Two fish: blue fish

I.

As far as signs and advertising is concerned, there are some interesting connections to be made. One such connection exists, not surprisingly, within the world of Eyes Wide Shut itself. The particular connection certainly relates to the real world as well. A grocer/bodega sign, hand-written by the looks, appears behind Bill's head as he exits the cab when crossing the street for the the Sonata Cafe. This is the "2 Pescado" sign. "Pescado" is Spanish for "fish," and the dollar amount can alternately be read as "two." We get "two fish." The text is positioned above a red-and-white striped half-circle awning. I will also point out the sign on the cab reading "DKNY EYES," with a woman in a red top barely visible at the far right edge. We'll get to this one later, after some more inevitable "deep dive" content. 

Honestly, I thought of Dr. Seuss's One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish when reading the sign in English as "two fish." The sign seems to spell "$2.61 PESCADO RESTAURANTE." The two numbers/characters that follow the "2" do not look like zeroes. But, who knows. If it was "$2.61" we may think back to Domino's apartment number, 265. 261 would be on the same block. Domino's block being odd, Bill starts from the corner hardware store, numbered 271. So, from 271 to 261, there would be 6 properties total. If the even-numbered properties are on the opposite side of the street, then we might arrive at 12. But, I can't quite read the sign. It might be "$2.66," or "$2.00." We don't get a shot close enough to know. This is simply conjecture. 

What isn't conjecture? Dr. Seuss's classic children's book was published in 1960 with great success. This in itself may be a strange and funny connection to the various fairytales and myths alluded to in Eyes Wide Shut and other films, mainly, The Shining. For one, The Nutcracker is mentioned within the first few minutes, the ballet being based on a story about a little girl's retreat into a fantasy world. A note on origins: the original story by E.T.A. Hoffman is written in German, while the popular ballet was created by Russian composer Tchaikovsky. The barbies, stuffed animals, Alice's name and character being a play on Alice in Wonderland, and many other clues, all reinforce a theme of imaginary vs. real worlds.

The cartoonist behind the name "Dr. Seuss," Ted Geisel, who was of German heritage, grew up in Western Massachusetts, later attending Dartmouth College and Oxford, though he left the latter without a degree. Geisel was, we may be inclined to think, one of the "best people." That he was German ties back to Schnitzler, who, while an Austrian Jew, spoke and wrote in German. As we just established, German is also the original Nutcracker story. "Josef Kreibich," the name of the (Jewish) bakery is also of Austrian origin. We also see Bill pass a BMW (3 Series from the early nineties?) before being pushed into a blue Mercedes-Benz by the Yale bros during the first part of his "odyssey." We also see Bill pass before a moving tan Mercedes, only to arrive at a parked Volkswagen outside the Sonata Jazz/Cafe/Gillespie's cluster. These are obviously all German cars, a fact that contrasts with Bill's yellow taxi. 

The Benz can be spotted in the background, turning onto the street Bill will cross. Moments later we see a black VW Golf, the model probably from '93-'95. This is tangential, but that's what blogs are for, right? I would add that golf keys us into golf, a traditionally "blue blood" sport - its origins lie in Scotland. Scottish Rite, Freemasons - ok, but there are more relevant connections. 

Besides a hole-in-one, on a par 5 hole (five strokes/shots to make par; typically the longest yardage hole), the next best score is a double eagle - the ball is in the cup in only two shots. Pros like Arnold Palmer and Tiger have shot double eagles before. Let's just say it's very difficult to shoot a double eagle. After double eagle is eagle. Then birdie, which is one under par. There you have it, an oblique reference to the eagles shown on the USPS mail drop-boxes which appear on the street where the VW is parked, and also, to the double-eagle throne upon which Red Cloak sits. The last connection would have truly validated this detail, but alas... Ziegler speaks of his "serve" when chatting with Bill at his party. He is likely talking about tennis or racquetball. These are also "blue blood" sports traditionally. But, I can still see Ziegler as a decent-enough golfer with a country club membership. Maybe he golfs more for fun. He brings cigars and buys drinks for the whole group to compensate for his sloppy short distance game which keeps them waiting longer than they should. At any rate, we wouldn't be surprised to see Ziegler talking about an upper crust golf course. 

