Review of Barry Lyndon (1975) by Bheema D — 01 Sep 2015

In regards to the first act, it can be accurately said that the sum of its parts is greater than its whole. Theoretically, the soundtrack, the acting, the visual direction, the story, these are all undoubtedly effective elements - but they don't mesh together in a way suiting its intention.

Maybe if Stanley Kubrick wasn't so in love with the source material and obsessed with his style than the substance wouldn't be sacrificed, and maybe if Leonard Rosenman wasn't so obsessed with proving himself than his soundtrack would match the dramatic structure of the film.

However, the second act fixes these problems - the music becomes not a statement of Barry Lyndon's knowledge of classics, but instead a way to bring the emotion of the film to life. The story ceases to be a confused one, but instead has incredible emotional effectiveness.

There is a scene involving the death of someone close to Barry which ranks as one of the most heart-wrenching sequences in film history. It's a shame I have to give this film only four stars - if there is a modern equivalent of Kubrick out there, he ought to remake this film and learn from the previously made mistake.