Title: Barry Lyndon
Year: 1975
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Country: UK
Language: English
I've heard about Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon since I was a teenager, watching A Clockwork Orange (1971) and Eyes Wide Shut (1999) in secret. I've been a big fan of his work, but I suspected that at least one of his films would be a dud. Barry Lyndon is a 3 hours long period piece that isn't a talking pointin popular culture anymore. Lyndon has to be the dud...right? I'm not going to waste that much time on a bad movie that's abs- oh wait, it's a MASTERPIECE!? Every frame looks like a painting!? Its easily one of the best Kubricks!? Oh my!
An Irish rogue (Ryan O'Neal) wins the heart of a rich widow and assumes her dead husband's aristocratic position in 18th-century England.
Initially Kubrick had set out to make a film about Napoleon, but financing collapsed. Despite the setback, he chose to adapt an obscure novel, The Luck of Barry Lyndon, for the big screen. It's a fairly balanced film, in terms of drama and comedy, that reminds me of Best Picture winner Tom Jones (1963). Both characters are dumbasses who stumble upwardly into wealth & nobility. Both characters create their own problems that are somehow resolved via blind luck. Both are rare films that make a mockery of nobility, while also being in reverence of it.
Barry Lyndon is a gorgeous film; its set design and scene composition allows each frame to look like a painting. It is a lavish, opulent piece of exquisite cinema that allows a breathtaking score, remarkable cinematography and beautiful costume design to flourish. Honestly, this is one of the best looking films I have ever seen. Its a lengthy film, but no minute is wasted in giving an encompassing, engaging story. Its use of natural lighting - many scenes are shot in candlelight - is utterly remarkable.
Barry Lyndon is a must-watch for anybody who is interested in Kubrick. It is a great film that certainly has become one of my favourites. A technical marvel - every sequence is a sight to behold.
No comments:
Post a Comment