There's the fact that most country clubs were exclusive to WASPs - the topic is explored with humor in Caddyshack. Al Czervik, played by Rodney Dangerfield (real name, Jacob Cohen), is a nouveau riche Jew who made his wealth in real estate. He "infiltrates" an old money country club. I've personally heard stories about this schism in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, but I won't name specific cities. Some old country clubs began accepting Jews, probably because older blue blood members were dying off, and newer WASPs weren't joining. And again, in time, one or two of these country clubs (at most) would become known as the Jewish country club. Golf has peaked and declined; now, the greatest and most famous player, Tiger Woods, is recovering from another car crash. Woods, of course, claims Thai and African-American ancestry, making him a complete oddity in the historically WASP sport. Woods had already risen to global fame in the 1990s, and he won the PGA Championship in 1999. 

As for racial quotas, I'll note that a Wiki article on NBC's Rainbow Room mentions a Luncheon Club which I take gathered in the 65th floor banquet room. The article mentions the Luncheon Club had a Jewish quota for some time. (30) Rockefeller Plaza is mentioned by Gayle and Nuala at Ziegler's mansion. Blonde and brunette, they would pass for WASP, especially considering their work as models. NBC Studios, housed in 30 Rockefeller Plaza, is of course identified by its logo which is a near-rainbow with six colors arranged like a peacock's feather. I'm not aware of the NBC logo appearing anywhere in the film. In 2014 Tishman Speyer acquired the property - an interesting fact, given that lots of important Jewish quotas began to be dissolved in the 1960s, if not by 1970. This includes country clubs, Yale, Harvard, and other Ivy League colleges, medical colleges, etc. So, let's say since 1970, it only took fifty years for a Jewish-owned real estate developer to acquire a building/complex originally funded by one of the wealthiest WASP Americans, John D. Rockefeller Jr. 

The building was completed in 1933 (the year the Third Reich came to power) and is 66 stories tall. 66 is double 33 - 33 is supposedly Jesus's age when crucified, and is a multiple of 11. Anyways, 30 times 6 is 180, which would signify a half-circle, the shape of the NBC logo. The half-dome also matches the Sonata Cafe sign, and the PESCADO store sign. 30 Rockefeller Plaza also speaks to Mandy's age at time of death: 30. The Rainbow Room/Rockefeller Plaza/Rainbow tux/rainbow lens flares connection is well established, so I'm not taking credit for this, but merely adding to the findings. 

Geisel made cartoons and advertisements for large companies ranging from NBC to Standard Oil (the company whose fortune Rockefeller Jr. inherited), not to mention a variety of magazines and newspapers. Here's NBC, once again. Think of his legacy: he's somebody we all know and love, even though we don't know him, therefore rendering this "love" imaginary. We know his cartoons, pictures, books, etc. Also, I'll note that a forest green hard-copy of How the Grinch Stole Christmas can be seen (text upside down) on the round kitchenette table during the brief montage showing Bill and Alice/Helena's "day in the life" as Helena watches Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales. Looney Toons was produced by Warner Brothers, who also produced most if not all of Kubrick's films. The original Warner Brothers, were, of course, you guessed it, Polish Jews. 

I wouldn't want to read into the upside down grinch book too much. Or would I? It's a side effect of watching Kubrick's work. So, let's turn it upside down. Did the Grinch steal Christmas, or, was Christmas stolen from him? Is the grinch the victim? The Grinch is a bad guy, a misanthrope, who lives alone on a mountain peak, save for a servile dog. At least that's how I remember the original animated movie. He's like Montgomery Burns's monster-like ancestor: cartoonishly evil, hater of humanity, and, not to mention, green. The connection between the Grinch and the green-masked orgy-member has been noted before. 

