Barry Lyndon (1975)

Want to see it?

Seen it?

0
1
2
3
4
5
Rate this movie.

Buy it now on DVD

Starting at $15.22

Want to buy it?

Write a review

Discuss it

Add to lists

Recommend it

Get recommendations

Directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Starring Marisa Berenson, Gay Hamilton, Hardy Kruger, Patrick Magee, Ryan O'Neal.

With ornate imagery reminiscent of paintings from the story's 18th century period, Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's novel depicts the rise and fall of a sensitive rogue in the British aristocracy. Young Irishman Redmond Barry (Ryan O'Neal) leaves home to seek his fortune after apparently killing an English officer in a duel. Through a series of mishaps and accidents, Barry winds up fighting with the Prussian army in the Seven Years' War under the command of Capt. Potzdorf (Hardy Kruger); at war's end, Potzdorf enlists Barry to spy on a shady Chevalier (Patrick Magee). Instead, Barry joins up with the Irish Chevalier to flee Prussia and live as gamblers among Europe's elite. Wishing to climb even higher, Barry soon meets the beautiful Lady Lyndon (Marisa Berenson), marrying her for her fortune after her older titled husband dies. Her son Lord Bullingdon (Leon Vitali), however, despises the upstart Barry, and, regardless of how his mother may feel, sees to it that the re-named Barry Lyndon will never be able to stake his claim to the entrenched aristocracy. Coming after Kubrick's esteemed hits 2001 (1968) and A Clockwork Orange (1971), Barry Lyndon opened with high expectations and met with decidedly mixed responses to its restrained tone. Even with Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Director (and wins for Cinematography, Art Direction, Costumes, and Adapted Score), Barry Lyndon was a box office failure, as mid-'70s audiences increasingly turned away from such narrative challenges as its epic length and muffled emotions. Since then, Barry Lyndon has gained in stature, taking its place among the formidable artistic achievements of Kubrick's career. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

[more]

Reviews and discussions

Barry Lyndon (1975, USA, Stanle ...
by CinemaRian in CinemaRian Blog

hasn't rated it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"I hate being wrong. I especially hate being wrong after I see a movie five times, read numerous anaysis of it, have written a paper on a scene I took apart shot-by-shot, and said movie is by my second favorite director of all time. But yes, I was wrong- Barry Lyndon is a masterpiece, meaning that I now like every single film Kubrick has made. Even Coppola can't match that. I think I know why I didn't like it though-Barry Lyndon is the most esoteric and difficult of Kubrick's films (it's noteworthy that after some criticized this film as being to subtle, some critized his next film, The Shining, as being too obvious). It requires a relitivley indepth knowlege of 18th century European history to totally "get it." I don't know anywhere near as much as I should about that topic, but I know more than I did when the first five times as watched the film. Also, the movie really needs to be seen on a big screen. The reason is not only for the absoluley georgeous photography (I once ... " [More]

Proper Fucked in the World of M ...
by marymcilwain in Dollar Video Curator

loved it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"The polite society of nobility may seem an endless parade of teas, whispers, nods and dueling; boring, predictable. But in the glamorous world of the rich, cinched and nasty, they fuck others over as well as the rest of us more poorly dressed saps. Whereas the least fortunate of us end up perhaps in county lock-up, a pauper’s grave, or serving on jury duty, the wrong steps of an upper-class naughty-kin, could end perhaps in public shame at the Opera, or as the butt of everyone’s social “No-No” joke. The horror! But hey, punishment is all relative. Watch The Lifestyles of the Rich and Opulent implode for your entertainment in:The Age of Innocence, Barry Lyndon, Dangerous LiaisonsThe Age of Innocence Our hero Newland Archer is fucked from the second he lays eyes on the Countess Olenska, his betrothed’s slutty older cousin, who is world-weary and lookin’ for some action. The two become close when Newland advises her on her bad marriage, encouraging her to not get divorced, bec ... " [More]

Proper F**ked in the World of M ...
by marymcilwain in Dollar Video Curator

loved it.

Art House
by El_Aaron in El_Aaron Blog

liked it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"This is probably the greatest art house movie i've seen. Good ol' Kubrick! " [More]

Re: Favorites
by Risselada in British Invasion

loved it.

