Stanley Kubrick - Mystery of the seven diamonds (film analysis by Rob Ager)

Patterns of seven diamonds are frequent in Kubrick films such as A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, Barry Lyndon, Dr Strangelove and Full Metal Jacket. This analysis gives a deep, detailed dive and invites you to help decode the mystery. Original film analysis (no rehashing of other KZbinrs) by Rob Ager.
Check out my latest podcast interview • The hidden depths of m...
Be sure to sub for future Kubrick related videos.
Tons more film analysis content available on my website
www.collativele...
Support me on PATREON: / robager
And follow me on FB and Twitter
FACEBOOK: / robagerpublic
TWITTER: Ro...

[@spacemandru]

Your analyses are some of the most engrossing content I have found on film, you have been a huge influence on elevating my appreciation of the art. Thank you!

[@robertsoto9650]

Took the words right out of my mouth!

[@banjobigballs7431]

aww bless you Rob, you have so many fake accounts to praise yourself 😂

[@unclemonty9506]

@@banjobigballs7431 I think Rob must have 100's of fake accounts - how else does he get likes? there can't be that many loons out there 😂

[@howiegruwitz3173]

The monolith represents pixels, digital technology, Satan, and black holes. Once you make the connection, you can't stand these repetitive bids for views.

[@mk-ultramags1107]

Rob will do that lol. He's changed the way thousands of people watch films.

[@janglazar1706]

I think it is just a fancy visual signature for "Kubrick" which has 7 letters, and the first and last are "K", which he separates from the other characters.

[@user-vw6xp5nl6t]

That’s great. I think you’re right

[@AnUnseenRuler]

This makes a certain amount of sense to me. Reflect a K and you have a diamond.

[@raimat66]

I was also thinking about this fact with his name. And the fact that if you play with the meaning of his name it can say: "cube brick", not exactly a description of a diamond, but nevertheless close enough.

[@radiofriendly]

Best idea so far. Did Kubrick keep a journal or diary? Was he tortured as an artist, as in did he despair of the point of his art?

[@brandname6]

this makes the most sense

[@trogoautoegocrat666]

I believe the diamonds refer to CG Jung’s description of the human soul, as covered in his AION. It describes the alchemical transformation of man from state to state, whilst the Universe describes a battle between Christ and AntiChrist. This battle is similar to the descriptions of Rudolph Steiner. Jung said the human soul was a diamond shape joined upon its base and doubled, and made of pure crystal. My guess is Kubrick understood the importance Jung placed upon this imago universalis.

[@davemccombs]

Jesus fucking christ, lol 🤦

[@collativelearning]

Woah, that's an interesting interpretation.

[@trogoautoegocrat666]

It would mean the screen is the base of 2 diamonds(a square), whilst viewer eye (archetypal readout) is one diamond peak; and Kubrick’s 3rd eye terminates the diamond peak of the shadow (arechetypal input) diamond ‘behind the curtain.’ It fits kinda neatly.

[@MISFITaddict]

Everyday I know less and less.

[@trogoautoegocrat666]

Kubrick becomes PKD’s dark counterplayer to the viewer’s search ‘for light.’ A Minotaur, whose name was originally ‘stary wisdom.’ We are Theseus, attempting to find our thread, or ‘cleu’ in GK. And slay the father, the ‘asterion.’ The maze is of time and space, and undergoes morphological transformation. But the underlying structure is solid, fixed. We escape from the Black Iron Prison through confronting the Shadow. Like pictures in a book, we can see all time and space together in a nunc-stance: to have foresight, ‘Prometheus ’ GK, and his brother ‘epimetheus’ aftersight GK. The power of vision is meta-geometric and allows a way to see beyond being. This meta-sight is a surrender, like an opened mouth, which is a parting with the body. To suture a fragmented mind, or a shattered mind, from the trauma that is its own self-manifestation often requires this thoughtful doubling. Thus, the Master-Slave dialectic of Hegel, whom Kubrick was illustrating, while foreshadowing the turmoil of non-dual experience. Maybe this was his way of expressing his conflict with himself, his progeny, his ancestors, knowing he would one day be our drunk, controlling Dad. This was his way of leaving a way for us to stand at the top of the pyramid and look down. We need some power of perspective now.

[@MLoreley]

Numbers have a striking symbolism attached to each of them, something that I've noticed fairly prevalently in Tarot cards. 7 in itself is often associated with "having many options to choose from", or early work now ready to harvest, and having an abundance. It can also refer to splitting paths; once you make a choice, you move down a path associated with that choice. The split between 5 and 2 is also interesting, for a couple of reasons. 5 is both a symbol of conflict- a peak of passion breaking out over what was previously stable- but also a number associated with humanity; 5 limbs, counting the head, 5 fingers, 5 toes, 5 senses, etc. The number 2 is (probably obviously) connected with duality, a balance between polarized extremes- emphasis on *balance*. Light and Dark, Good and Evil, Creation and Destruction, and so forth. Strung together as often as it is in Kubrick's movies, I could see this interpretation: A recurring theme in his films is the conflict between extremes, born from humanity's nature, that eventually leads to a choice that the characters make. Sometimes, this choice leads to restoring balance and ending the conflict, sometimes this choice picks an extreme that throws everything off balance. The characters are driven down the path that is chosen in the heat of conflict, at the pinnacle of their human nature pushed to extremes. Diamonds are also interesting, because depending, they can be either 8-sided, or 4-sided. 4 is a number associated with solid foundation, balanced (it IS 2 x 2, after all) and becoming something that can be built upon. 8 is similarly that, but with much more energy surging beneath the surface, a current under a placid-seeming water surface, an undertow that you underestimate how strong it is until you're pulled along with it. Diamonds themselves are symbols of wealth, of glitter, and of power- resilient as they are. Diamonds (the gemstone) are also highly compressed carbon- the element most essential for all life on Earth. With the number 5 being so prevalent, it could be a statement on humanity, under pressure, being brought to some new state of being- forged in the conflict between two opposed forces. It's all a guess, obviously. :D I'm just sharing possible options to consider when it comes to interpreting the presence of these diamonds.

[@aithjawcraig9876]

I'm thinking in these terms, the duality of man seems to be the most accurate interpretation. To add to this, a diamond could also represent Duality. For example, the Star of David itself is two triangles, one upside down, and in the occult this can also represent a union of water and fire, or two opposing forces being made one. If the two triangles are set apart, or "reflected", it could have the opposite meaning, where these forces are in direct conflict/opposition.

[@aithjawcraig9876]

In general though, there's a lot of symbolism in the occult involving two triangles, one pointing up and one pointing down, and they generally have a similar meaning behind them. Perhaps Kubrik believed it was a nice way to visually enhance the themes of his movies in a subtle way

[@sanjurohanamizuki6181]

Well in the Dao , it is from Yin and Yang that the 5 elements are created , and from that everything . So in that view 2 and 5 would represent all things in creation and destruction .

[@chikelord]

@@sanjurohanamizuki6181 and the following flip transition is the same color as the diamonds nearly. It seems like the dark reddish landscape we see is combined the bright color of the now enlightened landscape. The message of this metaphor seems to be that understanding the seven diamonds are the symbolic key to living in the light. Kubrick was good at manipulating light, with that comes a mathematical or alchemical understanding of all reality.

[@matthewscott7198]

I note that in each place where the diamonds can only be intentional (2001 "wormhole" sequence, FMJ battle scene, Shining pillows in Room 237), these are moments of great transition or revelation, where the characters are permanently changed or damaged by what they're experiencing.

[@rabe5019]

you missed a very important confirmation that the number 7 was by design: the paintings that flank the seven diamond hanging rug in the shining are by a famous group of Canadian artists called "The group of seven"

[@emmalewisart641]

thank yoooou, I'd wondered about their significance

[@couchpotato3197]

Thos was actually in his video he did going over all the artists who did paintings in the Shining on his website I'm not sure why he didnt mention it here

[@AnUnseenRuler]

Oh. Right!

[@MsDormy]

Wow how do you discover this stuff?! I am ashamed to say I watched the Shining for the first time in my fairly long life, and although I have an art education, I still only picked up the main story of an overbearing husband giving in to his temptation to drink. Heck I must try harder!!!

[@rickreal5461]

Wow what a great take! Genius. Wouldn’t have noticed it

[@josephschaefer2090]

The 7 of Diamonds in Tarot (or pentacles) means a commitment to one's life work. Which would make sense for Kubrick to include in all of his movies, given his commitment to cinematics

[@chrisbanbury]

Neat.

[@PoshLifeforME]

Also, if you haven't realised the commitment to work, the 7 of pentacles represents Wine, Women and Song. Powerful card.

[@teutonicresistancetv6445]

It's crazy how he went out of his way to put Easter eggs in his movies

[@tonywords6713]

@@teutonicresistancetv6445 it's what makes them so great for me honestly. They'd be great otherwise but the fact you have endless layers of overlapping subtext and "clues" hidden in plain sight always leaves me wondering how much is really in there that I'll NEVER see or understand

[@mk-ultramags1107]

@@tonywords6713 The subtext is what puts Kubrick on a different level IMO. Many great filmmakers have come and gone but Kubrick's attention to detail is something that will never be matched.

[@moshomaniac1]

One of the greatest things about Kubrick was how multilayered his films were. He used heavy uses of symbolism and left it up to the viewer to decipher. He also left a lot of it open to interpretation, as he mentioned that 2001 in general would mean different things to different people: an allegory of evolution, a movie about rebirth(possibly spiritual), etc.

