Number 7: a prelude

It would be difficult to capture all significant instances concerning the number "7" in Eyes Wide Shut. But I think the topic warrants serial entries, and I'll try to cover a good bit of ground in this post. That won't preclude me from elaborating on "7" in future posts. The most recent occurrence of "7" I noticed was something that has bugged me during the billiards room scene. 

Ziegler stands at the edge of the pool table dialoguing with Bill. Notice his hands: three fingers and thumb are visible on his right hand, and thumb and two fingers are visible on left hand. Yes - seven digits are visible, perched on the table. And yes, I think they are "perched," rather like that of an eagle or owl. This exact same "4" and "3," or "7-finger perch" is seen earlier, when Ziegler breaches the subject of why he really brought Bill out so late at night. The first appearance of the seven-digit pose is below.

Ziegler's pose is intentional and conscious, yet relaxed. The two fingers and thumb of his left hand actually somewhat resemble a claw or talon of, say, an eagle or owl. Eagles are a frequent symbol for Kubrick in Eyes Wide Shut and The Shining, but the owl seems to offer some competition for the eagle in terms of symbolic power. This, again, would be another post, but there are certainly connections to this "wise" creature whose occult importance dates to Ancient Greece. In modern times, it has been used by Freemasons, and appears as an architectural detail on many buildings at Yale University. Owls appear on older academic buildings at other colleges too, not to mention commercial and civic buildings. More recently, in addition to the Frost Bank Tower, whose spiky glass apex and sun-like false-clocks mimic an abstract image of an owl's head, at a condominium tower in the city of Austin, Texas, the developer installed on the grounds two ten foot tall owls which are designed with a robotic system that enables the owl's heads to pivot. If you thought security cameras were creepy, just think about two giant owls staring you down at night. Keep Austin Weird, I guess. 

The giant sculpture at Bohemian Grove in Northern California (above), to which burned effigies are offered, is an owl. It's rumored to be a disguise for the ancient deity Moloch, mentioned in the Bible, to whom were offered human and even child sacrifices. The grove events are attended by "the best people:" several former presidents, government higher-ups, corporate leaders, celebrities, philanthropists, etc. Wisdom, foresight, bad luck, night, death, etc., are ascribed to the owl, historically, in a variety of different myths. 

Speaking of owls, why not show the strange, symmetrical vase that appears in Ziegler's billiards room, on a window sill. I always thought it looked like a Great Horned owl. Consider the positioning in my quickly-annotated photo which suggests a larger form, beastly in appearance.

The vase becomes the owl's head, while the two tables fill out the hominid-esque body. Coincidence or not? Who knows. The zoom comes from the below shot. The shot only lasts about three seconds. Notice also the striped 9 ball and the 5 ball on the table. 9 and 5 might hint at "nine to five," as in, a job. Maybe this points to Ziegler's role in Mandy's death - Ziegler's business is dark. Or, maybe, it points to Bill's sense of duty - he visits Ziegler as if visiting a patient. Together, 9 and 5 equal 14. 14 is 7 twice. "Ziegler" is 7 and "Harford" is 7. So we have two 7s meeting. 

The 9 ball and 5 ball even seem to form the angles of a triangle in the triangular corn of the red pool table. A triangle with two interior angles of 9° and 5° would need a third angle of 166°. 

Above is an example I created using an online tool. I don't think there's any great scheme here, other than the idea of triangulation. Woody Allen, for example, supposes in his 1975 comedy, Love and Death:

A: Socrates was a man, B: All men are mortal, C: All men are Socrates; that means all men are homosexuals. I'm not a homosexual - once, some cossacks whistled at me. 

Triangulation - a third piece of information connects two known pieces of information. Even in ancient times, triangulation was used to measure objects like trees, or the pyramids, using eyesight and arithmetic. I'm tempted to show the creepy pyramid-with-eye we've all seen on the backside of the dollar bill. A triangle can also be formed using 166°, 7°,  and 7°, reinforcing the idea of "two sevens," Ziegler and Harford, as equal forces. And perhaps we can see subtext of power in the pool balls when the camera cuts back to Ziegler. As can be seen in the image earlier, the 10 ball and 1 ball are visible before Ziegler. Before Bill are the 9 and 5 ball. Bill: 14, Ziegler: 11. Is Bill winning because he has more? 

In Ziegler's first seven-finger pose, the "10" ball and the "1" ball are the only two pool balls shown in the shot, next to the pool cue. But we also have Ziegler's 7 fingers, and a sum of "11" on the table. In at least one or two shots, there are also pictured 11 pool balls on the table. So, whether it's the "10" and "1" ball equalling "11," or eleven actual balls, we are reminded of the eleven women/concubines Bill witnesses at Somerton. As an aside, 7 and 11 equal 18, an important number for those trying to keep their "personal affairs" legal. Legality aside, we're reminded that eightteen and nineteen are included in the same bracket as, say, thirteen. 