But I'll make additional notes. The image is enough to turn one's stomach. The masked man looks repulsive. Green may symbolize growth, and wealth, and renewal, (and money), sure, but not in this context, and not when contrasted with reds, yellows, and browns. And, not when it appears on a human face. If the man is a symbolic "grinch," I think it's easy enough to say he is "stealing" Christmas. To work in another Simpsons reference, I'll mention Reverend Lovejoy, who once said to Marge, "Just about everything is a sin." Whether or not the green man is married, he's, uh, giving it to a woman in front of like fifty people. Making love? No. Much worse: the scene is raw, emotionless, cold, and anonymous. Infidelity? Possible and likely. Lust? Sure. Covetous? Yes. Jealousy? Perhaps - consider that maybe some of the motivation for these party-goers comes from jealousy. If green symbolizes jealousy, then, sure, the grinch double may be jealous - of others' pleasure, hence his need to seize and display this pleasure to a crowd. They are jealous of other people, other potential partners. Maybe they are jealous of their own partners. If they are jealous like Alice is jealous of Bill's self-assuredness (until she breaks it, that is), this is simple enough: the same jealousy is spawned in Bill once Alice breaks him down. He grows jealous of her potential to be reckless, impulsive, selfish, and overtly sexualized. Hence his night of misadventures. 

Despite what theorists or psychologists may say, I would argue green is easily associated with nausea and sickness. Consider Edvard Munch's painting, The Murderer, completed in 1910. The fictional Josef Kreibich Knish Bakery two doors down from Domino's apartment has a sign saying "Since 1910." The storefront is very similar to the real Yonah Schimmel Knishery, which was actually established in 1910. Of course, I want to stay on topic. But I will note that "1910" is interesting in that it pairs "19" and "10." "10" is the address of the Rainbow fashion shop, and "19" is the cell number for Mandy's body in the hospital morgue. To see "1910" appear again, outside the film, is somewhat interesting, especially in connection to the context of Traumnovelle (1926), The Nutcracker (1892), Ted Geisel (born 1904), etc. 

Expressionism, once again, takes us back to Matisse and Macke, two painters whose works actually appear in the film. Exaggerated and unrealistic colors, bold colors, a combination of representational and abstract forms, etc., etc. Munch was Norwegian - Norway shares the North Sea with nearby Denmark, whose capital, Copenhagen, is the password to the masked ball in Schnitzler's Traumnovelle. Munch used green in several paintings. What was it we said about jealousy? 

Consider this painting, titled Jealousy, dated 1907, supposedly painted in Warnemünde, a town on Germany's Baltic coast (Germany, again). The abstract man on the right may symbolize an anxious Munch, while the green-faced figure on the left is well-known to be based on one of Munch's acquaintances, Stanisław Przybyszewski. This Polish writer had a few children out of wedlock before finding Dagny Juel. Dagny was a female model for Munch, as well as lover, for a time, before marrying Stan in 1893. There was likely some bad blood between Munch and Stan, prompting these paintings. In 1901, as both Dagny and Stan were pursuing extra-marital relationships, it is thought that Stan may have planned to have Dagny killed. Dagny was Emeryk's muse - Emeryk was wealthy with mining money, and perhaps Stan and Emeryk conspired together. Emeryk invited Stan and Dagny to Tbilisi, Georgia. Stan stayed home. Away went Dagny, 5-year-old son Zenon, and Emeryk. In a hotel, Emeryk shot Dagny in front of Zenon before shooting himself. Munch, it is thought, was saddened by Dagny's initial interest in Stan, and predicted or anticipated her tragic death. Anyways, we could guess that the red-faced woman could represent Dagny - surely after six years, Munch had learned her fate. Red would represent blood, and/or violence and death, hence the female-figure's coloration. Yellow often stands for anxiety and uncertainty. 

This isn't really relevant to Eyes Wide Shut, and not to the topic of "fish" which is what I thought I would be writing about. But once again, I find archetypical themes: Alice tells Bill of her past temptation of running away and having sex with another man. She is confident and zealous, taking apparent pleasure in her certainty that she could have done this. There's a bit of - to use a German word - schadenfreude going on here - Alice is enjoying another's suffering - worse, her husband's suffering. This is what makes Eyes Wide Shut devastating. There isn't much sex or violence or typical Hollywood entertainment. No, there's atypical visual representations of existential terror, dread, and void. It's the knowledge, or the certainty, that she could have made a different choice, could have done something hugely damaging to what, at that point, has existed with every appearance of stability, normalcy, and basic trust: her relationship and marriage with Bill. 

