Eyes Wide Shut at 25: Why Stanley Kubrick’s Final Film Was Also His Greatest

Stanley Kubrick, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Sidney Pollack on the set of Eyes Wide Shut

By Nathan Abrams

Legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick spent a lifetime trying to make his final film, Eyes Wide Shut, a reality. He had been struggling to make it from the moment he began making feature films, some 75 years ago. When he finally did, 25 years ago in 1999, it killed him.

The plot centres on a physician (Tom Cruise) whose wife (Nicole Kidman) reveals that she had contemplated having an affair a year earlier. He becomes obsessed with having his own sexual encounter. When he discovers an underground sex group, he attends one of their masked orgies.

Having not made a film in 12 years since Full Metal Jacket in 1987, Eyes Wide Shut was hotly anticipated. Titillated by juicy rumours in the British tabloids, critics and fans who were expecting a steamy X-rated psychological thriller were inevitably disappointed. “Eyes Wide Shut turns out to be the dirtiest movie of 1958,” quipped one critic. Wait 12 years for anything and it won’t turn out to be quite so good as you imagined.

But where English speaking audiences panned it, the film was warmly received in Latin and Mediterranean countries. And in the long term, those audiences proved to be right, and the film has grown in stature since. Not everyone might agree that, as Kubrick claimed, it was his best work, but they certainly should see its merits today.

Kubrick adored the work of Arthur Schnitzler, the Austrian author of the 1926 text, Traumnovelle (translated into Dream Story in English), which became his source material. Once described as the greatest portrayer of adultery in German-language literature, Schnitzler wrote about themes of sex, marriage, betrayal and above all, jealousy. He even, it is rumoured, kept a diary of every orgasm he ever experienced.

Given that Kubrick discovered Traumnovelle in the early 1950s, it influenced almost every film he made. Consider the rapes in Fear and Desire (1952) and Killer’s Kiss (1955), the adultery and jealousy in The Killing (1956) and the attraction to younger women in Lolita (1962). Consider also the sexual violence in A Clockwork Orange (1971), the adultery in Barry Lyndon (1975), the marital troubles of The Shining (1980) and the toxic masculinity of Full Metal Jacket. They all culminated in Eyes Wide Shut.

This extends to the films Kubrick didn’t make too. The Freudian tale of Burning Secret written by Schnitzler’s contemporary, Stefan Zweig, that was abandoned in 1956 through to Napoleon, a figure that intrigued Kubrick partly because he had, in his own words, a sex life worthy of Arthur Schnitzler.

Eyes Wide Shut (1999) official trailer.

Kubrick returned to Eyes Wide Shut time and again during his career. But it took until the mid-1990s, when Kubrick was in his 60s, before he was able to execute it.

He struggled with adapting the source material. How does a director who spent his career putting big themes like nuclear war, the space race and Vietnam on the big screen put the tiny intimate moments of marriage on there?

His wife, Christiane, kept stopping him, telling him they were too young. Or maybe it was because Kubrick was legendary for his pre-production research, so only with four decades of marriage under his belt did he feel he really understood the topic.

By the time it was eventually made, Kubrick was in a poor state of health. Already a ponderous filmmaker, he was slowing up. The production was long, arduous and still holds the record for the longest continuous shoot in cinema history.

When it finally wrapped on June 17, 1998, he was exhausted. Eyes Wide Shut had been filmed over 294 days, spread over 579 calendar days, including 19 for re-shooting with actress Marie Richardson, totalling slightly over a year and seven months. And post-production would last for a further nine months, only brought to a halt by Kubrick’s death.

Not around to influence the marketing, the film suffered from a poor critical reception. The result was a disappointed audience, looking for salaciousness where none existed. That, in turn, influenced their response and the initial commercial failure of the film in the US.

Many US and British critics felt the film was too long, the acting was unconvincing, the New York sets looked fake, the ideas were weak, and the eagerly anticipated orgy scene was ridiculous. They thought it was hermetic, too ordered and too closed off.

