Review of Barry Lyndon (1975) by Nikolai E — 15 Dec 2009

Recieved mixed acclaim upon its initial release, and now considered a true classic. The reason is the film floats on such an even keel that it's easy to miss how impressive every frame really is. I don't know if there's ever been a period film that provides a better sense of time and place, with some of the best costume and set work ever done.

The story is straightforward, but embellished with countless details, and told in a luxuriously smooth and even pace that never feels dull. It's a miracle only Kubrick could perform that a film this enormous could maintain such a level of intricacy and nuance over two years and three hundred shooting days.

All in all, pure pleasure, and I can still hear the score in my head two days later.