[@tonywords6713]

2001 and The Shining both play perfectly as analogies of gnostic enlightenment being attained and failed respectively. With Bowman escaping the prison of flesh, whereas Jack never stood a chance (due to his arrogance and vices)

[@JimTempleman]

Yes, spiritual rebirth! It symbolizes a Menorah: a candelabra with seven lights, used in Jewish worship. The flames of the Menorah appear as the floating octahedral 'dancing lights' or ‘sparkling diamonds.' This captures the number, shapes, luminescence, and arrangement. Here's what I got from Wikipedia: (All of them apply in 2001) - The Menorah symbolized the ideal of universal enlightenment. - The idea that the Menorah symbolizes wisdom is noted in the Talmud. - The seven lamps allude to the branches of human knowledge, represented by the six lamps inclined inwards towards, and symbolically guided by, the light of God represented by the central lamp. - The Menorah also symbolizes the creation in seven days, with the center light representing the Sabbath. I am not Jewish, so I cannot begin to guess which aspects of a Menorah that Kubrick intends for us to fit into each one of other films & contexts.

[@jimmyjames2621]

My quibble/quarrel with you is whether you chalked it up to my interpretation if I said Hamlet is about space aliens blowing up the Earth? Is that an interpretation or is bull-crap? In other words, there are things that are there deliberately and it's not interpretation it's understanding reality, which absolutely sometimes people need help getting and that has nothing to do with interpretation.

[@BadRobo82]

1:54:15 in Eyes Wide Shut. Slow shot of the camera showing the doctor's office and on the walls there are Christmas cards twisted into the shape of diamonds. In the same shot, the table has a hanging Christmas decoration that looks like diamond halves. This shot is topped with a large Christmas painting, probably depicting Jerusalem, and in the very center there is a large number 7

[@tonywords6713]

Wasn't that the shot he made cruise do hundreds of times? There are also the MASSIVE eight pointed stars as Christmas decorations in the beginning

[@helenwhitlock7598]

well spotted

[@glenbellefonte9620]

Damn. You is one bad ro bo

[@charliechalk2554]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/m6PCoGtohLKfhK8

[@nlgarton]

@@olakrez. That's the surface narrative, though. There's more on a sub-surface level that is meant to be perceived, not understood.

[@shaynestenson4115]

I just noticed that at 8:07 with Jack in front of the diamond tapestry, that if you look at the art work on either side of the tapestry they appears to be done by The Group Of Seven. A popular Canadian artist movement. Has anyone else noticed this ?

[@LimJahey996]

Correct! Group of Seven paintings can be seen all over the hotel.

[@dragonscoils8149]

AI: The use of the numbers 5 and 2, which add up to 7, may be symbolic in terms of numerology. In numerology, the number 7 is often associated with spirituality, mystery, and introspection, while the number 5 can represent change and transformation, and the number 2 can symbolize duality or balance. The arrangement of diamond shapes in groups of 5 and 2 could represent a balance between change and stability, or a merging of opposing forces.

[@esyphillis101]

I read somewhere that the 7 diamonds was a part of the 4th wall theme. They were representative of the 7 Dolby sound speakers in the cinema. Part of Dave Bowman’s journey into the symbolic film camera a la the stargate and realising he’s in a movie.

[@couchpotato3197]

I was just going to post about this. I read about that too. Keep in mind the scene where Alex commits suicide. He jumps out of the center window (center speaker) due to being triggered by MUSIC playing from big assed speakers!

[@brwi1]

7 channel wasn’t used in film until 2010. 2001 was presented in stereo

[@unclemonty9506]

@@brwi1 OMG! 2010! 😂😁💩

[@superquad7]

This is also a very reasonable conclusion. It would certainly link together very well with the monolith and its significance.

[@Jfbmu]

@@brwi1 dolby was first used for the movie clockwork orange. Weird fact

[@giubilanc6469]

Whatever they represent, Kubrick made me more intelligent with his style of film directing. Thank you Rob for all of your work, and the film enthusiast community as well.

[@jpaulc441]

If you look up the "Palace of Peace and Reconciliation", it's a big pyramid building in Astana, Kazakhstan and there are seven diamond symbols above the entrance. Might mean nothing but I just thought I'd mention that if anyone's interested. Apparently there are other Freemason inspired structures in the city too (the city was renamed Nur-Sultan a few years ago).

[@collativelearning]

Interesting. That was constructed in 2004 though wasn't it?

[@ZeranZeran]

That's really cool! thank you

[@exoplanet11]

I wasn't going to bring up Freemasons, but since were' on the topic, let's not forget, as Rob pointed out, that a tetrahedron is 2 square pyramids, mirrored. Just as we see the 7 doubled pyramids in 2001 we also see and "i" and an "eye". Eye & Pyramid look familiar. People who want to promote this theory (which does not include me) might also wonder if "i" stands for "illuminati". Also note that an early plan was for the monolith to be pyramid shaped.

[@TheEireknight]

For the Doctor Strangelove pattern, in the scene where the British Officer is hovering over Ripper's scribblings, there are two diamonds in the form of pictures on the wall turned on their sides to make 2 diamond patterns prominent in the shot. I think those are the 2 missing diamonds. You can see them at 1:54 in the video.

[@walterhaywood9106]

Stanley Kubrick is contributing to the Great Work... Like Leonardo DaVinci and countless others who have contributed it, these are esoteric references that the sum of which, at their essence, seek to teach man about the true nature of consciousness. Happy to share more, this is not something I talk to others very often about.

[@Jpro2000]

Me too I wish my friends were on this level of esoteric knowledge. 7 is a sacred number and could represent several things. Good or evil. Or the duality of both.

[@walterhaywood9106]

@@Jpro2000 what also is very interesting is how the octahedron tsar actually grouped into three distinct groups the two larger outliers, another pair that are of equal size, and the three that interspersed the two larger ones. 7 is a number of completion but three is also delineate it as it is the Divine beginning. Very cool to meet you.

[@revolverocelotbobbys]

I like to think there is a pretty significant theme of “rulers / watchers” (whether they are physical or spiritual) in his movies, whether you want to call them guardian angels, malevolent demons, demigods, ghosts, aliens, etc… and they really don’t like it when you enter or challenge their space and try to break through that invisible wall at the edge of the Matrix. If you view his movies through the lens of “the elites/rulers don’t want you in their club” and/or “you better do what we say, or else”, it becomes pretty obvious Kubrick believes in a higher power/intelligence that is steering society, regardless of what he says publicly. He was allegedly a freemason which at the higher degrees is revealed to be Satanism. Grain of salt with all that though... ------- Spartacus : Pretty much the quintessential example of a lowly slave rebelling against the system and rulers at the time. He eventually gets put in his place… Fails. Dr Strangelove : Ripper starts to become awake to how much humanity is being controlled and wants to burn it all down. Success (?) 2001 : fairly obvious that Dave broke through their veil, had his mind blown, and literally transcended his past self. “They” being both AI and God/Aliens or whatever you believe left the Monoliths. Success. A Clockwork Orange : An intelligent delinquent perpetually pushes the limits of the system put in place, eventually gets caught in a trap, they attempt to brainwash him, it fails (if you believe that he’s lying the whole time), in the end his body is broken but he beats the system (pretty similar to 2001 actually…). Success. Barry Lyndon : an “average” guy tries his best to break into this absurd club of elites (gods/rulers) and breathe that rarified air. He’s actually fairly successful at climbing their ladder, but his own human arrogance, cockiness, and brutishness prove that he’s not good enough to hang. They put him back in his place, take everything away from him and tell him to go away forever. Fails. The Shining : Pretty literally a ghost story with them whispering into Jack’s ears and controlling his actions. Also quite a lot of references to the Illuminati / Elites (whatever you wanna call it). Jack gets completely controlled / possessed and eventually dies. Fail. Danny outwits them and he and Wendy escape. Success. Full Metal Jacket : Pyle initially pushes back by not complying and not becoming the animal they want him to be. He eventually rebels and uses their own training against them, kills the Ruler, becomes the animal the system wanted him to be, eventually kills that animal too. Success. The diamonds littered all around the film could be souls of the dead (I think Jung said something about the soul being diamond-shaped and I feel like I’ve heard that from others as well…) or they could be the spirits of the watchers watching their war. Eyes Wide Shut : Very much like Barry Lyndon in that you have an “average” dude who finds himself rubbing elbows with these elites / rulers. He presses his face up against the edge of the Matrix and sees things he shouldn’t. He sees the watchers, but they are still masked (you can’t look upon the face of God, afterall). He never quite gets exactly the information he wants, but now he sees the world differently because he’s actually aware he had previously been wearing blinders his whole life. Fails (?). You don’t see a lot of these diamonds because they aren’t hiding anymore in this movie. They’re right there in front of you, in human form. The veil is gone. ------- As far as the “7” or “5+2=7”, no idea, but 7 has a lot of significance all over the place. I think on a lower level of evaluation, there are 7 notes per octave, if you go above that (octahedron) you transcend into the next density / dimension / octave. I dunno, just a thought...

[@revolverocelotbobbys]

@@olakrez. Thanks man. Kubrick is seemingly endlessly dissectible...

[@azzTwild]

Fantastic. Thank you

[@revolverocelotbobbys]

@@azzTwild Thanks for reading brother! I'd like to see what Rob thinks...

[@DeflatingAtheism]

Great observation, but it's funny that Anthony Burgess' original novel fits your thesis better than Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. At the end of the novel, Alex DeLarge is reprogrammed, crushed and defeated, and at the end of the movie- ironic though it be- Alex is cast as an existential hero (...and existentialism was still a hot thing at the time!)

[@RawOlympia]

Thank you, this is a treasure of analysis!

[@dinguloid]

I still maintain that some part of this mystery lies in the rainbow, or more simply light itself. The very thing that allows Kubrick to make films in the first place. Although, it is by no means a whole theory. Maybe I'll give his last . . . seven movies a watch again.

[@dinguloid]

Funny, the first of the seven is shot in black and white, and the final film so flagrantly uses the entire spectrum.

[@cbalan777]

Someone here on YT made a video about how the movie Interstellar is about the death of film. Based on your post it sounds like you might like it.

[@SoleMan117]

At 22:05, you interpret the astronauts and lights as being diamonds, but didn't seem to notice the row of seven lights going up the staircase, oriented to look the diamonds later in the film.

[@crowstakingoff]

Awesome find!