If Mandy is the "1" who is disappeared, then (maybe) we're left with 10. So, again, "10" and "1:" Bill sees Mandy as an individual, unmasked, therefore feels empathy for her. Behind the mask, he is hardly sure that it was Mandy who warned him, and that it was Mandy who "saved" him, and that it was Mandy who ended up in the morgue. 

And then, there's a strange revelation: take 1 from 11 - what if 11 is just a way of writing "1?" "11" is, after all, written by repeating a "1." 1 vs 11 vs 111... the number grows, but it represents the individual, just as "Bill" represents the individual, and the single dollar bill. The "magic" circle at Somerton involved only "1" woman. Eleven, there, was just "more than one," but the number is maybe meaningless to the elite organizers. I think, without a doubt, a tragic fact that Bill begins to understand, is that "those" people, the "best people," don't have much regard for human life. It was Mandy this time, which Bill witnessed, but is it possible it will be the other ten, in due time? If, like Ziegler suggests, the whole thing was a "fake," then was Mandy's fate preordained? And if so, this would suggest that the other ten women are less than one. Nameless, faceless, and unknown. Bill's knowledge is the exception - he chances, dangerously, upon names, faces, and the known. But again, he is treading dangerous waters up to the end of the film. Bill's ability to witness the events (real or "staged") puts him in a bind, and I'd argue this is by design. 

It could be that Bill is being blackmailed merely for deceiving the people at Somerton. But it could also be that he is being blackmailed by design. There are some very dark corners in Eyes Wide Shut, one of those being that the spy or stalker, a bald man wearing a tan wool coat, "first" seen near the end of the film, is also seen much earlier, seated at the Sonata Cafe, very close to the stage where Nick is performing with the band. Granted, we only see the back of his head, so it could be a double, or a coincidence. But this is to be doubted. Could it be that Ziegler had "eyes and ears," so to speak, at the ball? I think so, and I think this could explain the spy's appearance at the Sonata Cafe. It may have concerned Ziegler that Bill and Nick were speaking. Maybe he ordered the spy to follow Nick, not Bill. This is possible, and likely. 

Going all the way back to 2001: A Space Odyssey, we can recall the moment when HAL lip-reads Dave and Frank's "private" conversation in the pod. This allows HAL to counterattack, and likely is the reason HAL kills Frank: HAL knows that Frank and Dave have plotted to kill him first. Conspiracy is far from unusual in Kubrick's filmography, rather, it's often a central theme. Alex is the conspiratorial leader of his Droogs until he falls prey to an insurgent counter-conspiracy which lands him in prison, and more, in A Clockwork Orange. The world's super-powers discuss nuclear war in a pedestrian manner while their individual constituents and military commanders are desperate for action in Dr. Strangelove. There are several sub-plots, offering a humorous take on conspiracy. Redmond Barry's many facades and deceptions are conspiratorial in nature, and serve to help Barry climb the social ladder in Barry Lyndon. The Killing is an overt conspiracy film as it involves a race-track heist carried out by a sizable group of men who ultimately have their own selfish interests separate from the group goal. Lolita encounters similar themes as Eyes Wide Shut, only 37 years earlier. To name a few. 

Obviously, the themes are timeless, but still. A bit of interesting trivia: Tom Cruise was born July 3, 1962, meaning he would have just turned 37 in 1999 when Eyes Wide Shut was released on July 16. We could even note that the 16th was 13 days after the 3rd. 13, again: Cruise would have been 13 days into his 37th year. As for 37, the two numbers are added to "10" and multiplied to "21." 

Anyways, back to the topic of "7" and the billiards room. 

Looking at Ziegler's authoritative pose above, we should also notice that the cue and the two balls, uh, align with Ziegler's waist in a way that's...not suggestive. At all. Any Kubrick obsessive has probably seen the overlay that establishes the subconscious connection between Ziegler's remark "knocking a few balls around." I've recreated it below. The cut of Bill approaching the door, and Ziegler's pose just before getting up to answer, align in the center of screen (as is typical with Kubrick), humorously showing Ziegler taking dead aim at Bill's family jewels. The overlay also reminds us of the color scheme: blue window, green lamp-shades, red felt pool table, yellow and white lamps, and probably a range of other colors. It might not be ROY-G-BIV, formally, but it is worth noting.

Additionally, one detail that may be random is seen in the lower left corner of the painting left of Ziegler's head. 

The image is a dog with black and white fur. If I had to guess, I would say it is a border collie, a breed originating in England and Scotland, known to be the smartest dog, and used to herd sheep. If I had to guess, I would say Ziegler is the energetic dog "running circles" around a sheepish Bill. Ziegler's mood changes from friendly to somber to playful to resentful, angry, and back to friendly. Black and white as a color theme is its own topic, for sure (Bill and Nick in black and white tux, etc.), but it's these strong contrasting colors that allow for a curious image. 

