Review of Barry Lyndon (1975) by Dawdlingpoet — 23 Nov 2021

This is on one hand quite a lavish period drama and on the other hand also quite understated, as its a slow, somewhat plodding watch but it features some lovely scenes of many characters partaking in card games, dances and other leisurely pursuits. On the other hand, there are some battle scenes and soldiers are shown being shot to the ground like flies in a perhaps unnerving way. I liked the use of classical music in the background of many scenes - it felt quite an atmospheric watch overall, although I did get a little bit confused about the precise details of Barry's journeys. While watching it, I felt it was surprisingly engrossing. Its a bit slow but its certainly an enjoyable watch, or so I felt anyway. I liked that there's some soft lighting used and indeed some scenes had the look/feel of a dream almost.

I liked the scenes set outside the stately homes, with pretty backdrops as well as the many people in costume making it a quite appealing watch. The plot itself may seem a little bare but there is plenty to interest the viewer regardless. I liked seeing how the young son grew up, for one thing.

If your a fan of character based period dramas then I would definitely recommend this film, although it does seem somewhat pompous, it is certainly quite good and I liked that it, if but lightly, mocks nobility.