[@chrisbanbury]

Cool. You can see them all in the reframed shot a few seconds later.

[@d.w.whitlock5189]

I saw this too and knew I wasn't the only one. Good catch.

[@patnolen8072]

Oh yeah - I didn't notice the seven lamps. They do look like they are oriented non-horizontally.

[@KieferMcNaughty]

This is incredible. I (re-)watched 2001 last month, and the seven diamonds really stood out to me. I went straight to the internet, but, as you point out, there isn't a lot of information out there. The fact that you published this video right after I started my hunt for more information is a spooky coincidence.

[@amgbemenayahoocom]

Hey love your work man. I think Kubrick uses the seven diamonds as a symbolism aspect of emphasizing crossing the line as “ a point of no return “ element given that in all of his films every character crosses a path or boundary of some form of fashion. Again I’m just theorizing it by the fact it’s only connection I can think of correlating his films.

[@brendanward2991]

In Pythagorean Numerology, DIAMOND = 33, a number that has great significance in Freemasonry. The pyramid is a Masonic symbol, as is the pyramid with its reflection (symbolizing the "as above so below" concept. Just saying.

[@Wasko2]

Yes as above so below is a very clear concept being shown in these clips.

[@markapple8631]

23 means lucifer in numerology I think

[@geekexmachina]

the fact we have an i and an eye also puts me in mind of the all seeing eye of providence o go with the pyramids. given many of the films have "influential people" in them whether its government agencies or cabal like groups, so whether this is part of the link in imagery also is possible

[@Mrhostil95]

He didn't seem to be the kind of person to fall into any dogmatic institution or indoctrination though. Maybe as a means to expose the industry rather than bolster its' ideas.

[@ianmcd66]

Also direct swap to letters of the alphabet: 2 (B) + 5(E) = 7 (G). To BE is G, the single letter associated with freemasonry.

[@SonofTiamat]

I'll repeat what I said in your video Mystery of the Monolith. I think the seven diamonds may represent the seven lower sephirah in the sephiroth in the kabbalah, with the monolith representing "daath," the "hidden sephirah," or knowledge. Daath, which is knowledge, or the abyss, seperates the seven lower sephirah from the three higher sephirah, binah, chokmah, and keter, which make up God's three fold nature The theme Also Sprach Zarathustra is featured prominently in the 2001 as an obvious reference to the book of the same name by Friedrich Nietzsche. In it, Zarathustra, the Overman, relates the theme of "man being a rope over an abyss between man and overman." And there are symbolic parallels between Zarathustra's journey and Kabbalistic esotericism. Whether this was done intentionally by Nietzsche, I don't know. But he was familiar with apocryphal literature, like The Book of Enoch, and wrote Zarathustra to be similar in style to scripture, so I always believed it was possible. I believe Kubrick was trying to use Nietzschean themes with Kabbalistic themes as a narrative framing device for enlightenment

[@ArmorDoge]

Uggghhhh. Yuk. Kabbalah?

[@ramalcole782]

Interesting take. I like this✍🏾

[@cinemaster9012]

I like this theory

[@johnnylove2073]

And don't forget, Sephiroth was in Final Fantasy 7 😆

[@exoplanet11]

As a professional astronomer, the 7 floating tetrahedra in 2001 suggest the 7 moving celestial bodies known to ancient people, which happen to fall in to groups of 5 and 2. The Sun & Moon are most luminous, and both move steadily through the sky while the 5 planets appear dimmer and move irregularly, engaging in backward or retrograde motion that was considered ominous to ancient astrologers. Johannes Kepler, the first person to propose an accurate theory for the motion of the planets, associated the 5 planets with the 5 known Perfect Solids of Pythagoras, one of which is the Octahedron. (This early model of Kepler's was wrong, but it began his quest to find what became his 3 Laws of Planetary Motion) The 5 planets were each thought to be gods and thus carry the names of different gods/goddesses. The days of the week are named for these 7 "moving stars"/gods, as you can see easily in Spanish or French (Viernes=Venus, Miercoles=Mercury, etc). By the way, statues of two Greek gods appear in the lighted room scene at the end of 2001. Kubrick said that the "God Concept" is present in 2001, but that he didn't subscribe to any of the world's MONOtheistic religions. He also said (IIRC) that since ET life would be so far advanced from us, it meeting it would be like encountering god. Therefore the 7 tetrahedra in 2001 could easily symbolize 7 planets which humans made into gods. (We might also note here that at the end of 2001 Bowman becomes a god-like star child which is depicted almost like a planet unto itself) I think is quite a plausible to interpret the tetrahedra in 2001 as god-like celestial beings, even perhaps his guides, showing him the rest of the universe. But it would be a stretch to apply it to any of the other movies.

[@ebneigh5191]

In Quabbalah symbology and playing card Cartomancy, the seven of diamonds if picked first in a deck shuffle or the only card played means profit, money attainment and success. Kubrick was weaving a good luck charm for his movies to be financially as well as artistically successful.

[@richardenglish2195]

A lot of Kubrick's focus on geometric shapes and/or patterns is based on thematic symmetry. The seven diamonds in 2001 create a distinct focal point, suggesting order and balance. The diamond shapes we see in Full Metal Jacket are presented from angles, presenting disorder. The Shining mixes the two perspectives, mirroring Jack's - as well as our - fractured perspective of events. In the card playing/courtship scene in Barry Lyndon showing the seven of hearts, we notice Barry's also holding the two of hearts. As the arrangement on the seven 'points' towards Barry, this indicates the power dynamic between the two characters.

[@davidmotleyjester]

Kubrick used a lot of arcane symbolic concepts in his images. My thought of 5 plus 2 is the old astrological concept of the seven wanderers. The seven wanderers are the original five visible planets (that could be seen with the naked eye), and the sun and moon. Also a pyramid reflected was traditionally used to represent the material world (above and solid) and the underworld (in the reflection). Also in the occult, the rainbow is often called the seven rays. These are just my thoughts, not conclusions.

[@RawOlympia]

thnx

[@realtyranny3310]

Much of Kubrick's films, as you have pointed out Rob, reveal his view toward power structures, often using triangles or pyramids. There are seven continents, with two of them standing out by themselves, Australia and Antarctica. So the 5+2 diamonds (with diamonds or prisms refracting light--rainbows in EWS) are shinning light on oligarchic plans of world domination.

[@avonboy007]

Dude

[@philmangini1728]

I think you missed or forgot to include 2 things I noticed. 1. that note paper written and drawn by Jack D Ripper has the number twenty-five next to the 5 diamonds. Twenty-five or Two and Five. The other is at the end you bring back the diamond cushions. These are wonderful because you can't see them and the 2001 diamonds and claim there's nothing deeper or no intention in Kubrick's work. Anyway you point out that they are bookended by lamps. What you didn't see is what the lamps are sitting on. Two end tables. Now notice if you look close you can tell these tables are not squares they have a rectangular shape so that throws them out of the game right? Wrong because although you can't get diamonds from rectangles by rotating them alone like you can with squares you can get them by rotating AND tilting them at an angle. And wouldn't you know it in this shot the tables are rotated at the perfect degree and because of the relative heights of their tops and the camera they become diamonds. Now is there something further to take from this? I think there might be. You pointed out the lamps. What is the purpose of lamps? To illuminate, to help us see in the dark. What are the cushions sitting on? A bed, bed means to rest, to lay, to cease movement. If you combine illumination and rest you get discovery by inner reflection. Maybe this shot is Kubrick saying yes there is something out there (or just inside his movies) that we don't know, but we'll never discover it if we are actively out there looking. He's suggesting much of what we want to understand about existence can only be found through meditation. Meditation divided by two equals illumination and rest. Sucks for me because I hate meditation.

[@collativelearning]

Very interesting :)

[@MST3Killa]

Some depictions of Solomon's Temple features five cut-ins above the door with a pair of obelisks flanking each side (5+2). Masons use Solomon's Temple in a lot of their allegorical teachings and, of course, the free mason's symbol forms a diamond.

[@eighto220_fps]

Brilliant

[@StayFractalesque]

what about the stacked triangles (diamonds) in the drawing next to the cube in the bottom left?

[@JewscantrapMC]

@@collativelearning Dear Rob, I believe you've answered the 7 diamonds riddle in this video - the functional purpose of the 7d pattern was encrypted marking for his main 7 films, to test censorship/editing distortions, i.e. you've noticed that the archetypal input/output representation - ''seven diamonds''- is missing in the EWS (24 min. deleted); thus, Kubrick, illicitly notified the audience of discontinuation in self-referencing/ reoccurrence of underlying themes. Think hypothetically of the deleted EWS material: horse-riding scene (Paths of Glory, Barry Lyndon), boating scene (Barry Lyndon), alleged ritual slaughter (monkey battering and throwing bone in 2001, The Killing), Bill Harford's medical exams of children patients (Shining, C.W.O). My point is simple, besides Jungian and sacred geometry symbolic charms, there must have been pragmatic purpose - connecting the right dots through the life-time labyrinth of his entire filmography.

[@ronanzann4851]

Has no-one in today's world read 2001? Clark's book was almost entirely focused on the evolutionary history of an extremely ancient life form. Corporeal at first, but after billions of years they... and I quote, " transferred their consciousness onto crystal latices of light." A more perfect interpretation of the seven diamonds I cannot imagine.

[@crowneproductions9908]

Dude. If you think that using a book of a film that Stanley Kubrick made is some way to gain insight, then you don’t know the basics about Kubrick and need to watch more film analysis by Rob here (I’m a veteran of robs material before he was even on KZbin). Also, fun fact about Clarke’s book is that it was actually written in tandem with the movie script. One was not necessarily based in the other and Kubrick had a huge influence on Clarke and pushing and pulling him in different ways when it came to the book (Stanley had a hidden hand).