I wouldn't want to patronize Munch, but I think we can piece together similarities between the real life Munch and Bill Harford. The naval officer Alice tells Bill about is just as real to Bill even though he never met him or knew him. The knowledge that such a thing could happen is what ultimately drives the contempt, disgust, and fear. Munch actually painted figures based on Stanislaw. Bill imagined vivid scenes of the naval officer with Alice in his mind. Alice ultimately succeeds in making Bill jealous, by subverting most of everything he believes is the case regarding their relationship. Munch is an aside, but he is another painter with last name starting with "M" after Macke and Matisse who do appear in the film. "M" is the 13th letter in the alphabet, making it a halfway point (like 12 is half of 24, for hours in a day). To me, Munch is a sort of missing piece: I certainly think his raw portrayals of emotion dovetail well with Kubrick's signature, almost mockingly raw and melodramatic displays of emotion, which are probably their strongest in Eyes Wide Shut compared to any of his other films. 

Back to the fish. 

I'll have to note that this scene - Bill going to return his costume - though outwardly dull, is brimming with tension. Bill doesn't really know what he is doing, just as Ziegler implies when he scolds him with the question, "What the hell did you think you were doing?" in the billiards room. Bill exits the cab with Rainbow fashion bag in hand, as if going to return his costume. Of course, we know the rental shop is on the other side of the street, but the camera captures a dull, black storefront, not the late-night shop illuminated with neon. We don't notice it, and we hardly recognize it to be the same shop. Bill doesn't recognize the shop, or else he would have crossed the street to return the costume. I assume Bill would want to distance himself from the threatening people at Somerton. But I don't think Bill can process what has happened/is happening, in order to effectively take action. This is why he is confused - everything happens in real-time. He wants to return the costume, wants to speak to Nick, wants to find Mandy, wants answers, but cannot find order, or precedence. I would also argue this confusion and tension stems from a basic sympathy or empathy: Bill believes he is somewhat responsible for Nick and Mandy. 

The Sonata is closed, so Bill goes to Gillespie's and speaks to the waitress. Bill can't see the Rainbow shop during daytime, I think is another conclusion I would draw about why he doesn't notice it. This speaks to larger symbolic ideas, like day vs night, Eros and Thanatos. I.e., his actions are following from Thanatos in day, and Eros by night, which is sort of ironic, since the death drive happens in broad daylight, while the erotic/life drive happens in the dark. It speaks to a nocturnal/diurnal tension fairly central to how we present ourselves, or, mask ourselves, too. The bag may even be a status item: Bill may be thinking he has become one the "best people," when the reality couldn't be more different. We see extras with Woolworth or Gap shopping bags - the Christmas season involves gifts. Bill's gift was a gift to himself. We all know his gift wasn't very good - a chance at infidelity, narrowly avoiding contracting HIV/AIDS, his own death, and his family's health and safety. I'd also argue what Bill wants cannot be bought. We don't see guilt or shame until Ziegler puts Bill in his place (once it's too late). Bill tries to milk the situation when he returns to Domino's apartment only to find Sally. We know his advances are declined. And notably, the bright rainbow sign is shown clearly on the facade when Bill finally does go to return his "fancy dress."  

But, what about the fish? Well, let's recall the scene (literally, scene) in Ziegler's bathroom. 

After getting off topic fourteen times, I return to the "2 PESCADO" sign and it's connections. Ziegler is the kind of filthy rich guy whose bathrooms have custom-designed fireplaces. This is where we find two blue fish. They appear flanking the green/gold fireplace in the front right edge (the bathroom is largely green - money, jealousy). They appear to be carp, and look Japanese in character. Assuming they are evoking Japanese design, we can recall the two Japanese men Milich "finds" at the Rainbow shop. The first time Bill sees them, they are wearing wigs. Almost as if they are crossdressers. When Bill returns his costume, they are dressed like businessmen. The word "fish" is slang for a male crossdresser whose appearance is convincing or believable. Also: "fish" is prison slang for new inmates. So, what's the deal with "two fish, blue fish?" The Japanese men, realizing they could be caught by the police, are sad. They are symbolically "blue," because of the possibility that they could end up in jail. Of course, I think Milich is putting on a show for Bill. But who's to say he wouldn't turn them in if his well-being was at risk? Were they any true friends? Were they just clients? The two men are "blue fish," and if they ever end up in prison, they will be "bluer fish." What humor!

