Review of Barry Lyndon (1975) by Mike W — 19 Jun 2010

Barry Lyndon is Stanley Kubrick's loose adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's picaresque novel 'The Luck of Barry Lyndon'. The film is an epic tale charting the rise and fall of a young man up and down the social ladder of 18th century Europe. It has to be said that upon its release this film received mixed reviews, and was dubbed by many critics as 'Borey Lyndon'; I myself was not a huge fan upon first viewing. But as with every great film, and Kubrick's films in particular it must be watched numerous times to be appreciated, as such it is now recognised by many as one of the most wonderfully crafted films of all time.

Throughout his career Kubrick strived to remain fresh, never focusing on one particular genre, rather inventing new genres as he went along. In the same way that 'The Shining' was not just a horror film and 'Full Metal Jacket' was not just a war film, 'Barry Lyndon' is by no means just another costume drama. Throughout the film Kubrick manages to subvert the conventions of period dramas and if not for beautiful the scenery and the magnificent setting you would be forgiven for forgetting that you are watching a costume drama at all.

Furthermore, cast performances are generally excellent in this film. It has to be said that it is hard to choose one as a stand out because the cast is so large, this is due to the extent of the story and the longevity of the film. For me though some particular highlights were the performances of Ryan O'Neil and Leon Vitali in the duel towards the end of the film. The tension that is built up between both the actors is incredible and the whole scene is very well acted and directed. If I was forced to choose a stand out performance it would be David Morley, a young actor playing Barry's son Bryan. Quick spoiler here I'm afraid, I do not usually like giving away the plot in my reviews but here I must make an exception as I love this scene so dearly. The scene that I am referring to is where Bryan explains to his parents that he is dying and asks his father to tell him a story. The portrayal of grief is one of the best to be found on screen and the performance by both O'Neil and Morley is mesmerising and enough to bring anyone to tears. Sadly it seems that Morley did not continue his acting career after Barry Lyndon as I cannot find any record of him being in any other films.

Overall, 'Barry Lyndon' is a true outright adventure and in my opinion Kubrick's second best film after 'The Shining'. Unlike many period dramas it takes you across the length and breadth of 18th century Europe, representing many cultures bringing fantastic and diverse visuals throughout. How anyone could find this film boring is beyond me and I am glad that this film is now getting the recognition it deserves. To many people it is just one of those films that they never got round to watching, as it was with me for a long time. If you aren't a huge fan the first time watch it again as I did, and keep watching it until you see this masterpiece for what it is. It is not just one for fans of Kubrick, as a fan of Kurosawa I can definitely see his influence shining through in sweeping scenic wide angle shots and kineticism in the fight scenes, so there really is something for every film fan.