Review of Barry Lyndon (1975) by Allen G — 31 Mar 2016

A hidden (yet very bright) gem in the work of Stanley Kubrick. His most visually-appealing film (and one of the best-looking films that I've ever seen, frankly) and a fabulous period piece that tells a surprisingly rewarding story about, well, Barry Lyndon (go figure).

It's a beautiful film with outstanding performances and, as both a drama, and a period piece, it lives up to all expectations. It is well over three and a half hours long, however, and it's certainly not action-packed to say the least. Nor is it even that eventful overall.

The beautiful visuals and generally calming nature of the film carry you through its length though and, whilst there's no hugely dramatic payoff, you don't feel like your time was wasted with this story.

A unique work in Kubrick's filmography but certainly not an inferior one.