Some more slang and tongue-in-cheek humor:

Mandy is in a blue robe, tying her to the two blue/aquamarine fish. If Mandy "sleeps with the fishes," this is a double entendre and a tongue-in-cheek joke. Mandy, as we know, will die, and possibly by force. Ziegler's butlers and assistants look more like hired muscle than they do gentile servants. And maybe they are.

By the end of the film, she "sleeps with the fishes," as the mobsters say ("Capone" is a name in the newspaper article). Perhaps Ziegler & Co. are the disguised mob who carried out this cruel hit - I think this is likely. Carelessness can be just as bad as intentional malice: letting an addict use and even mix drugs sounds like a very careless thing to do. Poisoning somebody intentionally would be a malicious thing. Yet both are malicious. Something to consider when it comes to the question of who killed Mandy? And that would be another thesis - society - all of us - killed Mandy. How? By enabling her behaviors, by doing nothing. To be sure, I don't think Mandy's story was supposed to teach us anything, as sad as that may sounds. The real portrait being painted mainly concerns Bill, Alice, and Ziegler. Bill, I think, will forget about Mandy as soon as he regains security again. If he does. 

The first time Mandy appears on screen, alive, that we know of, she is nude, sleeping in a client's bathroom alongside literal architectural fish. This is a foreshadowing of her eventual death. Ziegler's one line is particularly depressing: "Nothing happened to her that night that hadn't happened to her before." That something was done to her, rather than her doing something, is an awful truth. Drugs can "help" an abuse victim, only to the extent that it will create other abuses. Mandy almost dies, but does she ever almost live? 

The blue color may tie back to the royal/elitist blue, from which the name "blueblood" ultimately descends: wealthy, well-educated WASPs. Which Ziegler isn't, nor Bill. And if this is so, maybe - and I think this is possible - Ziegler is also new to the Somerton circle, and is somewhat of an outsider. But maybe he just plays it like this to gain Bill's trust. Bill actually is an outsider. One thing is certain: the blue carp are pretty kitschy and cheap for an otherwise ostentatious urban mansion. Unusual? Yes. But an indicator of wealth? Not quite. But again, the bathroom is stylistically very different from Ziegler's billiards room. Not all rooms are created equal. 

Like Milich's daughter who figuratively "sleeps" with the two Japanese men, Mandy literally sleeps next to the two carp fish. 

So, to attempt to tie up this connection, "$2 PESCADO" may just be the name of a very cheap Mexican/Latin bodega, or, it may mean "two fish." And even if it means "two fish," we have the reference to the "$2" which automatically implies money. To Milich, the Japanese businessmen are just doing business. They are paying for a prostitute. Notice also that the first Japanese man says the name "Milich" when he pleads with the angry store owner. Clearly, this indicates that the man knows Milich. It's basically impossible that the two men would be in the "office" late at night without Milich's knowledge. And, furthermore, Milich's threat seems to actually awaken a deep-seated fear in the Japanese men - maybe Bill looks like a cop or detective. Maybe Milich is helping with a STING operation, maybe he will rat out his customers, maybe he isn't loyal. 

Jump back to the original "$2 PESCADO" sign: at that moment, Bill is trying to forget Mandy. "Two fish" would be a reminder - Bill likely saw the fish sculptures flanking the fireplace when he sat across from Mandy for several minutes attempting to revive her. I think Bill suspects that Mandy was the same woman who warned him to leave Somerton, and likely the same woman who offered to "redeem" him. This seems to be the case. Still, Bill is clueless. He may glimpse the sign, and simply think "pescado, isn't that fish? Two dollar fish?" or, you know, something similar. But, once again, the signs are everywhere, but Bill can't see. 

II.

