While attending a Christmas party in New York, Dr William Harford is asked by the host, Victor Ziegler, to tend a naked young woman who has overdosed. While he is absent, his wife Alice finds herself the unwanted object of attention from an elderly man. When later, Alice tells William about an early relationship she had with a naval officer, he is shocked. When he goes to tend to the grieving daughter of one of his patients, he is tempted to sleep with a prostitute, but is stopped when Alice calls him. An old friend, Nick, tells William about a fancy dress sex party and gives him the password which will allow him entry. William gets a cloak and mask from costumier Milich, and makes his way to the party, which is being held in a mansion. There, he sees a man in a red robe, who is pairing off the male guests with naked, masked women. While he is watching, William is approached by a masked woman who warns him to leave. When the red-robed man asks him for a second password, William is unable to provide one. Just before he is thrown out, the masked woman tells him she will "redeem him". The following day, William tries to contact Nick, but finds he left his hotel accompanied by two men. William then gets a note telling him not to make further inquiries into the orgy. Real life couple Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman are paired as a real-life couple in this steamy drama which was Stanley Kubrick's last film: critics and audiences alike were divided on whether this is a fascinating look at flirtation and fidelity or a load of pretentious tosh.