[@oughtssought1198]

@@crowneproductions9908 Dude. your "fun fact" in the 2nd paragraph might seem to directly contradict yr condescending dismissal in the first paragraph tho undoubtably yr pre-youtube exposure Trumps anything any others might notice or ponder

[@aliensoup2420]

@@crowneproductions9908 It doesn't get any better than this... suggesting that some maniac on the internet is more authoritative on the meaning of a movie than the actual author of the movie and novel.

[@Wallyworld30]

@@aliensoup2420 Many people mistakenly believe the Film is based on the Book. They were both written by the same time. Kubrick had final say and he intended for the Book and Movie to be 2 separate projects. You can't look into the book for definitive answers to questions of the Movie.

[@cinemaster9012]

@@aliensoup2420 movie is not based on the book bro

[@bacon_sammich2845]

These are amazing observations, hard to believe even after all this time you’re still finding new things in Kubrick movies.

[@brodyschum]

Dig this, Rob: the letter i that's prominent in 2001 in the landscape shot almost looks like the Morse code letter A, the closest letter of the alphabet representing a pyramid shape. Furthermore, the number 7 in Morse code is made up of 2 dashes followed by 3 dots. So five symbols make up the number 7, and in the center of those five symbols (like jack's head, Halloran's entrance, orange lady) is a dash followed by a dot. This is a mirror image of the dot followed by the dash that makes up the letter A. Morse code diamond. Now, if the letter N were significant, it may have popped up, as it is the mirrored equivalent of the A (the same symbols at the center of the 7), but that wouldn't give Kubrick the fun of watching from beyond the crypt as folks like us notice the number patterns. Also of note: the Morse A and the 7 combined are also made up of 7 symbols (2 for the A, 5 for the seven). Perhaps most noteworthy, in my opinion, the number 3 and the number 7 are mirror images of one another (dot dot dot, dash dash for 3 and dash dash, dot dot dot for 7). 2 numbers, 3 and 7, are mirrored. 237. Sounds familiar.

[@Suurboss123]

So in conclusion "Bush did 9/11?

[@brodyschum]

@@Suurboss123 😂

[@calebclunie4001]

Kubrick was going to make the film "A.i".

[@brodyschum]

@@calebclunie4001 Ah, yes! This got right past me. Admittedly, the Morse code thing was straight outta left field, but the more you dig…

[@nlgarton]

On the letter A theme: The 'A' in the poster for 'A Clockwork Orange' is super prominent. So much so it's not even really legible as a letter and appears to be a triangular hole through which Alex breaks through the visual plane. It takes the shape of a triangle, or the outline of a pyramid, or half a diamond. The eyeball (i-ball) on Alex's sleeve is positioned at the peak of the triangle (pyramid) shape that forms the cut-out of this highly stylized capital A. All-seeing eye. Also, Alex's dagger seems to take a pyramid shape, as well.

[@octagonseventynine1253]

This is great stuff Rob. I’ve seen these films dozens of times and never realized the diamonds appeared outside of 2001. Even for you this is incredible! Has anyone noticed this theme before?

[@octagonseventynine1253]

I wonder if he was aware of the Kabbalah, it could represent the 7th sphere which can relate to rites of passage set out by god and times of hardship followed by brief periods of pleasantness

[@ZeranZeran]

I feel like I've noticed it before without realizing it, much like masonic symbols. It's really neat. It feels familiar, but mind-blowing all the same. I think it represents Pleiadeans aka the Pleiades star system (Exactly 7 stars) said by many to be the next step of human evolution, waiting for us to be ready to advance onto the next stage. I learned about them from a Red Hot Chili Pepper's song, lol. Lots of strange beliefs in this world, and I Love it.

[@AnUnseenRuler]

@@octagonseventynine1253 Sounds like the process of film making

[@Dj_Real_Eyes_Open]

Diamonds are forever 💎

[@collativelearning]

Fun movie that one. The moon buggy part cracked me up.

[@darklight2.1]

It may be that this is simply an example of the human tendency to see patterns where they don't exist-an example of apophenia that arises to provide an unnecessary explanation for a particular artists use of motifs that the artist found interesting, or that conveyed some sense of visual continuity. Or, perhaps frequency illusion comes into play here. Noticing diamonds, viewers start to see diamonds everywhere in the films. Would the same thing happen with ovals or boxes or certain colors? Either seems about as likely as some sort of hidden messages, but who knows? It's an interesting idea and video regardless.

[@AveragePicker]

Bingo

[@lawrencebrooks8697]

It is so clear that Kubrick had some form of high functioning Asperger's, and this obsession with the diamond pattern and the number seven is, for me, emblematic of that. As anyone who has read about Kubrick in depth, there are a multitude of instances that point out again and again to this condition. Back to this video - I think it's fantastic, you had done an exceptional work in bringing all these instances together into a single film compilation. Anyone who denies all this just doesn't wish to face the truth about the brilliant director. And as we all know, Kubrick was a perfectionist and Nothing went into his films that was not intended - by him - to absolutely be there.

[@7LeagueShoes]

Something I just realized. It's probably a stretch. But in 2001, when they are getting photographed in front of the monolith in the pit on the moon, it just jumped out at me. It's the scene you show at ~22:00 . You suggest that it's 5 explorers plus 2 lights. Most of the shots in that scene are from a stationary camera. The men are filmed walking towards the pit, down the ramp, walking around the monolith; all from different viewpoints but from a stationary point. Until they get their picture taken as a group. There are 6 men. 5 of them stand in front of the monolith, while the 6th takes a picture. In that shot, the camera is right next to the photographer in the scene, and appears to be a handheld camera. Almost as if there is a 7th person holding another camera. That 7th person could be the audience watching the movie. And when the monolith makes that jarring noise, the "7th person" reacts to it the same way the other 6 men do, staggering around. I believe you're spoken about Kubrick using particular imagery to, because I don't know how to put it better, break the 4th wall. So, it's not diamonds. But there is a group of 5 explorers in front of the monolith, and 2 in front of them with cameras (the photographer and the audience). 5+2 = 7.

[@judgeberry6071]

Interesting. Could Kubrick have also predicted the 1986 Challenge air disaster both when Danny is playing with the space shuttle and the 7UP bottles .

[@josephwesward]

Clever!

[@RawOlympia]

thnx!!!

[@RawOlympia]

@@judgeberry6071 interesting! thank you~

[@mullaleo85]

Wow.

[@paulporter5853]

I think the diamonds represent the archangels of the Jewish tradition. In the book of Enoch the archangels are listed as 7: Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Uriel, Saraqael, Raguel, and Remiel. In the life of Adam there are five archangels listed Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael and Joel. With Adam and Eve this makes 5 + 2. (Also there are 7 fallen angels, as above so below). There are 7 luminaries: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn. Five of which are planets and two of which are not. 5+2. 2 of them are more prominent in size in our perception, the sun and the moon. This is like the two larger diamonds in the star gate sequence versus the smaller five diamonds representing the classical planets. The seven luminaries are represented by seven archangels in a 1 to 1 fashion. The hermetic seal of the archangels seems to be the very likely source for the mystery. The hermetic seal of the archangels contains 7 triangles that are mirrored into diamond shapes. Cheers! :)

[@azzTwild]

This is what I was thinking and you explained it a lot better than I could. Essentially the influence of heavenly powers in the affairs of mortals etc? Thanks!

[@exoplanet11]

I agree with you on the planets interpretation and posted the same idea (after you did)

[@chrisbanbury]

Great stuff. That could also be why they are so audibly present at violent/malevolent events, as witnesses, even bewailing protesters.

[@tonywords6713]

Did you ever read the book (can't remember the authors name) about how all of Kubrick's movies are metaphorically overflowing with Jewish ideas/themes, but they're hidden or names changes ever so slightly. Makes sense he was part of that generation (post war) that wanted really badly to integrate and be American, instead of Jewish American. Like Kirk Douglas for instance, who I believe changed his name (like Mel Brooks and many others). Also makes sense that Kubrick originally wanted to do Eyes Wide Shut with Woody Allen, EWS and Barry Lyndon are both basically just stories of a working mensch trying and failing to transcend their social class.

[@paulporter5853]

@@tonywords6713 No I have not. My analysis here came from Rob Agers methods directly. Thanks Rob Ager. I also understood that Kubrick knew about The Occult and put occult metaphors in his movies. I did a google search, something like seven diamond symbolism in the occult and instead it came up with the hermetic seal of the Jewish tradition. I had thought the four sided pyramids mirrored into diamonds was a bit of a stretch but when I looked at the Seal and noticed how it was laid out I realized that Mr. Ager was correct about the mirroring. I remembered that Kubrick was of Jewish decent. That's when I realized the hermetic seal was dead on and was the source of the seven diamonds. The seven luminaries of course being the source for the archangels and the hermetic seal. And of course human perception being the source of the Luminaries. Cheers

[@myozbubble]

Have you ever wondered if there are things in Kubrick's movies that he put in there that we have yet to discover? There are seven chakras and Jung touched on this just a bit. There are the 7 layers of the consciousness. Gosh, we could go on and on. Great analysis. I enjoy the expansion of my mind. :)

[@JONINXBOX]

Someone recently noticed in the Shining that Jack frequently looks directly down the camera.. not at the camera but as though he is looking at the viewer it’s quite creepy when you notice it and he does it intentionally as we see Kubrick giving him a prompt when to look.. look it up it’s quite interesting

[@onojioboardwalk9748]

.. It wasnt ''That big'' of a mystery - Kubricks use of all those diamonds were really the use of 'Triangles' and symbolism for those he serves.. But your production doesnt drive someone like Shelley Duvall mad and you dont use the kind of symbology like kubrick did so frequently unless its showing something very 'Negative..' And 'The devils-eye' is used freely in that man's work for a reason like his master's do.

[@stevef4010]

Thank you for this Rob. I think I asked you about the 7 Diamonds awhile back. I've long wondered what the meaning is and seeing the repeated pattern only reinforces my intuition that they have an important meaning. They are the one form of order/symmetry and intelligence in the LSD time travel sequence. Having read someone's comment about "as above so below" certainly is compelling, if not a secondary meaning. It also brings to mind the "order out of chaos", which is another Freemasonic term. In the Street scene in FMJ we see two 33's prominently displayed in the background.