"Alright here's a few British gems that do good things for me. I believe these are all British in some way. Please correct me if otherwise:Two Bruce Robinson classics:Withnail & IHow to Get Ahead in AdvertisingThe Ruling ClassSleuthA Clockwork OrangeRosencrantz and Guildenstern are DeadDirty Pretty ThingsSecrets & LiesBarry LyndonTime BanditsThe LadykillersKind Hearts and CoronetsThe HomecomingA Christmas Carol (1951)Snatch.The Third ManThe Elephant ManFollowingA Zed & Two NoughtsBrazilOliver TwistThe Pink PantherA Shot in the Dark I hear that Kenneth Branaugh is supposedly directing a new film of Sleuth. It looks as though Michael Caine will be taking the other role in this one. What do people think about this? " [More]

Frames of Art
by williamdouglasb in williamdouglasb Blog

liked it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"It has been discussed that most of the films of Stanley Kubrick are examples of film-art. In other words, most of his films are thought of as pieces (more like masterpieces) of art. I would agree with this on his work from Paths of Glory to his last film, Eyes Wide Shut (his early film noirs are still good with the exception of Fear and Desire since Kubrick admitted this was a failure with his attempt to destroy every print of it). As for the films in the second half of his career (1971-1999), Barry Lyndon stands out to me as a good example of film-art. Though not the best film from this period in his career (A Clockwork Orange is the best one from this period to me), it is a film that exemplifies film-art to me in a different way than other Kubrick films. There are plenty of reasons you could say that Barry Lyndon was not a very successful piece of film-art at the time of its release. It is common for the studio that bankrolls the film to look at it one way; that v ... " [More]

Top 5 movies where the title is ...
by Risselada in Top 5

loved it.

"Name your top 5 movies where the title of the movie is the name of the main character in the movie. I'm going to be strict about it. The title has to be the main characters name, and that's it. So as much as I might like to say Ernest Goes to Jail, I can't because "Goes to Jail" isn't part of his name. I don't care if the title is the person's whole name or just part of it. I don't care if it's their real name or their nickname, if you can convince me the entire title is something you would call the main character. Ok, so enough of me being picky. Hopefully you'll still enjoy this. Here's what I've come up with. 1. Henry Fool. What is poetry? Check this movie out. Hal Hartly has apparently just made a sequel which is titled after Parker Posey's character Fay Grimm. 2. Barton Fink. Struggling screenwriter. It seems like some of the things dealt with in this movie aren't that far from Henry Fool. 3. Amadeus. I didn't realize this when I started, but my first three movi ... " [More]

Re: Top War Films
by Risselada in Top 5

loved it.

"[quote user="SkyPilot"] 1. The Thin Red Line--I've never been in the military but the movement of the film feels very realistic, a hurry-up-and-wait situation. But since it's Malick, it's often slow-down-and-wait, too. 2. The Deer Hunter--By now we probably all know that there is no evidence for the Viet Cong forcing their prisoners to play Russian roulette. Fine. It's still one of the most compelling scenes in cinema history. 3. Apocalypse Now--not the Redux, in which the scenes had some interesting points or themes, but I don't think most of the scenes helped the movie. Except maybe the scene where Kurtz comes to the guys' cell and reads to him from--Time magazine was it? Still, you have a trade-off because that's the only time you see Kurtz in the daylight, and I like how in the original he's always in the dark of the temple. 4. Saving Private Ryan--UPPUM WILL YOU GET UP THAT F***ING STAIRCASE! It still does it to me every time. 5. Platoon--I don't have much to say a ... " [More]

Review by All Movie Guide

All Movie Guide

loved it.

While not too well-regarded on its initial release, Barry Lyndon, like most of Stanley Kubrick's work, has stood the test of time as a dramatically compelling and visually stunning motion picture. Kubrick's retelling of William Makepeace Thackeray's novel has often been accused of moving too slowly for its own good, but if you allow yourself to slip into its admittedly deliberate rhythm, you'll discover an absorbing, complex, and dryly witty tale packed with sex, violence, gambling, war, family feuds, romantic betrayals, love, death, and all the other things that make historical dramas so much fun. Though no one has ever accused Ryan O'Neal or Marisa Berenson of being expressive actors, their limited emotional palettes work in their favor here; Kubrick structures the film so that the audience reads triumph and tragedy in the subtle emotional variations of his cast, allowing many of them to register onscreen as they never would otherwise. (And, in fairness to O'Neal, Barry Lyndon is doubtless this actor's strongest and most expertly modulated performance.) And no one has ever contested Barry Lyndon's visual splendor. Attempting to recreate both the aesthetic style of 18th century paintings and the physical look of the period, Kubrick, cinematographer John Alcott, and production designer Ken Adam used authentic antique props and costumes to brilliant effect, and they lit their scenes with only natural sunlight or candles, for a look that no other movie has ever touched. The result is a film of singular visual style and beauty, and one of the richest and most evocative period pieces ever made. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Tags: masterpiece , money , love , beautiful , nasa-lens
View all