In the end, ironically, it was the highest grosser of any Kubrick film. It cost US$65 million (£40 million) to make with another US$30 million in publicity costs and eventually grossed US$162 million worldwide.

Influence

Similar to The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut became the source of any number of conspiracy theories. It has even been seen as a warning to the predations of convicted US sex offenders, Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein.

Now, it is regarded as a classic, maybe not Kubrick’s best film, but one with enough layers to reward repeated viewing. And its influence is felt in wider popular culture.

Consider the explicit reference in Jordan Peele’s 2017 film Get Out, a director much influenced by Kubrick’s style, when one character says: “You in some Eyes Wide Shut situation. Leave, motherfucker.”

Todd Field, who played Nick Nightingale in Eyes Wide Shut, showed a Kubrickian influence in the image making, pacing and almost dreamlike atmosphere of the film Tár which he directed in 2022. Jonathan Glazer’s Birth (2004) owes a huge debt to Eyes Wide Shut also.

In the final analysis, anyone who refuses to engage with Eyes Wide Shut is refusing to understand Kubrick as a filmmaker. He wanted to make it at the very point he began making feature films. It lurks behind every film he made. 

Nathan Abrams, Professor of Film Studies, Bangor University

The Science Behind Ariana Grande’s Vocal Metamorphosis

Grande performs during the 2024 Met Gala on May 6th in New York City. Cover picture: Elli Ioannou

By Lydia Kruse, Purdue University

While promoting her role in the upcoming film adaptation of the Broadway hit “Wicked,” singer Ariana Grande made a podcast appearance that left many of her fans befuddled and concerned.

In the middle of the interview, the sound of her voice drastically changed, going from lower-pitched and slightly raspy to one that was much higher pitched, with a smooth, light texture to it.

Speculation ensued.

“THAT WAS SO SUDDEN HELP,” one netizen exclaimed. “It’s her alter ego Kitten programming,” quipped another fan. Others wondered whether Grande was getting stuck in the voice of Glinda, the character she plays in “Wicked,” who speaks with a softer intensity and higher pitch. (After Austin Butler played Elvis Presley in the 2022 musical “Elvis,” the young actor continued speaking like the King of Rock and Roll long after the film’s premiere.)

Grande’s fans were perplexed by the singer’s vocal shift during a podcast interview.

Grande eventually responded to the confusion, explaining that she routinely and intentionally changes her “vocal placement” to preserve her vocal health.

For those unfamiliar with the science of voice production, Grande’s explanation may have prompted more – rather than less – confusion. But as a speech-language pathologist who specializes in voice disorders, I know how effective these techniques can be.

Singers and actors who routinely strain their vocal cords can damage them through what’s known as “phonotrauma,” or excessive and improper use of the voice.

The data shows that voice disorders can lead to loss of work for anyone, not just singers. But professional singers – whose livelihoods, like those of professional baseball pitchers, depend on a fully functional part of their body – are more likely to experience financial and emotional distress from a voice disorder.

Cords on a collision course

In order for you to speak or sing, your vocal cords – a delicate pair of thin, muscular strips shaped like a “v” in the throat – must come together and vibrate against one another other as air from the lungs is pushed through.

When the tension and length of the vocal folds increase, they vibrate faster. This leads to pitch increases. Likewise, when the tension and length of the vocal folds decrease, they vibrate slower, which lowers the pitch.

The more a person uses their voice, the more times the vocal cords collide against each other. For instance, when Steven Tyler hits the high note at the end of “Dream On,” his vocal cords vibrate over 800 times per second. In comparison, a hummingbird flaps its wings roughly 70 times per second.

Many big-name performers go on extended tour with shows taking place night after night, often with little time for vocal rest and recovery. So it’s no wonder that many of them end up injuring their vocal cords. There are other habits and behaviors that can damage the delicate mechanism that creates a singer’s unique sound: poor diet, lack of sleep, screaming, smoking and drinking alcohol.

Surgery comes with risks

Grande is no stranger to the pain of losing her voice.

In 2013, she sustained a vocal fold hemorrhage, which occurs when a blood vessel in the vocal cords ruptures because of phonotrauma. Doctors put her on strict voice rest so she could recover.

However, injuries to vocal cords don’t always heal on their own. Surgery can be necessary, but this option often carries serious risks for singers.

Surgical interventions can lead to a loss of vocal range due to scarring. In 1997, Julie Andrews famously lost her crystal-clear singing voice, which once spanned four octaves, following a minor vocal cord procedure.

Julie Andrews went under the knife in 1997, and her voice never recovered. Screen Archives/Getty Images

Thankfully, not all vocal cord surgeries end in disaster: Grammy-winner Adele went under the knife in 2011 to remove a vocal cord polyp. More than a decade later, she continues to top the charts. In fact, there are many singers, actors, news anchors and talk show hosts who have suffered various vocal cord injuries and ailments and have been able to successfully resume their careers.

But performers who don’t change their habits and behaviors following an injury or successful surgery may end up right back where they started.

Prevention is the best medicine

With all this in mind, Grande’s attempt to mitigate the risk of a vocal cord injury that could derail her professional success is wise.

But how, exactly, is she achieving this by changing the sound of her voice as she speaks?

In her response to the speculation on social media, she pointed to the importance of altering her “vocal placement” to preserve her vocal health.

What she’s really talking about is the interaction between the vocal cords and the vocal tract, which includes the throat, nose and mouth. The vocal tract acts like a filter for the sound created by the vocal cords, causing some sound waves to be dampened while others are amplified. This interaction creates a person’s unique, recognizable voice.

When Grande focuses on lifting her voice higher up in her vocal tract – toward her nose – certain vibrations created by her vocal cords are amplified by the frontal air-filled cavities. This creates a brighter, higher sound that actually lessens the stress on the vocal cords themselves.

In the clip, Ariana’s voice also sounds light and slightly breathy. She does this by decreasing the amount of force exerted on the vocal cords, so that they may not fully close while she speaks.

Creating a slight gap between the vocal cords keeps them from harshly colliding against one another, which, in turn, could prevent phonotrauma. This is not to be confused with whispering, which can also be harmful to the voice, since it can strain the vocal cords and throat muscles.

As with many health conditions, prevention is often the best medicine. Although behavioral change can be difficult, Grande seems to be embracing the challenge.

Lydia Kruse, Clinical Assistant Professor of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University

Myth and Modernity: From Crete to Couture Yuima’s Nakazato's Ode to Idomeneo in Paris

The potent ceremonial atmosphere at Yuima Nakazato's AW24 haute couture show in Paris. Photograph and cover picture by Andrea Heinsohn

In the rarified world of Parisian haute couture, few designers captivate the imagination like Yuima Nakazato. The new Unveil collection evinces his creativity and ability to merge historical inspiration with contemporary innovation. This season, the Japanese couturier drew on his work designing stage costumes for Mozart's opera Idomeneo. His compelling Autumn/Winter 2024 show explores the nature of human experience through the lens of ancient Greece, writes Jeanne-Marie Cilento. Research by Antonio Visconti. Photographs by Elli Ioannou and Andrea Heinsohn 

Yuima Nakazato backstage

at his haute couture show in Paris.

Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

THE atmosphere at the opening of Yuima Nakazato's show is electric, the darkness in the Saut du Loup at Paris' Palais de Tokyo only relieved by shafts of red light, illuminating dancers clad in silvery tunics. The only sound amid the gloaming, the tinkling of the ceramic 'armour' of the dancers as they move. 

The stately, measured pace of the show has a potent ceremonial atmosphere, with rousing moments from Mozart's Idomeneo. At the crescendo, one by one, the models open their long sleek, black robes to reveal a blood-red interior and crocheted vests of intertwining threads, like capillaries or printed, veined fabrics. These tailored, beautifully cut suits, crafted from wool and textiles made from proteins developed by Japanese start-up Spiber are designed as a challenge to utilitarian clothing. The sheen of the black exterior is a startlingly vivid contrast to the crimson inside, representing the life force. 

"A lining of delicate, hand-knitted red thread emerges from the suit, the same color of the blood that flows through our veins," explains Nakazato. "My intention was to turn the state of being clothed into something that exposes the individual even more than wearing no clothing at all," 

While the red and white patterned long tunics and string-like vests seem like arteries in the human body, the sculptural Biosmocking designs are both otherworldly and elegant, like plants with lush leaves worn by young Greek gods. The glimmering, crocheted tunics embellished with ceramic pieces worn by the dancers makes them appear as soldiers.

"During combat, the most important feature of an item worn on the body is its functionality, which is as true now as it was in ancient times," says the designer. "Utilitarianism also serves as a driving factor in evaluating the design of a garment in apparel mass production. By removing the usefulness and making them purely decorative ~ inverting the original meaning of clothing ~ I sought to express my resistance to this trend."

"My intention was to turn the state of being clothed into something that exposes the individual even more than wearing no clothing at all."

Red ropes represent struggle, while 

fine red threads are like capillaries.

The dancers' ceramic "armour" 

peals musically as they perform. 

Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn 

Choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui brought Nakazato's vision to life on the runway with the dancers' movements accentuating the sonorous chimes from the ceramic pieces and enhancing the narrative's immersive quality. 

The dynamic presentation underscored Nakazato's skillful integration of multiple art forms into a cohesive spectacle. The interplay of sound and motion on the runway blended performance art with high fashion. 

The island of Crete, where the tale of Idomeneo unfolds against a backdrop of war and complex human relationships, originally inspired the opera stage design in Geneva with its entwined ropes. This time it is reinterpreted in Nakazato's show as a metaphor for an imbroglio and struggle.

"The scenes of armoured figures, entangled in red ropes representing the sea in the opera, hinted at multiple meanings, bringing me face to face with the unchanging nature of the human condition as it has stood from ancient times to the modern day," the designer comments. 

The visual metaphor is also ingeniously enhanced by Nakazato's signature hand-made ceramic sculptural pieces which resonated through the show with a lilting musicality. Each piece is crafted from Japanese clay and meticulously shaped by Nakazato and his atelier team, transforming the wearer into a living instrument. The sounds created by the chiming of the ceramics offer a sensory aspect that draws the audience into the show.

The skillful integration of multiple art forms into a cohesive spectacle on the runway, blended performance art with high fashion

The elegant, tailored robes in

black with scarlet lining inside.

Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Integrating innovative design and thoughtful storytelling, Nakazato deconstructs and reimagines ancient Greek motifs. His aim is to transcend the aesthetic by incorporating history and culture.

The designer's signature approach is to explore fashion as a medium for self-expression, social change and environmental responsibility. His work is a salutary reminder that fashion can not only clothe us as a protective layer but can be an effective artistic tool.

In an industry driven by fleeting trends, Yuima Nakazato is committed to both sustainability and creating beautiful, adaptable designs. His ability to weave together diverse elements ~ ancient narratives, modern technology, and ecological practices ~ sets a new standard for couture, one that is as intellectually stimulating as it is visually captivating. 

Considering the best practices for the environment is an important part of the designer's work and is evident in his use of advanced technologies to create more ecologically friendly fashion. His collaboration with Epson on a new technology that recycles scraps generated during fibre production, transforms waste into new textiles. While digital printing with pigmented inks minimizes water and energy consumption. Garments made from these recycled materials underscore Nakazato’s ethos of creative reinvention

In an industry driven by fleeting trends, Nakazato sets a new standard for couture that is both intellectually stimulating and visually captivating

Sculptural Biosmocking is a

key part of Nakazato's designs.

Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Yuima Nakazato's holistic approach extends to every detail of the collection. The shirts, made from protein fibres and organic cotton, are adorned with decorations crafted from silk and cotton lace. The meticulous attention to materiality and craftsmanship honours couture tradition but also pushes the boundaries of contemporary design.

The look of the collection is further enriched by the designer's collaboration with Mikimoto on black pearl jewelry and hand-knitted accessories. 

These pieces link the collection’s inspiration from the ancient world to a modern context while the shimmering dark pearls have a thematic resonance with the sea. 

Each season, Nakazato's use of ceramics as wearable art is an avant-garde experiment in material and form, The designer likes to mix elements that are aesthetically interesting yet also invite philosophical inquiry into the role of fashion in expressing identity and emotion.  

While his focus on new techniques reflects a futuristic mindset, Nakazato's reverence for historical themes makes his work rich in cultural references. He wants people to engage with the designs on a deeper level, to appreciate the stories woven into each garment, and to embrace the transformative and experimental nature of haute couture and its ability to illuminate a path forward in fashion.

Scroll down or tap pictures for full screen to see Yuima Nakazato's Autumn/Winter 2024 Collection

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn 

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn 

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn 

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn 

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024, Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024, Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumne/Winter 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph; Elli Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato. Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Ell Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumm/Winter 2024. Photograph: Andrea Heinsohn

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumn/Winter 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Yuima Nakazato, Unveil, Paris Haute Couture, Autumne/Winter 2024. Photograph: Elli Ioannou

Fast Fashion is Harming our Planet: These Four Tips can Help you Build a More Sustainable Wardrobe

Sustainably adding to your wardrobe involves questioning your needs and taking your time shopping for each piece to understand how and where it was made.

By Maryse Côté-Hamel, Université Laval

As sunny summer days return in the northern hemisphere, you may be looking to refresh your wardrobe. The allure of a whole “new you” is pervasive, and the foundation of many a successful marketing campaign.

Indeed, as the weather changes and we spend more time outdoors, you may need lighter summer clothing. However, before you run out to H&M, it is worth considering how you can sustainably add to your wardrobe while limiting its carbon footprint.

Sustainably adding to your wardrobe involves questioning your needs and taking your time shopping for each piece to understand how and where it was made — the antithesis of the fast fashion which has come to dominate global shopping trends.

These four tips can help you build a more sustainable wardrobe.

Fast becoming unsustainable

Fast fashion refers to the rapid production and distribution of clothing to reflect the latest trends. Since the early 1990s, technological improvements, lower costs of production and streamlined supply chains have significantly shortened fashion cycles. Clothes today can be made and sold to consumers at a low price within just a few weeks of being designed.

Two seasons — autumn/winter and spring/summer — were common in the Western fashion industry just a few decades ago. Nowadays, some retailers offer tens of small seasons a year. This constant churning of trends pushes consumers to update their wardrobes frequently by encouraging disposability.

While easier on the wallet, the consequences of the fast fashion industry are myriad. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the global fast fashion-dominated clothing and textile sector is responsible for two to eight per cent of all global carbon emissions and nine per cent of annual microfibre pollution to oceans.

In addition, fast fashion uses about 215 trillion litres of water annually, the equivalent of 86 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. Moreover, workers are often exploited in inhuman conditions for little pay while shareholders pocket skyrocketing profits.

A report on the impacts of fast fashion produced by DW Planet A.

In response to these criticisms, a growing number of fast-fashion retailers, such as H&M and Zara, are claiming to take steps towards reducing their environmental footprint. These outlets claim, for instance, that they have replaced synthetic fibres and polyester, made from oil and petroleum, with natural and recycled ones.

However, the ubiquity of greenwashing across the fashion industry makes it hard to tell if these claims have any weight.

Sustainable shopping?

In the face of such serious concerns, how can anyone hope to shop sustainably?

The first, and in many ways most crucial, step is to simply commit to slowing down your approach to fashion itself by embracing sustainable fashion and shopping ethically to help put the brakes on overproduction and overconsumption.

1 - Buy less, buy better: While forgoing shopping or opting for hand-me-down and secondhand options is preferable to buying new from a sustainability standpoint, such avenues may not always be possible. Therefore, try and buy fewer items of a higher-quality from sustainably conscious brands. Being careful with where, and what, you purchase can help limit the negative environmental and societal impacts of our clothing purchases.

However, most fashion retailers do not control the entire supply chain and, thus, cannot guarantee the sustainability of their clothing. This means consumers must be diligent when shopping and make informed choices themselves.

Recycling and clothing rental are valid options, however, it is worth noting that textile recycling can be expensive and not without environmental impact in terms of both materials and carbon footprint.

If you do opt for a clothing rental service, then avoid using online services that rely on delivery. Likewise, if you must purchase your clothes online, then avoid fast fashion sites like Temu in favour of buying directly from manufacturers you trust.

2 - Repair, reuse and recycle: Prolonging clothing life by wearing pieces over several years and mending it when required, rather than throwing it away, can also be a great way to reduce the environmental footprint of your wardrobe. Even paying for a pair of jeans to be professionally repaired will likely be considerably cheaper than buying new — saving you money in the long-run.

Patagonia, a California-based outdoor gear retailer, encourages consumers to “repair, reuse, and recycle” items. They practice what they preach, using materials, among others, made of recycled bottles since 1993.

The French government recently introduced a country-wide program to subsidize clothes and shoe repairs with the aim to reduce the amount of clothing thrown away. Check to see if your area has similar programs and petition for their creation if not.

3 - Prioritize natural fibres: Opt for natural fibres such as organic cotton, linen, silk, hemp and bamboo. Ideally, clothing should be durable, locally manufactured and made from fair-trade, sustainably sourced natural materials.

While natural fibres are ideal for everyday clothing, synthetic high-performance materials are essential in athletic wear or water-resistent outdoor apparel that can withstand the elements. Recycled materials and other “circular” manufacturing processes should be sought out for these needs where possible.

4 - Choose simple, timeless pieces: Clothing, such as jeans, should be worn for as long as possible and be made from safe, recycled or renewable materials. The design of the garment should also be minimal. For instance, distressed jeans require the use of several toxic chemicals to give them their worn-out appearance.

Forgo ever-changing trends — such as the short-lived Regencycore or Barbiecore — and add to your wardrobe slowly. Make sure that every item you buy is a good fit and aligns with your current lifestyle.

In today’s world of high turnover fast fashion, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed or despondent at the relative lack of sustainable options. However, it is possible to add to your wardrobe sustainably by questioning your needs and taking your time shopping for each piece to understand how and where it was made.

In time, you may even come to appreciate a smaller well-curated wardrobe of timeless pieces that you can wear for years, and not just a few weeks.

Maryse Côté-Hamel, Assistant Professor of Consumer Sciences, Université Laval

Did people in Ancient Rome and Greece Love the Same Way We Do? Perhaps Even More Hopelessly

Venus and Adonis by the Italian late Mannerist artist Paolo Veronese, executed early 1580s, Museo del Prado, Madrid 

By Konstantine Panegyres, The University of Melbourne

Sometime around 100 AD, the Roman lawyer and aristocrat Pliny sent a letter to his third wife, Calpurnia – who was staying in a different part of Italy – to express how much he loved and missed her:

I love you so much, and we are not used to separations. So I stay awake most of the night thinking of you […] The only time I am free from this misery is when I am in court and wearing myself out with my friends’ lawsuits. You can judge then what a life I am leading, when I find my rest in work and distraction in troubles and anxiety.

Most people living today have felt some form of passionate romantic love, or will at some point in their lives – often with heartbreak in equal measure.

When we have problems with love, we like to console ourselves by thinking this happens to many other people. This is certainly true.

It has, of course, been happening for thousands of years.

Why do we fall in love?

One of the most famous ancient accounts of passionate love is found in the writings of the physician Galen (126–219 AD) who worked in Rome. In his book On Prognosis, Galen describes how he paid a call to the house of a man whose wife seemed unwell – suffering from insomnia, yet not with fever.