[@GenerateGoodInformation]

Apparently no one likes these ideas. Pyramids? One eye? The overlook maze tops interestingly leaves of the cap stone. In the peace on earth notes paper the hair edges is made by two threes, one is backward. None of this could possibly be intentional. It does seem a bit odd that it's not mentioned at least to discount it.

[@drumstick74]

Best Kubrick analyses on the web!

[@damianstenberg3761]

Seems to be more questions than answers where kubricks concerned lol..but the seven of diamonds playing card itself has the five/two split on it🤔(not sure if you mentioned this) .....interesting vid and analysis as always Rob👌🏻

[@leemoody2986]

I believe Kubrick did everything on purpose. Everything calculated.

[@jaybinks871]

The madlad did it again

[@jjHunsecker]

In an interview, Nicholson bragged that Kubrick once made him do a long take with 17 marks for him to hit. I'm not sure how many takes there were, but Nicholson later bragged, "I hit EVERY ONE [of those 17 marks]!"

[@xVILLZ559x]

Simply brilliant sir! You never cease to amaze me with you context, always exceptional and very intriguing. Thank you for your work!

[@Aidan-uy3bf]

I had a dream once of 5 circles next to each other and then 2 diamonds either side of the middle circle. I believed it represented the 4 functions, as discussed by Jung, with the Ego at the centre. The 2 diamonds would then be the Anima and Animus, the Masculine and Feminine. The dream showed me instances of this pattern in different historical periods.

[@juancarlosgonzalezjr]

I always wondered if the scene where Dick Hallorann was watching TV was a reference to A Clockwork Orange, due to a few elements: the long zoombacks; the idea of him being programmed by the TV, then Danny sending him a transmission; and above him a photo of a nude reminiscent to the nude statues in ACO. Also, in The Shining novel, Hallorann was transporting oranges in his car when Danny’s shine hits him, intensifying their smell.

[@stevef4010]

MK Ultra

[@icandleall]

The letter K is like 2 number 7s (KubricK) A 7 and a Mirror Image of 7 form a Triangle. A K and a Mirror Image of a K form an Asterisk Star * The Film Screen is a Mind Mirror or Reverse-Mind Mirror, Scrying Mirror Screen, Black Screen, Black Mirror, Black Cube... The 2 Ks or Four 7s can make 2 Triangles which form a Diamond divided into 2 or the Star of David. If you were to Equalize the 2 halves of the Divided Diamond shape by raising the lower half and lowering the top half it is like the Star of David which often is depicted with a Cube within it (Cube-Brick). Diamonds are often cut with many Angles revealing shapes such as Tetrahedron, Metatron, Hexagram, and similar to the Kaballah Tree of Life. They Shine when light is reflected at the different angles. Kubrick was very precise with his Angles while filming his very precise sets or settings. As if each frame of film were to be a perfected cube or brick arranged to make a wall to project on. Diamonds glistening as light pours through the negatives projected onto the screen then leaving a film (or memory) on the viewers mind.

[@menorahdarkness4877]

Good comment !

[@icandleall]

@@menorahdarkness4877 Thanks

[@knightoftheroundfable7853]

As above, so below. Red shift blue shift. The visual universe is contained within these two colours. From infra red to ultra violet. Might explain the rainbows in eyes wide shut too...

[@RossOfRoni]

Oh man. I love this kind of stuff. I grew up reading Joseph Campbell and his breakdowns of mythological symbols and interpretations of all that. Let me take a crack at the meaning of these diamonds: Let's start with 2. Two represents duality, the movement from a state of unity to a state of "mirrored self" in a sense. It's about opposites, heaven and hell, etc., but really it's about the dual nature of humans, in all the ways we exhibit duality (mostly body-mind or body-spirit). It's about desire, and also kind of about strength of a pair over the strength of one. It also represents the feminine, as the image of an egg divided into two, the image of procreative life itself evokes this one-into-two-ness. Five, then, is the number that represents humans. The human form is sort of a five-spoked wheel, when we are laid stretched out. We have 5 senses, 5 digits, and so on. Five represents the human experience of life. It also represents the Godhead in a sense, the combining of the four points of the Earth plus the one center point. It can also represent the union of male (3, odd) and female (2, even). So, then, the number seven comes from 3 plus 4 (using the smallest numbers possible to make the larger is the standard), so quickly, 3 represents Heaven, and 4 represents Earth. 7 is about the union, then, of the divine and the earthly, which really means "the universe." It represents the virginity of the Great Mother, and a whole lot more. Now, what all this means to me, is I think Kubrick is using the 7 diamonds as a way of also pointing at the number 8, which represents sort of the goal of the initiate, passing from 7 to 8 into the infinity of being. Or, in another way of saying it, 7 sort of represents the "completeness" of one's work in life, and 8 can then represent death, or the passing of your work into its "infinite," its legacy. In each instance Kubrick makes the deliberate point of 7 being brought up around scenes having to do with legacy, death, and endings. Perhaps that's why the scene in the Vietnamese city with only 2 real diamonds only had 2 really good diamonds, it's more here about duality, and about the feminine aspect of things.

[@jamesboswell9324]

This is the best commentary I've read in the whole section. Another thumbs up my friend (that makes two!) Might I add that the diamond is presumably a pyramid too (as others acknowledge) and this therefore connects heaven and earth another way, but moreover the pyramid is indeed reflected and thereby reinforces the duality "as above so below".

[@flora6768]

This is so cool! I feel like, with so many possibilities, it may be just a visual theme that Kubrick liked and decided to include in many of his films

[@vipy4309]

When I saw this video in my subs, I knew you had another breakthrough without even watching, I trust your judgment on film more than anyone else on this platform. Hope more videos are coming on Kubrick films. So much left to be discovered in eyes wide shut in my opinion. Edit. Saw the video you always know what you're talking about Rob.

[@DeflatingAtheism]

In EWS, the color motifs are pushed to the forefront, which may be part of the reason geometric motifs take a back seat.

[@josephwesward]

I'd like to interweave a prior observation of yours into this current analysis. So, a brief preface: After watching your video on A Clockwork Orange and the use of pyramids, you had emphasized that shots form pyramids when set walls, floors, and ceilings are right with the ratio of the screen. It is important to note that the perspective lines converge at a point on the horizon line. This illusion of depth on a two-dimensional surface is recognized in the arts as "one-point perspective." With this in mind, I am prepared to interpret the screen not a flat, two-dimensional rectangle but rather the base of square-based pyramid, or more accurately half of an octahedron. "So what's the point of all this?" I hear you ask. Well, there are literally six points, or vertices, of an octohedron. As mentioned above, four points as the corners of the screen, one point as the convergence beyond the screen, and the last point being the observer. What strikes me most about this interpretation is that when dealing with octahedron, the square base, which we now recognize as the movie screen, vanishes. The square is a hypothetical plane where two points meet. It is my premise that the pure geometry that make up the fundamentals of visual story telling were of deep interest to Kubrick.

[@Grift76600]

I had the same idea. The perspective of the shots make a pyramid with the edges of the screen and the eye/camera makes the other pyramid. The two meet with the screen to make the "diamond" shape. The screen is the frontier/doorway.

[@oreopoj]

This is the best interpretation I’ve seen here. It fits with Rob’s other videos about the monolith being the movie screen.

[@wojocolebuilds]

Seems like there's a link between the 2+5=7 diamonds and 237. For example, all the scenes noted at 15:02 have 2 diamonds intersecting over a third center diamond, which altogether creates 7 diamonds. Even with the pillows in Room 237, we're first presented 5 pillows (2 purple, 3 green).. but then the final 2 are revealed to give us a sum of 7. No clue how this would fit with 2001, but anyways Happy Halloween (from the US)!

[@emmalewisart641]

My birthday is 23/7 ...always freaked me out :D

[@indecentinkartwork]

Go outside man

[@wojocolebuilds]

@@indecentinkartwork nah, i'm busy making money

[@jimboratelli742]

I think Kubrick clearly managed to connect, or was otherwise, born with, the ability to be with a part of the collective unconscious very few people are themselves aware of. I think that part surrounds the axis mundi, and Kubrick felt compelled to explore it.

[@oxenbarnstokkriii8152]

no. rubbish. there is none of that in Kubrick - at all. youre filling a gap with your own drivel.

[@deathstarHQ]

The 2 dimensional diamond patterns in my opinion holds a separate meaning to the 3 dimensional octahedrons. The 7 octahedral Diamonds in 2001 a space odyssey I think represents the story of the Goddess Ariadne and the Minotaur, giving Theseus a ball of golden thread so he could find his way back from the centre of the Labyrinth after facing the Minotaur. The story is an allegory based on the journey of self discovery, enlightenment and rebirth, the minotaur is the inverse of the toroidal field (donut shape) emitted by the Heart, which is the Hyperboloid, (hourglass, grail, goblet shape). Theseus returned thanks to Ariadne's idea, so he made her a Crown of Gold, around the band he placed 7 Large Diamonds (Octahedrons are diamonds most naturally occurring form), when Ariadne died Theseus placed her crown in the Heavens, and the Diamonds became the 7 Stars, creating the the constellation of assentation, Corona Borealis.

[@craigprescott6169]

With regards to the card games, playing cards are basically a simplified version of tarot cards. The suite of Diamonds in the tarot are the suite of pentacles (typically associated with money.) In fortune-telling the seven of pentacles represents one’s long-term vision, perseverance, growth, etc.

[@SpicyTexan64]

So playing cards are simplified bullshit.

