Barry Lyndon Reviews

Absolute masterpiece

You would think that adapting Thackeray's delightfully ironic book, maybe his best after Vanity Fair, would be a tall order. Indeed, it takes a Kubrick at the top of his abilities to make it justice. But what a result!

The casting and the acting are perfect; if Ryan O'Neal got on your nerves in Love Story, watch him here as an Irish boob making his way, half by scheming, half by accident, into english nobility. The photography, whether of landscapes across Europe, or of interior scenes in various castles, is simply breathtaking. And the soundtrack, a mix of irish folk tunes and classical music, is masterfully used to conjure up the delightful, if sometimes slightly melancholic atmosphere of late XVIIIth century Britain.

Truly a memorable experience. Rent it, watch it, and buy it to see it again and again.

The Time Out review is idiotic.

This is one of the best examples of the cinematic medium you will find. Symphonic in form, Barry Lyndon follows the industrious Barry as he forges his way up the ranks of society, from the brutal British and Prussian battlefields to the candlelit poker rooms of aristocratic mansions. It demonstrates the delusions inherent to societal ambition (still relevant in todays corporate-driven world), depicting a world where tenderness is subsumed to survival.

This is not to suggest it's dispassionate though, for it contains scenes of uncommon melancholy and smouldering eroticism.

It also has the best soundtrack I have ever heard, and some of cinema's finest photography. I consider it Kubrick's most perfectly realised film.

Kubrick's 'rise and fall' film in the countryside

Kubrick(dir) seemed to make a film of each genre in his career, but this one carves out it's own. Watch it on a big TV, with plenty of time. I love this film. There aren't many like it. It takes it's time and tell's a great story. Every shot and scene is beautifully set up, without feeling too contrived. Only natural light is used, and special lenses were developed to achive this. Films buff's will enjoy its craft, everyone it's story. One for boys and girls. Be warned though, it's pretty long.

Another Kubrick Classic

Starting with 'The Killing' in 1956, every film made by Stanley Kubrick has been a classic (with the possible exception of his last film, Eyes Wide Shut, which is still open to debate). There has been no other director alive with a track record such as this. The reason is that he chose his projects carefully, particularly in the last thirty years of his career when he would take long breaks inbetween films. The shortest was four years, and the longest was twelve. Adapting all of them from classic novels, he never made any film that was not worth making.

'Barry Lyndon' is a very peculiar affair -- just as you would expect from something sandwiched inbetween the most controversial classic film ever made ('A Clockwork Orange') and possibly the greatest horror movie ever made ('The Shining'). The world of 18th century European aristocracy is inherently surreal by itself, by Kubrick just gives it that added twist of unreality in this tale which follows a strong, principled young man through his life. While in Clockwork Orange we watched a despicable character be tormented until we felt sorry for him, here watch as Barry Lyndon forgets everything he once stood for and becomes despicable himself.

It's a superb piece of work in almost every respect -- and as with almost every Kubrick film, you won't forget it for a long time once you've seen it. Do yourself a favour and watch every one of this man's films.

A dramatic romantic epic

BARRY LYNDON is lush and magnificent, sparkling with color, every frame reminiscent of the finest European art. The blues of the Prussian army uniforms and the reds of the British contrast sharply with the majestic green land and mountains in nearly every background.

Kubrick often begins a shot close in, then zooms out to reveal the beautiful natural landscape and ornate rooms surrounding the now seemingly insignificant characters. With rousing performances from O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Hardy Kruger, and Leonard Rossiter, jaw-dropping camerawork, spectacular natural lighting, and a marvelous classical-music soundtrack painstakingly put together by Kubrick, BARRY LYNDON is a dramatic romantic epic that may be Kubrick's most beautiful film.

This is a very long (3 hours) movie that is ultimately very boring. A few set pieces unfold at

a very leisurely pace. I found the commentary particularly tedious as it often just told you

what was going to happen - hardly condusive to dramatic tension! Some nice cameo

performances from Leonard Rossiter and Patrick MacGee, but 3 hours of Ryan O'Neal's

alleged "Irish" accent was too much for me ...

This is a well-made movie, as you would expect from Kubrick. However, none of the characters had any empathy and I found that I did not care what happened to any of them.

Kubrick's eye candy

So what if the characters are all paper thin and Ryan O'Neal delivers a decidedly wooden performance, this film looks beautiful. The epic scale and 3 hour length mean that you can just let the scenery and costumes wash over you.

Excellent Film

Well worth a watch, a fully feldged story encompassing all the emtions from happy to sad, tense to relaxed and calm. Was not to sure of this film as i had nefer heard of it, not usually my kinda thing, period drama, but all the same was most enjoyable.

Take a chance

Tom

A Stanley Kubrick Great

Ryan O'Neal was, as another reviewer put it, rather wooden. Leonard Rossiter was indeed the same as the Rigby character in Rising Damp with the same facial expressions and mannerisms.

Nevertheless, I absolutely loved it. I had seen it before and it was just as great the second time around. The scenery, costumes and lighting were wonderful and I particularly liked the ongoing narration.

It was very long but it held my attention at all times. Well worth its five stars!