Sexuality and Class in Arthur Schnitzler's Dream Novel

Stanly Kubrick’s Film Eyes Wide Shut is a faithful adaptation of Arthurs Schnitzler’s Traum Novella which takes place at Fin de siècle Vienna.  The talk will examine why this European morality tale which deals with fantasy, monogamy, class and sexuality has been resurrected by the filmmaker. With the way in which the sexual politics of the turn of the century shed light on today’s sexual politics, as well as with the way in which the middle class, dependent on the wealthy and afraid of losing ground and becoming lower class inform status anxieties of then and of today.