[@oughtssought1198]

@@SpicyTexan64 sure, if you gotta go for the everything is assholes explanation you could as easily have said replacing tarot cards with playing cards evicted the bullshit but then you'd lose the delicious masturbation of ain't I so superior to everything for calling it ugly

[@madisonhill3175]

I feel like someone should know this answer who worked with him on the production, in the graphics dept, etc. To me, as a designer, diamond shapes naturally forces the eye to move around without stopping at any one vertex. So to put a character in front of a diamond pattern magnetically holds our focus on the character in front of the pattern. The diamond pattern is a visual overload so we just defer our view to the character. It's rich detail, without distraction. A dynamic shape without being too distinct. Maybe it's overused as a visual crutch. 7 may just be the magic number of diamonds that are seen with visually balanced patterns

[@unclemonty9506]

or maybe it's just the best special effect they could come up with using Douglas Trumbull's slit scan technique to represent the aliens - Trumbull has said this in interviews and it is documented in the 'Making Of' book that came out in the 80's. But don't let that stop this moron coming up with ever more pretentious twaddle

[@gabrielgolden4336]

Sevens and diamonds can both be associated with large wins at a casino. I'll show myself out.

[@MagusMarquillin]

hmmm...Casino...Jackpot...Jack Torence...Jack Nicholson...Jack Napier...the Joker...Cards...Gambling...Jackpot...Crackpot theory! Eureka!

[@T11639]

Rob, have you watched Bergman's 'Through A Glass Darkly' (1961)? I recall seeing diamond shaped windows in some of the doors of the house which immediately struck me as looking just like the twin diamonds on the Overlook's elevator design. Furthermore, Bergman employs precisely symmetrical camerawork which simply must have been an influence on Kubrick. Add to this the films' unsettling themes of family psycho-sexual breakdown (including incest), madness, alienation and spiritual desolation and you have a strong influence on The Shining in general. Some of these same themes reappear in Bergman's The Silence from a couple of years later. Again, we have a young boy alone in a spooky hotel who witnesses a sexual encounter through a hotel door from the corridor (sound familiar, anyone?). The framing is strictly symmetrical once again and the film explores dysfunctional families and sexual alienation with a young boy at the centre encountering the full madness of the adult world. It's been a while since I watched them, but for viewers who know their Kubrick well these films (made nearly twenty years before) contain some astonishing parallels with The Shining.

[@francescolisboa903]

The "I" (dot and dash in morse code) is "A" - "A" for Arquitect, "I" for Eye (btw in Lars Von Trier the house that Jack built, Jack is an arquitect... also Jacob's ladder appears in the film)

[@YggdrasilAudio]

Artificial Intelligence?

[@francescolisboa903]

@@YggdrasilAudio Possibly... /Now I'm wondering if A.I. film logo also stands for "Arquitect's (I)Eye"

[@francescolisboa903]

@@YggdrasilAudio Cybertronics building is the Rockafeller center in Man Hattan and in the beginning Professor Hobby gives his speech to his team within a camouflaged Masonic Lodge

[@donkeykonguk]

thanks for another interesting video! Something I thought of was the 7 traditional planets of astrology, which are broken into a group of 2 (the Sun and Moon) and a group of 5 (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn). Mercury was the first NASA human spaceflight program, Jupiter and Saturn V (5!) were rockets used by NASA. In addition, in the excavation scene, the two objects flanking the 5 astronauts are literally lights (astrologers refer to the Sun and the Moon as 'the lights") More than that, each light fixture is made of 12 lights, and 12 is important in astrology (12 signs, 12 houses) and in many other places. To riff a little further, 12-7=5, which seems to fit with 5+2. And of course, astrology analyzes the symbolism of the heavens. Fascinating stuff!

[@FOWLMUSIC]

I was wondering why no one else picked up on this! To give the symbolic importance of the Diamond... Dane Rudhyar envisioned the planets and the luminaries as PRISMS which siphoned the energy of the constellations and concentrated them towards the Earth.

[@halfcadence1417]

Hi, Rob. Love the videos I think Stanley would have been familiar with the theoretical behavior of 4th dimension beings playing around in our dimension. We cannot view their full form as they can only show us a single cross-section of themselves. Our reality is like a sheet of paper to them. From you previous videos on the meaning of 2001 being about how we are those 4 dimensional beings making films. This makes me think Kubrick is either making a nod to himself being the God of all his films, thus he is the hidden demon guiding all of what happens. The Diamonds are his calling card because he literally put them there. He is the only true being capable of manipulating these worlds. Or All the movies are in the same Universe as 2001, and these diamonds are a metaphorical sign that there are 4D beings and they are the ones affecting the story. To put a monolith in front of proto humans is to put a man in a bear suit and put him in a hotel room in front of a boy on his tricycle. Something also just occured to me, octohedrons passing through a 2 dimensional world would appear as diamonds to the 2 dimensional beings.

[@247tubefan]

In Rhianna's 2012 Song "Diamonds" 🎶🎵 Her final chorus consisted of the phrase "Shine bright like a Diamond" repeated 7 times. 🤔😲😳🤯 💎💎💎💎💎💎💎

[@gwydkins8252]

Rihanna was a big influence on Kubrick, once you see it you cant unsee it

[@jeffnelson2930]

@@gwydkins8252 LOL, you cant be serious. Rihanna was born in 1988, long after these films were made or at the point she was of age to be an influence. Moron.

[@chrisxdeboy]

@@jeffnelson2930 *whoosh*.

[@jeffnelson2930]

@@chrisxdeboy not sure what "whoosh" means....but ok

[@stevesperdacion4148]

check who wrote her song

[@catahoulacadre7052]

The octahedron, the form most common to the diamond, is a double pyramid, combining two crosses reflective of the tetrahedral atomic structure and symbolic of the joining of heaven and earth or God and man. It is this geometric form which, more than any other in nature, precisely describes the ancient teaching "AS ABOVE - SO BELOW." The double pyramid provides the perfect reflection of the divine process wherein idea becomes is deeply significant that the basis of all organic - carbon - should be the element involved in this structure. The fact that the atomic ordering of this element produces the double pyramid is suggestive of the geometric alignment necessary to realize the divine in the mundane. The hardness of the diamond suggests the immutability of this archetypal pattern in nature. It can literally make its mark upon all other formations in life, retaining its own structure long after other material has been transformed. Just as the hardness of the diamond is so great that it can only be faceted by itself, so nature comes to realize itself through itself, and man, seeking the pure light of spirit, must perfect himself by the power of his inmost being.

[@AmusedChild]

Fascinating, and something I did not catch. Kubrick had his own symbolic vocabulary that nevertheless evokes some enigmatic sense for us too, as in a remembered dream that doesn't quite "make sense" once we are awake.

[@Ariel_emerald]

ok i have to say this: "most of you won't be familiar with dr. strangelove" huh? one of the greatest and most famous comedies ever made and an essential top 3 movie for any Kubrick fan? we won't be familiar with it? lol

[@nick5142]

Thought that was odd also... it's actually the movie that made me love cinema (concurrent with Taxi Driver), and Kubrick

[@tormentor2285]

he probably thoight it was old

[@JarrodDSchneider]

For more info on the Septenary (5 plus the hidden 2) Mystery (A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y and W) check out Helena Blavatsky’s ‘Secret Doctrine’, Albert Pike’s ‘Morals and Dogma’, and Manly P. Hall’s ‘Secret Teachings of All Ages’ 😉

[@DoctorSess]

Old news what else you got

[@tomtebby7408]

Very interesting film Rob. I’ve often wondered about the two lower case ‘i’s in the Shining poster and what they may symbolise especially how you pointed out the i in 2001 stargate sequence. Is there something in these i’s - eyes. SHiNiNG is also 7 letters with 2 standout elements 2 + 5. There is also a slightly symmetrical feeling to the word.

[@tomtebby7408]

@@user-mj4yz3pi5f 😂 I knowwwwwwww

[@NGC6144]

The Imaginary unit i = √−1 if you wanted to rotate(flip) between two opposite states as represented as vectors you multiply by i.

[@cinemaster9012]

yes and the diamonds are bending light and shining

[@austinwilburn1772]

People today: “what does it mean?!” Stanley: “I just think they’re neat”

[@collativelearning]

He wasn't that shallow. And there would be a reason why he thinks they're "neat".

[@sittingforgetting9907]

i had thought it was one of your videos that proposed this, but the diamonds represent the speakers in the theater, 5 in the front wall of the theater, and 2 on the left and right sides. the 2001 "enlightenment" sequence is about bowman realizing he is in a movie.

[@thelastdefenderofcamelot5623]

That's what it is. 5 loudspeakers at the front. And then 2 surround subwoofers on the side. The shape of the speakers are just an inverted diamond.

[@borismusic4725]

In metasymbology the seven of diamond means: The conflict between spirit and matter. It also has various meanings in Tarot.

[@davidlean1060]

That's interesting because art is a marriage of spirit and matter. The 'spirit' is the creative side, obviously and the material side is the tools and material you use to bring that creative idea out of your mind and into the world. 'Material' can point to many different things. A song writer has an idea for a song, but he needs a piano or a guitar to bring that tune out.

[@jean-rochdion4898]

totaly agree, look at my answer in the main comment section! long but I will say a detailed answer that go in the same way as you .... in many different "belief" system.

[@DatsWhatXiSaid]

7:41 Also, the tosses tennis ball seems to disappear, and (another Shining topic) it reappears to Danny before he enters room 237 FMJ poster - on the helmet, 7 bullets, 2 tinged in red.

[@dwayne0t]

I'm pretty sure Stanley was one of our alien overlords. 🛸

[@glennfleming]

Not sure you saw these, Rob: Seven bullets in the Army helmet of Full Metal Jacket; Look at 5.51 in your film: the guy is rolling a red snooker ball across the table...almost 30 years BEFORE Sidney Pollack did in 'Eyes Wide Shut'...

[@Bonko78]

2:16 - If you tilt the page, the writing in the middle looks like it may be construed as a diamond-like pattern. Perhaps. I have never heard of this Kubrick-diamond theory before but it's fascinating! It reminds me of how much I miss proper cinema, where visionary directors are not just capable of this degree of creativity but also allowed it. Even if these patterns have no other meaning than as easter-eggs for fans to discover and wrack their brains about, it's great that they exist.