Maybe it's also time to mention Nick Nightingale's wool sport coat. Ok, maybe it's tweed, but we have the idea that Nick is a "wolf in sheep's clothing." He shoots devilish looks at Bill, his face morphing with Rorschach-ian shadows. The white tuxedo at Ziegler's ball confirms this idea of Nick-as-angelic. Lucifer, of course, means "bright star;" Lucifer is said to be a fallen angel who eventually ruled over Hell. The white tux echoes sheep which are often white. I've also drawn what I've interpreted to be the numbers 7 and 8 to the left and right of Nick's head, respectively. The "7" is backwards, but the shape is unmistakably  seven-like. I take these numbers to be part of a series. The Nick's picture in the playbill outside the Sonata which I've posted about previously, looks like a "6," and precedes this scene and these numbers chronologically. 

Back to the dog picture: combined with the set of legs in brown slacks, the fragments almost seem to spell "711" or "0711," or "1711." The dog's chest and leg look like a "7," while the man's legs look like "11." The dog's hind leg looks a bit like a "0" or letter "o," or a small "1." Maybe this is a stretch, maybe. But I don't care. Now that we have "7" and "11" in mind, consider this Expressionist painting by August Macke. The German painter was 27 when he died in 1914, fighting in the First World War (14 being two times 7). 

A reproduction of this painting is seen on the wall of Bill's office. 

Consider the elements of the painting: a window or door in the center that looks like a number "7," a blue door on the right of the painting, and two windows that look like ones, or "11" together. Bill's condo door is also royal blue, as is his private office door. The gates of Somerton are also blue. There is a figure in red wearing a fez (hat vs. mask) following behind two or more red-cloaked individuals entering a building beneath the "7" shaped window.  

Seven is the number of letters in the word "Fidelio" which acts as an ironic password to the infidelities of Somerton. Seven is also the number of letters in the surnames "Ziegler" and "Harford." 

"7" is the number of colors in the visible spectrum of light known as ROY-G-BIV, an acronym for each name of the seven colors. There are also seven letters in the word "rainbow" which obviously denotes the natural phenomenon. Speaking of rainbows, at Ziegler's party, Nuala and Gayle (whose five-letter names add to 10) want to take Bill to "where the rainbow ends." One way I've interpreted this is that they want to take him to the "end of color." The "end of color" may be the beginning of "monochrome," i.e., black and white. This can be read as good vs. evil, light vs. dark. It can also be read as a retreat into the past. Since white light contains all colors, then black, a total absence of light, in logical terms, rejects all colors. If I recall correctly, there are no decorations or Christmas trees in Ziegler's billiards room. The "game" room is in fact intended for the opposite purpose: serious business. So, this too is an "end of the rainbow" place, like Somerton, and like Bill's apartment when he switches off the rainbow-colored lights on the Christmas tree. 

Like Ziegler's seven fingers or "digits," there are also 7 digits in a telephone number. 10 if we need area code (10 fingers total), and 11 if we need to identify country. Let's use the number that appears on the Vitali Realty sign: 212-555-5005. 212 is the area code used for most of Manhattan. Added, "212" = 5. 212 is also a weird symmetrical/mirror number where "21" is made into "12" when omitting the third number. "555," the film industry's non-functional prefix/central office code is a sum of 15. "5005" adds to 10. "5005" is also a mirror, which, in this way, is "50" twice, or, "100." Bill tears a $100 Bill (Benjamin Franklin) in half before making his deal with the cabbie at the gates of Somerton. 

So, we have 5, 15, and 10. We can read this as 15+5= 20, and 10, and think back to The Shining, when Jack tells Lloyd he has "two tens and two twenties." Of course, this is only half, as 20 and 10 equal 30 in total. If we add "1" to the Vitali number to identify the country, USA, then we arrive at 21 and 10. Funnily, "1" would also suggest a patriotic, nationalistic "USA #1" theme. With the deep blue and white USPS mailboxes with eagles, we have several other symbols already establishing the strength of an American Empire. Of course, the "1" doesn't appear in front of the phone number.  

But, 21 is significant, as is 10. Together, we arrive at 31, also significant. No, the "1" isn't shown on the sign, so maybe this doesn't matter. But this is the power of one, no? Bill is the "individual" we follow throughout the film, and the saying "dollar bill" literally means a $1 bill. With a difference of only 1, we get 21, the reverse of 12, a number very relevant in The Shining, it being half of "42," a number with several eerie appearances, and a multiple of "7," of interest here. We just saw "212" in reference to the strange "Vitali Realty" sign. "31" is the symmetrical opposite of "13," an ominous, unlucky number. I've probably posted before that when divided into the two largest sums, 13 yields 6, 6, and 1. Or, 6, 1, and 6, and that "616" has been interpreted as the true "number of the beast" denoting evil. But let's just accept that a phone number at minimum has 7 numbers, though possibly 10 or 11 (I'm not counting the possibility of extensions!).