Tom Cruise type moping around New York imaging what his wife might have done, you see why the husband has to deal with such inner torment - because HE as much as his wife has been tempted to stray, and therefore that brings into question the strength of their union, which causes the doubt. Like real marriage, this isn't just a one sided story - their are other undertones, some sininster, some not so. While SK made a good film in itself with EYES WIDE SHUT, I would like to meet a director brave enough to film DREAM STORY in its entirity as it was originally written set in Vienna. That would be truly something !!! Truly magical!!! Truly beautiful...