Barry Lyndon tells the tale of an impoverished Irish lad who so desperately wants to climb the social ladder that he will do nearly anything to accomplish his ascension only to find that it is a lot easier on the way down than it was to climb up in the first place.

Based on the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray with screenplay by the multitalented Stanley Kubrick, Barry Lyndon is a triumph of sight and sound.

Set in the 18th Century, the times of George Washington, Mozart, and King George III, it is one of the premier costume dramas ever filmed. Reportedly, director Stanley Kubrick extensively studied 18th Century paintings to get the visual style he craved. The result in composition and color looks like a series of Gainsborough paintings, thanks to flawless cinematography by John Alcott.

Kubrick, a perfectionist, went so far as to commission special high speed Zeiss lenses to photograph using ambient light, including candlelight, evident in most interior shots. The result is a feast for the eyes, with the lush interiors and costumes appearing to their best advantage in the natural lighting, rather than the usual washed out appearance of Klieg-lit sets. The disadvantage is that the actors cannot move, as the image would blur, so there is a static, plodding tendency to the story. (I had a thought of the actors in the interior scenes held into place by clamps around their necks as seen in old photographic sessions).

The movie begins and ends with duels, the way European gentlemen settled differences in those days. The first resulted in the death of Barry's father, which impoverished his family and sent Barry on his road to ruin. The second duel resulted in Barry's final eclipse and ended the tale of the rogue who tried so hard to be accepted into the upper class but found, as so many others before and since have, that social climbers will never be accepted by the powers-that-be.

In between the two duels, Barry has numerous adventures including serving two hitches in various armies, a spy, a gambler, and womanizer; ultimately becoming husband to a titled lady. He never, however establishes his independent fortune and therefore becomes a kept man, disrespected by his stepson, Lord Bullingdon, and basically ignored by society except when he is buying the drinks.

Ryan O'Neal does a good job portraying the conniving wastrel Barry Lyndon. He has the honest face and good manners of the successful con man and the ability to cry when the need arises. The irony is that after all the unpunished misdeeds he commits to attain his exalted position, Barry is punished for the one humane act he performs, for the unthankful Lord Bullingdon. I think this was the ultimate message Kubrick was aiming for. Marissa Berenson is Lady Lyndon, decked out in beautiful bust-enhancing gowns and ostentatious wigs, otherwise she is a cipher, basically reduced to signing drafts to pay for her lavish household. Lord Bullingdon is played by a number of actors through his different ages, ending up with Leon Vitali. When Barry and Lady Lyndon get married he is about four years old and he makes some remarkably knowing remarks to his tutor about Barry's (lack of) character. It would be almost as astonishing as seeing a talking cat to hear such words come out of the mouth of a babe. The older Lord Bullingdon was just OK, an effete English fop with a powdered face and beauty mark.

Narration is spoken by old professional actor Michael Hordern and telegraphs nearly all the moves since Barry Lyndon is told in the past tense. Music consists of mainly period pieces well performed and often surprisingly juxtaposed with the visuals.

Knowing Kubrick, there is obviously more of a message to the film than meets the eye. When I look back at what I learned watching Barry Lyndon I am struck by the rigidity of the caste system that the characters were locked into. Barry could never rise above his humble beginnings, neither could the nobility stoop below their station, despite whatever acts, despicable or otherwise, either performed.

Barry Lyndon is an extremely well put together film with a slow pace but is well worth watching to those who are familiar with the novel, those who love period dramas (like me), and Stanley Kubrick fans.



Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening