Review of Barry Lyndon (1975) by Peter H — 18 Jun 2010

What would be the best way to describe this Kubrick masterpiece? SERVELY UNNDERATED BY MOST MOVIE AUDIANCES. After seeing this film I still can't' work out why this film has never found a wider audience outside Kubrick fans and critics, I think it comes down to the fact when it was first realised it was a mega US box office flop for Warner Bro's in fact this films failure seriously dogged the relationship with Kubrick and the studio in fact Kubrick would only go on to direct three more films after this probably due his main studios partnership due the lack of trust with him bringing in a decent profit. Just take a look at the realise date of this film 1975, this film came a few years after Kubrick's controversial but successful masterpiece A CLOCKWORK ORANGE and was followed by his unbelievable popular horror classic THE SHINNING realised in 1980, in fact these two film overshadow this one completely. Anyway I must start getting to the point of why I've rated it 100%, This film takes place way back in the 1700's were war, beauty, classical music, Rococo and Baroque art, powered wigs and progress were all basic aspects of European civilization. As the title suggests this film is all about a character called Barry Lyndon in fact this is what the whole film is about the life of Barry Lyndon in the 1700's. Although this might sound dull trust me it's far from that, Barry or Redmond Barry starts off as an Irish peasant that gets into all kinds of misadventures like duelling, gambling, spying and fighting in two different armies during the Seven Years war before ascending the class ladder to the top of English society by marring a widowed countess. Wow that's quite a life but I have to point out this film was loosely based off a novel at the time titled THE LUCK OF BARRY LYNDON by William Makepeace Thackeray and also a lot of Rococo paintings for the look and realistic feel of the era. Now this film is split into two parts that look at a significant chunk of Barry's life.

In the first part of this film titled PART 1 BY WHAT MEANS REDMOND BARRY ACQUIRED THE STYLE AND TITLE OF BARRY LYNDON introduces us to our Irish rogue Redmond Barry. The movie starts off with Redmond's father being killed in a duel over a spat involving horses which widows Barry's mother and he loses his father in the process as well. The film cuts to a wonderfully lit cottage (which is only lit by natural light or by candle light which last throughout the film, in fact Kubrick had to use NASA technology to develop this kind of lens to capture natural light) were Redmond and his cousin Nora Brady are paying cards were she seduces the young and foolish Redmond. For the rest of the opening of the film it explores Redmond desire and lust for his cousin which leads him to duel her fiancée the finically well off Captain Quinn of the English army. However with a lot of financial secretary of Redmond's extended family they try to pressure Barry not to duel the captain, however Redmond duels the captain and comes off as the victor, anyway his extend family persuaded him to leave for Dublin just in case the authorities arrive. On the way to Dublin he is robbed by two highwaymen and is now left broke, in all desperation he enlists in the English army for financial security. In the regiments training camp and old friendly face appears, Captain Grogan his second at the duel with Quinn. Grogan informs Redmond that the duel and was staged and that his pistol was loaded with a fake bullet just to remove Redmond so that Quinn could marry his cousin. To Redmond's unfortunate luck he is now stuck in the army for over six years and is shipped off to take part in the seven years war with Prussia and England fighting the French and their allies. In a small battle with a small legion off French troops Redmond losses his mentor captain Grogan and starts to search for a way out , as his luck would have it he steels an English lieutenants ID papers and uniform to flee.

On his way to the neutral Holland he gets stopped by a Prussian officer called Captain Poztdof and his men who invite Redmond Barry back to their barracks for a nights rest. However Redmond is foiled by the Captain as a deserter and his only option is to join the Prussian army (which by this stage was running out of men so they force criminals into the service). Redmond in a different uniform sees more brutal battles and even saves the life of his new mentor Captain Poztdof. With this act of bravery Redmond remains loyal for the captain even after the war has ended. Potzdof and his uncle the chief of police assign Redmond to spy on the Chevalier an ex Irishman with links with all Prussia's ex enemies, however Redmond comes clean to the Chevalier about who he is and who he is working for. As the movie progresses Redmond becomes an extremely loyal partner of the Chevalier and the two of them are kicked out of Prussia by none other than Redmond's former mentor Captain Potzdof . Redmond and the Chevalier tour the courts of Europe as professional gamblers and has Redmond luck has in a court in Belgium he come across the young lady Lyndon , her young son and the dying Lord Lyndon. Redmond then seduces the lonely lady and wins her just in time when lord Lyndon dies suddenly at the court. Redmond finally moves up to a higher place in life thanks to the death of Lord Lyndon.

The second part of the film titled PART 2CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF THE MISFORTUNES AND DISASTERS WHICH BEFELL BARRY LYNDON looks mainly at Redmond's life in the place of the late lord Lyndon. After marring lady Lyndon, Redmond Barry becomes Mr. Barry Lyndon the new owner of the Lyndon estate however as luck has it the son of the late lord Lyndon, Lord Bullingdon poses the greatest threat to Barry. Anyway Barry starts to change from a likeable rouge into a bit of a bastard (I'm just being honest) towards his step son and his wife by treating them like shit, hell he even cheats on lady Lyndon. But Barry quickly sees the era of his ways towards his wife and makes up with her. Anyway he has a son with lady Lyndon called Bryan who becomes his main problem due to Barry's mother pointing out that he needs a title to secure his future for him and his son just in case Lady Lyndon dies unexpectedly which would leave them at the mercy of Lord Bullington the true heir of the estate who does not care for Barry or his step brother. As Bullington grows his hate for Barry increases so much that he embassies' Barry in front of all his noble friends with the gesture of parading his son in his shoes referring that his son would never step into his role as lord of his estate . Barry then brutally beats up the Young lord in front of his noble company which humiliates Bullington so much that it damages Barry's reputation in the aristocratic society. Before too long his young son Bryan is killed in a horse riding accident which sends Barry into a state of grief in which his mother has to take charge of the estate. Infact she fires the revered and former tutor of the late Bryan which send him to Bullington who decides the time is right to come back to the esate and demand satisfaction, he challenges his aging stepfather to a dramatic duel which could topple him or end the Lyndon Blood Line. In not going to say who comes out as the winner but its a great plot twist that ends on a sad note.

Finally the acting , set design , lighting ,scripting ,cinematography and of course Kubrick's knack for beautiful compositions and terrific direction and the smart idea to study Roccoco Painting adds up to the most accurate depiction of an era long ago. On another note this film was Kubrick's chance to get a feel of this era of history for his dream film a bio pic of the French emperor Napoleon ,in fact the direct kept a lot of this films props in the hope they would be re-used in this dream project but with this films failure at the box office Kubrick towards the end of his life became well aware that this was never to happen. Sadly with a damaged reputation with the heads of WB studios they became reluctant to finance another white elephant of Kubrick's, in fact the whole reason kubrick brought THE SHINNING to the big screen was to restore WB faith in him as a succesful director that could bring in a large profit. However Barry Lyndon meet something his later film weren't so lucky to have, widespread praise of the film critics of the time insted of the mixed reviews that always came from them with some of his other films like 2001 and the shinning for instances . 100/100 a fanatisc film that needs a wider audiance.