Galen questioned her, trying to find out why she couldn’t sleep, but she was unresponsive:

She replied hesitantly or not at all, as if to show the folly of such questions, and finally turned over, buried herself completely deep in the blankets, covered her head with a small wrap, and lay there as if wanting to sleep.

On subsequent visits, he discovered the woman was in love (and infatuated) with a dancer called Pylades, whom she had seen dancing at the theatre in the city. Her poor condition came from knowing her love could never be more than a secret desire.

Erastes (lover) and eromenos (beloved) kiss in a scene an Attic cup created circa 480 BC. Wikimedia

Ancient people recognised how love could occur seemingly randomly, for reasons both simple and complicated.

In a play called The Man Who Loved Musical Pipes by Theophilus (4th century BC), one of the characters explains his basic reasons for having fallen in love with someone:

As for me personally, I’m in love with a young woman who plays the lyre […] she’s pretty, she’s tall, she’s good at her job.

Ancient lovers’ passionate embraces and affections have sometimes been recorded in intimate detail.

In one anonymous poem (of uncertain date), the author describes how, after his lover won a boxing contest, he went and kissed him on the lips even though his face was covered in blood:

When Menecharmus, Anticles’ son, won the boxing match, I crowned him with ten soft garlands, and thrice I kissed him all dabbled with blood as he was, but the blood was sweeter to me than myrrh.

The difficulties with love

There are many Greco-Roman stories about unrequited love and the miseries it can bring.

According to the philosopher Aristoxenus (4th century BC), one woman named Harpalyce died of grief after she fell in love with – and was rejected by – a man called Iphiclus.

A 1st century Roman mosaic depicting a love scene. Wikimedia

There are also stories of people struggling to be with (and stay with) their lovers.

Galen explains how one of his patients, a slave, pretended to have a knee injury so he wouldn’t have to travel away from his lover for work.

Elsewhere, Galen writes about people engaging in secret love affairs:

They often have sex when they are drunk or have not digested their food, and they often engage in secret affairs so no one notices.

He says, with dry humour, these “secret affairs” are the reason “the similarity between children and parents in humans is less pronounced”.

A bronze Roman knife-handle decorated with lovers, circa 1st or 2nd century. British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA

Spouses also bickered back then, much like today. In a letter from around 200 AD, a man travelling in Alexandria, Egypt, wrote home to his wife to complain how she didn’t seem to care much about him:

sleep does not come to me at night because of your inconsistency and your indifference concerning my affairs.

Is love a sickness?

Some ancient doctors thought love was a major factor in determining a person’s mental and physical health.

Galen, for instance, believed love could be blamed for some of his patients’ ailments.

I know men and women who have been struck by passionate love and become despondent and sleepless, then contracted an ephemeral fever because of something other than their love […] The disease of people who are constantly thinking about love is hard to cure.

Galen of Pergamum depicted in a 1906 work by Portuguese artist Veloso Salgado. Wikimedia

Galen recommended people with lovesickness should change their lifestyles and engage in bathing, drinking, horse riding and travelling. He also advised them to invest their emotions into other matters such as gladiator fights or hunting with dogs.

Other doctors thought love was so powerful it could potentially cure people’s psychological problems. The 5th-century physician Caelius Aurelianus said love could be both the cure and the cause of insanity.

Either way, there’s no denying it

In one of his plays, the influential playwright Antiphanes (active in the early 4th century BC) wrote:

There are two things a man can’t conceal: that he’s drinking wine and that he’s fallen in love. Because both conditions betray themselves from the expression on his face and the words he speaks. In the end, those who deny it are the ones they most obviously convict.

So the next time love is on your mind, take comfort in knowing you’re not alone. For millennia, people have dealt with this difficult emotion – in all its glory and calamity – and come out the other side unharmed. Mostly, anyway.

Konstantine Panegyres, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Melbourne