Review of Barry Lyndon (1975) by Brandon W — 01 Aug 2011

Stanley Kubrick is known for having done a lot of things with very few films over a VERY long career, however slightly sarcastic period pieces are probably a new one to the none Kubrick obsessed movie buff. Indeed shortly after A Clockwork Orange while Kubrick was still on his self imposed exile in Britain unable to leave the island to film apparently because of his irrational phobia of flying (and water apparently?) he adapted a little known William Makepeace Thackeray novel in the beautiful Irish country side. The film featured some relative no names and a declining star and gained some notoriety upon its release even being one of the many Kubrick movies to get a Best Picture nod but for whatever reason it was quickly forgotten in the annals of movie history. But what a history this one has being developed by legendary visionary and nut case Kubrick. It's an old Hollywood story Kubrick was obsessed with Napoleon Bonaparte and knew basically everything about the man his ultimate dream being to make a great biopic about the man. Unfortunately for him while it was in the planning stages a biopic about Bonaparte called Waterloo was made and SUCKED not too mention tanked so Kubrick wasn't going to get funding for his project anytime soon leading him to pursue A Clockwork Orange instead. He also apparently had intended to do Vanity Fair as a second option Thackeray's more famous novel but aborted that when he decided it was too long to properly condense and when a TV serial about it was released. Fortunately for him 2001 had gained him a reputation as a film making auteur studios hunting Oscars desperately wanted and he was given an enormous budget to make a period film which was shrouded in mystery. Nothing was released but that it would be shot in Ireland and feature a D List Hollywood Star and a Magazine model. The film was shot like the epic it is taking almost a year to film, with picturesque scenery and sets as well as an original classical sounding score that ranks among the best to appear in one of his films. Luckily of course the movie too take place in the Seven Years War was able to use a lot of the period information and location scouting the aborted Bonaparte biopic would have. It seemed through some fortune Kubrick had stumbled head first into another visionary classic and yet few seem to remember this film. So is it a character study and period piece with that special Kubrickian touch or a mediocre pandering waste of time that set its sights too high. Let's take a look that demands satisfaction.

Our film's protagonist's real name is Redmond Barry (Ryan O'Neal giving one of the most nuanced and complex performances of all time over a three hour span most of which is focused on him, far exceeding the pretty boy expectations he'd set for him in "Love Story") a young Irish bastard raised by his farmer uncle and his devoted mother (Marie Kean who's harshness and very refined brutality is only shown in a few scenes). He is smitten by his whore of a cousin Nora Brady (Gay Hamilton a very unique and conniving temptress) who casts him aside after a bit of fun for the cowardly British Captain John Quinn (Leonard Rossiter who is again given VERY little too work with in a Kubrick movie and yet is staggeringly good) whom has promised to end her fathers financial woes. Barry grows jealous and challenges the gentleman to a duel, being forced however to flee his home when he accidentally shoots the coward dead in a well done and terse scene that shows Kubrick certainly knows how to make anyone look badass with a gun. So we see for the next hour and half Barry enlist in the British army and lie and cheat his way across the continent of Europe until he finally worms his way into a position of power married to a soon to be widowed beautiful young woman Lady Lyndon (Marisa Berenson who is both beautiful and surprisingly versatile). The latter half of the movie consists of our young rogue's life as a man of privilege and power misusing his position and mistreating those in his life till as the title card of Part II suggests he falls into self inflicted ruin.

I must profess I do not like Victorian (I'm aware this is some time before the Victorian era) or generally Old English period pieces especially not ones of nobility exchanging witticisms at each other and being wonderfully uncommon ho, ho, ho, ho! I expected to admire that Kubrickian touch but not at all like this film and as such when I adored a Kubrick box set my Freshman year of High School I waited till last to watch this one. My God I was blown away, this movie is an unbelievable breath of fresh air into a painfully stale genre and quickly cemented itself as one of my top movies from the Director, easily my second favorite. The movie doesn't any submit to cliches of good period pieces, the dialogue doesn't try to be witty but is in fact exceptionally common especially in the first act the bluntness of which makes it incredibly enjoyable and wonderful to hear especially in those awesome authentic Irish accents. But more importantly than that, or the flawless sets that feel like a Hogarth painting come to life or the beautiful period costumes or even the painstakingly set up shots what makes this work the best is how deftly it balances everything it wants to be. The movie is heart poundingly intense, snort worthingly funny, spine tinglingly badass and in a few scenes throat dryingly sad. It does all of this and excels at them all making you feel every emotion you're meant too with its dramatic and well done pacing whether you want to or not. The film further hammers everything home with its masterful use of repetition. Whether it be the two duels with even feature the same song playing on in the background, repeated shots of the outside of Lyndon estate in varying appearances and time or repetition of dialogue the film sets in like a powerfully vivid dream and never lets go. It handles its task of recreating a bygone age with truly fantastic fervor putting me more in the element of the time than any other film I've ever seen set in the past with its masterful direction, beautiful cinematography and brilliant cast. I'd never heard of 80% of these people but there was not a weak performance in sight, least of all from O'Neal who alternately makes you love, hate, rejoice with and pity his scheming Irish rogue. The film doesn't demand up front and emotional reaction but gets under your skin and drags it out kicking and screaming.

I think part of what made this probably the best received movie ever set in this time is the fact all the characters motivations are incredibly clear and they are all complex and yet very obvious. Whether it be a desire for the easy life or an Oedipus complex you know why everyone does everything they do and its interesting even without the soothing and wonderfully ever present Irish narrator. No character is perfect or above mockery or unflattering portrayal but none is exceptionally evil without cause either. Everything seems incredibly familiar yet through the dreamlike filter of the past and the rolling Irish countryside where most of this was filmed has never seemed so vivid. The Irish folk and period classical music also much repeated in the three hour run time are wonderfully scored and as always with Kubrick perfectly matched. This is a period piece for people that don't like period pieces and I dare say it is well worth your watch who ever you are. Fair warning, devote all due time and attention too it, it has a LOT of replay value and yet will never be the same after the first time you see it.