[@clearcutter74]

It could be a personal reference that we'll never uncover, something that was meaningful to Kubrick. The only thing I can think of is that diamonds represent things that last forever, and a film is something that lasts forever. People will still be analyzing and talking about Stanley Kubrick's movies 100 years from now. BTW It might be worth rewatching Spielberg's A.I. Artificial Intelligence looking for diamonds since Kubrick developed so much of that movie.

[@dakotaspruell1083]

Or looking at the pre production concept art

[@OrdoNekro]

I'm wondering if the diamonds are just a subconscious fixation Kubrick had, like how Tim Burton has with spirals, it may be a personal meaning that didn't care for anyone else to know but is still compelled to express it, anyway. Great video as always, I love your work!

[@zbigniewmaleszak1310]

Very possible, I thought something similar.

[@adamwrightla]

Here's what I think the 7 crystals represent: There are crystals in a television. And you, Roger, taught us that the monolith represents a tv/theatre. I googled it and the 7 minerals in tv's are: aluminum, copper, iron, nickel, silica, rare earths, and strontium Just a theory, hope it stirs thought.

[@donaldwilson4451]

Rob, if you haven't already, check out the episode of The Sopranos - "The Test Dream" - which has LOADS of Kubrick references - perhaps some of them play off your observations/theories.

[@eucliduschaumeau8813]

In numerology, the number seven is described thus: The Pythagoreans invested particular numbers with unique spiritual properties. The number seven was considered to be particularly interesting because it consisted of the union of the physical with the spiritual world. In Pythagorean numerology the number 7 means spirituality. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, superstition and philosophy.

[@ThePerradox]

You've told us in the gold room story that Kubrick invested in gold, did he invest in diamonds too? Not that I'd think for a second that it would be as simple as that but could it be at least a part of the enigma?

[@ThePerradox]

As I've continued to think about this two other things about diamonds struck me. Coal and pressure. Could it be a symbol for starting the making of a film as a lump of coal that is subjected to enourmous pressure in order to become a diamond?

[@neo6834]

Dr. Stranglelove to Eyes Wide Shut are Kubrick's 7 broadly considered masterpiece films and they contain similar themes and motifs (reflections of each other). Just an idea Kubrick probably wanted to make more than 7 "masterpiece" films (and also you could count Lolita as the beginning Kubrick making a masterpiece with each film)

[@sirlawrence9161]

Paths of Glory is a masterpiece

[@dennisdezarn5895]

The Killing is also fantastic. All that money just blowing away at the end. One of the best endings ever.

[@dennisdezarn5895]

And if you look very closely they're all 2 dollar bills and 5 dollar bills. Genius.

[@DeflatingAtheism]

One film critic- I forget who- divides Kubrick's movies into nimble, dialogue-driven comedies versus stately, visually-driven epics, correlation obviously to his B&W versus color movies.

[@tobylerone8416]

Kubrick died (rather coincidentally) before Eyes Wide Shut's release and therefore didn't have control over the final edit that he would have done if he was still alive. I suspect the seven diamonds were in what would have been his real cut of the movie.

[@wunsortedwbooks3512]

Unless I've misunderstood how it works, the slitscan method was made to produce random patterns as light artefacts of the original shapes, so personally I don't think the "i" in the star gate sequence was put there intentionally. But wow, the pillow arrangement on the room 237 bed is identical to the arrangement of the middle five diamonds! Once again, nothing escapes your eye! Great job!

[@jotade2098]

If you look at the sizes of the 2001 diamonds and consider perspective, they should spell an M or W. Thanks for posting Rob. P,S. the mirrored triangles also suggest a visual representation of the Hermetic principle "as above, so below".

[@3tp]

As above so below. This feels right.

[@christophermacintyre5890]

@@olakrez. How does it equal 33?

[@christophermacintyre5890]

@@olakrez. There are quite a few interesting appearances of the letters M and W in Dr. Strangelove, but I really think this is a big stretch that this means 33.

[@christophermacintyre5890]

@@olakrez. It's a Scottish name, but I'm from the USA.

[@happyfarmer6823]

Hey, Rob love, love, love all of your channels. The work you’re doing is truly amazing. I just watched one of your videos about “the Shining” and was thinking that maybe the room no. 237 tag on the door is the same symbol as these floating diamonds. Looks like there are 2 smaller diamonds and 3 slightly larger ones making the original 5 diamonds then two more join to make a total of 7. Plus i was thinking maybe the plain of colors the camera follows splitting the screen in half or into 2 is the viewer inside a giant diamond. As if traveling along the square plain sandwiched between two mirrored pyramids. This could be why the 237 room is the only one with two doors and as you pointed out there’s all the mirroring imagery through out the film. I’ve been exploring the Fibonacci sequence lately (0,1,1,2,3,5,7…) and it starts with 1,1 like the two doors. They are the same thing but are perceived as two things making the first possibly false duality. Like how hot and cold seem to be opposites but are really just varying degrees of temperature. Or how it looks like two doors but is really just one doorway. When each characters in The Shining steps through that one doorway they are split into two in a way. changed or evolved into another state of being. Like a child stepping into adulthood or a question turning into an answer. I’m more of an artist/musician than a mathyologist but it’s definitely fun stuff to think about =)

[@dylancarl1438]

It could be a sort of “constant” between all of his movies that links them all together.

[@collativelearning]

It's not in Eyes Wide Shut. His name as director links the films together so I don't find that a worthwhile conclusion, but thanks.

[@dudeduderino2872]

@@collativelearning thank you for your work truly sir rob

[@jettnorr]

Somewhere... over the 🌈?

[@dreadmoc12]

As a creator, I often repeat patterns in my art, sometimes subconsciously. I find my use of the number 7 is very subconscious and I have to make an effort to avoid it. My Song Doppelganger was the seventh track on the album. I moved it to number eight. The Doppelganger is very significant to me. Any time I use mirrors or reflection in my art it always represents the Doppelganger. I often use multiples to convey thoughts, philosophy or beliefs. The use of multiples always indicates my advocacy to use one's own mind. Think for yourself. Although Doppelganger is instrumental, I made a separate video just for it, and while I could have named any song Doppelganger, I sort of liked that one for it. The video is quite simple, but it is an invitation to step into my mind. To see what I see, and hear what I hear. Seven is only significant for the fact that I'm the youngest of seven children and it was my little league baseball number for two years. The third year, I was given the number six, ultimately injured and unable to finish the season. Life's kind of quirky 🤪

[@frankiecanjoog558]

Don't know if anyone mentioned this already or if it has actual significance, but I noticed that the order of the diamonds is actually in the ratio of 2+3+2. If you look closer at the 7 diamonds in 2001, you can see that they are arranged in depth. You have the 2 biggest ones, but the 5 middle ones are actually in a ratio of 3+2. You have 3 diamonds of the same size and 2 smaller diamonds of the same size. This represents diamonds arranged in depth with the bigger ones being closest, and smaller ones being the farthest. This 2+3+2 ratio actually appears in some of the examples. For example, most of the 7 diamonds in the shining are arranged in this ratio. The pillows are an example. Out of the 5 pillows on the bed 3 are the same color and the other two are a different color and the two pillows on the sofa are again a different color. The seven diamonds tapestry also has the 2+3+2 ratio. Even the gold room sign has this ratio. There are two diamonds on top, and the 5 diamonds are arranged again as 2+3 (2 smaller diamonds and three bigger diamonds). Another example is the seven diamonds in A Clockwork Orange. As the camera pans, you can see that the diamonds are clearly divided in 2+3+2 ratio. The diamonds in Full metal Jacket are usually divided in 3+4, which goes against the 5+2 theory as well so it doesn't help my case really. Then again, you could look at it as 3 big diamonds and then 4 smaller diamonds which is 2+2 but that may be a bit of a stretch. The first example in FMJ that you used though, does have a 2+3+2 ratio. You have the two actual diamonds and then the kanji letters, if you look closely, are again in a 3+2 ratio, meaning 2+3+2. I don't have consistent proof that this ratio really matters. Like I said, there are examples where this ratio is broken. I've seen some more examples of this ratio in the shining but I don't fell like mentioning every single example. Anyways, hope you people find this interesting and maybe you can build upon this theory.

[@OrangeGeemer]

A solution (for @Collative Learning): This interpretation focus on the 2 and 5 numbers, not the total of 7. I think Kubrick is indicating 2 sets of 5 diamond/square shapes, they usually appear on the background and the characters don't notice them, except for the one character that transcends his own movie: Dave. Kubrick’s movies are shot in 65 mm film, each frame of this type of film has 5 square holes on each side where the gears go; so the first thing a characters that could see beyond his world boundaries would be 2 sets of 5 diamond/square shapes (if he could stay still for one frame at a time). Dave whole psychedelic trip might be interpreted as him traveling on the inside of a film, then on top of film and finally him slowing down enough to see the 2 sets of 5 gears teeth; in fact early the letter "i" he sees could be just a couple of gear teeth moving too fast. Please feel free to expand on this idea, I would love to see it on a follow up video. Regards.

[@OrangeGeemer]

I think the above interpretation fits much better than tarot cards, numerology, bible and other esoteric sources; Kubrick seemed to be a rational man and also an atheist, so it would be weird of him to put a magical reference on his films. The gears interpretations even fits better with your video on the monolith meaning.

[@collativelearning]

It's a nice idea, but I don't think that's it personally.

[@NGC6144]

@@collativelearning The more I think about it I think the "i" is a direct reference to and the symbol for the Imaginary unit: square root of negative one. It's a mathematical term in complex numbers/Linear Algebra that functions to rotate on a plane in representing physical processes and states. For example, two complimentary but opposite quantum states can be represented as a vector pointing up 45 degrees and the other pointing down 45 degrees on a complex plane(Hilbert space). Either vector can be rotated or flipped into the other by multiplying by the imaginary unit in representing a change from one state into it's opposite state like the point of view changing from right side up into it's opposite down or the left side view changes to the right side view in the bar scene. Squares rotated 45 degrees are diamonds I suppose.