So, now we can return to the taxi cab sign which appears in the same frame that the "$2 PESCADO" sign emerges. The cab sign might suggest "eyes for fashion," or, could be read like "DKNY eyes sewing thread." Which would make sense as DKNY design clothing. And this may be irrelevant, but the language is terse much like the headline Bill reads: "Ex-beauty queen in hotel drugs overdose." The sentence doesn't really make sense, but the information is there. Further, "overdose" doesn't mean "death," so it's a strange omission that I think points to the power hierarchy: perhaps "those people" at Somerton made sure the news article wouldn't arouse serious worries. There are even one or two misprints in the article. One, in the second paragraph, would make any close reader question the authenticity of the author (Larry Celona) or article. 

The line "Hotel by security personnel...check on her be-" is printed twice. Is it printed twice to take up space, because the story isn't all that important? I doubt this was accidental, as we've seen the bizarre detail to type in The Shining, to name one example of close-up newsprint in Kubrick's work. I've also taken the liberty to rotate the image, making it appear straight. The original image is at somewhat of a tilt. "It may seem ridiculous," but the torn newspaper article Bill gives to Ziegler, which the camera zooms in on, appears at a 15° tilt. It's either at 75° or 105°, depending on how we want to look at it. So, 105° vs 15°, huh? If zero has no value, then 15° and 15° are the same thing. Yes, this forensic geometric research is borderline crazy...but, 15 plus 15 is 30, the age of Amanda Curran. "Amanda Curran" is twelve letters and thirteen characters when we include a space. 13, 15, 30: she would have been 31 next year, 2000. Plus, the article quotes "Jane" ("Jane Doe?"), Curran's sister, who talks about her emotional trouble as a teen. Again, the numbers 13, 15, and morgue door number 19. Another aside: the article says she was taken to her room at the Florence Hotel at 4 am. 4 times 30 is 120; 120 is 15 greater than 105, the angle which the article appears at (when not viewed as 75°, of course). 

Lots of information. 

A zoom-in on the original shot of Bill handing the scrap to Ziegler. An angle overlay shows the tilt.

 Back to the cab:

Clearly an advertisement for fashion company DKNY, the color scheme is bold while the font nearly ties back to the Futura Bold typeface which Kubrick used extensively for Eyes Wide Shut, in addition to posters for A Clockwork Orange, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. It isn't Futura Bold, but it is a bold, all-caps font, shown at an angle. 

DKNY began in 1984, after Donna Karan, the brand's namesake, had spent fifteen years working for Anne Klein. Like Klein, whose real name was Hannah Golofski, Karan is Jewish. The "DKNY EYES" sign below and left of the "SEWING THREAD" advertisement painted on the grey wall, arguably combine thematically to hint at the long history of the Jewish garment industry, specifically in New York, dating to the mid to late 19th century (though this connection dates back centuries). It was not an easy or pretty industry like our image of the present day fashion industry (which obviously isn't all glamor), and many who succeeded looked to real estate to grow their business. Recall the new owners of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Recall the "Vitali Realty" sign which humorously plays on long-time Kubrick assistant's name, Leon Vitali. The name "Vitali" is elusive, to the say the least. It is spelled with an "i," or "y" ending in Russian, and sometimes with an "i" or "e" in Italian names. It is a surname and a first name, and, like "Stanley," is also a Jewish first name, like Vitaly Ginzburg, the physicist who helped create the Soviet hydrogen bomb. So, from garments and fashion to advertising and realty, this is a subtextual conversation about ethnicity and culture.

Does the DKNY EYES sign suggest that it's fashionable not to see? Later we see Bill holding a newspaper in Sharky's cafe, the headline word "Cool" visible beside his arm. It is one of those ambiguous connections: DKNY is relevant for a movie taken to be set in New York mostly shot in England. And of course "eyes" ties in perfectly to the film title. Perhaps having one's "eyes wide shut" is something that can be advertised and sold, something profitable, something stylish. Perhaps we are required to "shut our eyes" in order to accept reality. I think I read once that dreaming is the unconscious mind's defense mechanism for dealing with reality the other half of the day, every day. There are things happening we don't notice when we are noticing other things when we are conscious.