[@bobbyokeefe4285]

Perhaps he viewed himself as the God figure(7 days of creation)of his movies,secretly he was saying that the Director is the Omnicient being who guides the story and his characters as he wishes.

[@PHATNERO]

This is a long and complex, yet simple symbology. They're diamonds, yes, but no. They are cubes. 7 levels of hell and cubes being cells. As well as symbols of worship, Saturn, Mecca...etc. The 5 & 2 is a representative of man, 2 being the binary, man, woman etc. and the 5 being not only the physical senses but the hidden aspects of man. There is so much more, but I don't have a book of room. Great video.

[@thatvideogamesshow]

Great analysis!

[@trogoautoegocrat666]

It also represents a pyramid seen from above. A meta perspective on the structure of power.

[@bengszy8124]

So the viewer's eye and the eye inside the film and the screen in between form a octahedron, then I think this diamond shape is the reflexivity of the cinematic medium itself

[@ShortRound42]

Douglas Trumbull gave a powerpoint presentation on 2001 at the Museum of the Moving Image a few weeks back. The diamond designs are nothing more than cool designs with the stargate imagery Trumbull did superimposed with their 'sausage' machine camera they developed. No deeper meaning than a cool design. From Trumbull himself.

[@thelevelbeyondhuman]

In all fairness, it doesnt matter what Trumbulls opinion is on the stars. He was the special effects man on 2001, he wasn’t the director, it wasn’t his story to tell, it was Stanley. So unless Douglass Trumbull is Stanley Kubrick in disguise, it doesn’t matter whether he thinks the diamonds shapes are symbolic or just there to look cool

[@ShortRound42]

@@thelevelbeyondhuman He worked closely with Kubrick. It wasn’t his opinion.

[@thelevelbeyondhuman]

@@ShortRound42 and so? Are you understanding what I’m saying? He worked closely with Kubrick to create the special effects, for certain parts of the movie, he had no part in developing the story, creating the screenplay, or anything related to what the message or meaning of the movie is supposed to be. It was Stanley‘s/Arthur C. Clarke’s story and vision to tell, not Trumbull. Besides, Stanley is on record for being secretive about the meaning of most of his movies, and getting irritated when people ask him about the meaning of his movies. This has been documented by people who have worked very closely with him, by Trumbull. So again, I don’t see how your point that “Trumbull himself said..” means anything of importance to anyone. Trumbull is just one of many ex Kubrick employees with his own ideas about the movie...

[@ShortRound42]

@@thelevelbeyondhuman Trumbull talked about knowing the story with Kubrick while they were doing the effects, they worked 2.5 years on this, together and you think they so close in production on all of this, Kubrick wouldn't communicate some of the why's, etc. So Trumbull and crew can understand what to do and do it better. He spoke about this... Sometimes...“No one knew-I didn’t know. Kubrick didn’t know- what he wanted to see." At various stages. We know he worked of course closely with Clarke back and forth on the book and filming but with his s/fx team as well. The effect crew showed him so many different looks for different shots so he could pick from. Nothing was set in stone or some grand 'hidden meanings' scheme. You have to remember they were doing this ALL from scratch and at a certain level of quality. There's no big deep meanings on those diamonds. Kubrick is the greatest film director, I'm totally in that camp but these analysis are looking for meanings that aren't there. Remember that Room 237 doc, etc. The Kubrick family laughed at that. They're on record that all that analysis was nonsense. Why not interview Trumbull or Vitali and/or his daughter, family who knew the man closely and worked closely to get into his psyche and not far fetched wild silly notions. It cheapens his work to over analyze things like art, film, or music as 'fact' without knowing the man, the men, people personally creating said art. It sucks the life out of the work. It's a disservice to the craft.

[@ShortRound42]

@@thelevelbeyondhuman From Arthur Clarke...This concept is described in Clarke’s 2001 film novel… Chapter 41 - Grand Central “It was some kind of cosmic switching device, routing the traffic of the stars through unimaginable dimensions of space and time. He was passing through a Grand Central Station of the Galaxy.” Clarke also describes it in abandoned script versions recounted in his Lost Worlds of 2001 (1972), and used again in his novel Rendezvous with Rama (1973). Trumbull talked about this too in his power point presentation at the museum. So now tell me from the youtube analysis we've both watched that his analysis is MORE informed than the guy who actually wrote the book.

[@ANunes06]

Extremely random thought that might as well escape into the wild. Could the numbers 5 + 2 represent major motion picture studios? For YEARS it was the "Big Five" and I'm not sure how many new-ish studios were breaking in on that. Could be 2. And if we roll with the "Kubrik Gold Standard" thing, we can pretty easily make a thematic connection that Diamonds represent imaginary value that humans place on things. Perhaps even directly representing fiat currency in The Shining or even Full Metal Jacket, but also more abstract things like Human Consciousness in 2001 or Power Itself in Dr. Strangelove. Leveraging the notion of mirrored pyramids, you could likewise call the symbolism "the power we see and the power hidden beneath". But I like that less. So to make a specific leap: In 2001, the floating diamonds represent the imagined power that the major motion picture studios believe they have over human consciousness, but the monolith (which is just a rotated *beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep*) allows Bowman to see them clearly before transcending their reach altogether. The Monolith thus represents the wall that holds us captivated and enthralled to our own accomplishments, preventing forward movement AND the door that lets us break free. Thus, blandly stated, the thesis of 2001 is that the medium of film is just a medium. What we make and what we view shapes us and shapes our society. We can use it to hold humanity back, or to help us evolve. But beware, for lurking behind every film that is made are the studio executives, wielding their imaginary power to use this amazing tool for their own personal whims.

[@dakotaspruell1083]

I like this theory; Five large companies: RKO Radio Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer came to be known as the "Big Five," the "majors," or "the Studios" in trade publications.

[@dakotaspruell1083]

Paramount and Columbia were the two newer smaller ones

[@ExtremeBogom]

There's even 7 bullets strapped to the helmet on the poster of Full Metal Jacket. Not diamonds I know, but a nice coincidence.

[@soundandvision3739]

This may have been pointed out already but when discussing this with a friend a few months ago and he had pointed out that room 237, which was changed most likely intentionally by Kubrick, from 217 in the novel. 2+3=5 and then a seven. It doesn’t work entirely but we had just noticed that. My friend is a huge fan of yours, which is why we were talking about this, and hopes you’re doing well and thanks you for the amazing work.

[@soundandvision3739]

Like how the diamonds in 2001 appear threatening and represent evil in many of the films, changing the room number to 237 could be a subtle way of making the room more threatening or connect it to this symbol. This doesn’t explain what the seven diamonds represent but Kubrick changing the room number had always made me wonder why and it makes me want to look more into it. Might be time for another rewatch.

[@hannoverfiste4126]

There has been instances in Kubrick films where the seven is formed from "2+5", so it doesn't quite make sense. But if we take the 7 as some symbol of enlightment or fulfilment, then the meaning is probably hidden in what the 23 stands for?

[@lange5050]

This mystery piqued my interest to look into the meaning of 7 and diamonds in tarot - namely the Marseilles Tarot, which itself doubled as a set of playing cards in the 1600's. Diamonds map to coins in tarot - symbols of money or wealth. The mystical meanings of the numbers, succinctly, are: 2: Receptivity 5: Transmission 7: Cosmic Consciousness Given that the 2 is almost always more prominent or above the 5 in arrangement, this suggests that a receptive gaze (two eyes?) will reveal the subtle transmissions messages conveyed by Kubrick himself. It could be his signature easter egg, in other words, when shown in the 2-5 pattern, it may be his way of saying: "Watch carefully and see the subtle message". When shown as the pattern of 7 together, such as with the door frame in FMJ, it may represent an omniscient observer, like the eyes of God (or of the audience?) present at the most impactful moments - one that isn't full of heart or love (this would be cups/hearts instead), but of fortune, much like a God of fate or power - so it has a cold, sinister tone to it. Which makes me wonder about Eyes Wide Shut - could there possibly be characters (living symbols of materiality and wealth) arranged in fives and sevens throughout the film? I'll be watching it soon for this purpose. My thought is that five might be more prominent since the two observing "eyes" would be "shut" often in the film. Thanks for the great analysis!

[@mikebarnettstuff]

This sounds like a fun little snipe hunt. So we’re looking for an over arching symbol that applies to these films that exist in different genres. Time to do some internet sleuthing. It may be interesting to note that Kubrick died before Eyes Wide Shut was edited. His assistant Leon Vitali ended up editing the entire film, if I remember correctly. So that may or may not account for some deviation from the use of the symbolism.

[@sitluxetluxfuit4481]

Mmmmm I thought eyes wide shut had the heaviest use of symbolism of all Kubrick's film's occult and other wise . You could literally talk for 100 hours of the layer's of symbolism in eyes wide shut and still only scratch the surface, Kubrick always planned out every detail before ever commiting it to celluloid.

[@mikebarnettstuff]

@@sitluxetluxfuit4481 eyes wide shut is a great film and I’m sure completely dictated by Kubrick but if he was not alive to be involved in the final edit there is a chance, however slight we may agree to, that it made a difference. Decisions tend to need be made during the editing process that are often unforeseen.

[@sitluxetluxfuit4481]

@@mikebarnettstuff I know he wasn't physically there to do final edit , I said long before Kubrick filmed anything he knew in advance what the final cut would be . Kubrick would not have anything to with a studio that wouldn't give him the final cut .

[@mikebarnettstuff]

@@sitluxetluxfuit4481 I agree with you but its hard to have final cut when you’re dead.

[@mediacrusher]

I like how Rob asks his audience for answers, incorporates the ones he likes without attributing the actual person, then goes on to get patron $$ for his "theories," not making money off of other folks's ideas at all!