Barry Lyndon was the film that convinced me that films can be walking and breathing paintings. You can see Gainsborough in almost every shot. The zoom outs gives us the grand sweep of history as we witness the rising and falling of its title character. I was actually influenced to take up photography as a hobbit because of this film. While the film is not nearly as important as 2001 or as controversial as A Clockwork Orange, I feel it was his technical and narrative breakthrough. I remember my first viewing was a tough one. I felt very distanced from the film, and I was put off by the narrator's tone, the seemingly withdrawn emotions from Ryan O'Neal's performance, and while I adored the music, it didn't absorb me into the world of the Barrys as one would expect.
But I couldn't let this first impression sit with me; the production and character of the film, as well as my adoration of Kubrick, made me want to return to its grandeur, and be guided through on an almost subconscious level (which is where I think the classic music really is effective in that regard).
Rewatching the film is the best decision I ever made. Shots that I found hard to connect to suddenly became enticing to my eyes, my mind wandering in the backdrop of the lushness found in Ireland and England, the flames of every candle lit interior and the window lighting of church and palace interiors. Kubrick was in love with the 0.97 Zeiss lens used during 2001, and the result is silky smooth depths of field in landscapes across the country, palaces and castles all represented.
And Redmond Barry suddenly became the most fascinating character in film; the picaresque Irish lad who becomes an English soldier, a Prussian soldier, a British Officer, a spy, a gambler, skilled swordsman, a gentleman, an opportunist, and then a poor man riddled by grief, almost like he went back to the beginning of the woeful life he tried to escape. And I think that can not only be quite relatable, but I found that as you begun to sympathize with the character of Thackeray, the stages of his life start to unfold, and we start to feel more for his stepson, Lord Bullingdon, than anyone else. His character develops in intellect, manner of speaking and his discipline, but his personality rarely changes from the scoundrel who fell for his cousin back in Ireland. I think that's why his journey is so fascinating to me because as much as he tries to reach a higher status in life, and does as much as he can to achieve the palace of Lady Lyndon, his character doesn't change his Irish ways, and only seems to be selective with the English ones required to reach that desired sphere. I love the performance by Ryan O'Neal; what may seem like wooden and unconvincing acting suddenly brings the character to life. And to be fair, this actually feels like an accurate representation of people in that time. When Redmond disguises as a British officer, and tries to coerce Captain Potzdorf into thinking he is with his stories and sweet talk, O'Neal's delivery has the right amount of passion, and distance that it is not hard to appreciate this level of complexity that he brought to the role. His face shows hurt when he watches his cousin drift away, and his face shows anger when he is shown up by his stepson.
And Marisa Berenson is directed impeccably. When she goes out for air, and the gambler Redmond walks out after her, it is all shown in a wide shot as we see him from the window, and watch her devastated stare as though she is trying to control her impulses.
I don't feel it is just a film that shows the downfall of a character and the beauty of its world, but it is also one that touches on emotion, using music in a visceral manner. I felt emotion for the time, I felt it for Barry in so many instances because he has to deal with a lot of grief, and then he inflicts all of that on a man who would come to resent him. That is why I am always so transfixed by it, and why it continues to be my favourite Kubrick film, and because Kubrick is my favourite filmmaker, I feel that is a massive thing to say. But like Once Upon a Time in America, Taxi Driver, Dark Knight, Way Down East (or Metropolis), Amadeus, Rashomon and Citizen Kane and many others, you could put me in front of the TV, Blu Ray in the player, and whether I am in the mood for it or not, I will be hooked. Films like this hold a very emotional power over me. I can't tell you how close to tears I was when Barry had to tell his son about the fort again. It really defies those who claimed the master wasn't able to handle emotions in film, and to me, that was why he was the best filmmaker.
I have alluded to Lord Bullingdon (played by Leon Vitali), and it is important to talk about him since he is such a major character. He is the one who stops Barry from destroying that family fortune that his father worked so hard for, and much like the way Salieri was to Mozart in Amadeus, Bullingdon becomes increasingly more resentful towards this "opportunist" and the adoration for his mother becomes harder to hold onto. All of a sudden, this character became the one I wanted to see succeed.
He was distanced, but attached to his Mother. He had power, but it was nearly withdrawn by his half brother of Barry and Lyndon descent. When all of this culminates, my emotions were heightened, and I felt so satisfied with the experience that I couldn't let it go. I highly recommend this astonishing film. It is hard to say which version is best since, if you are a purist, the Blu ray's aspect ratio (1:78:1) may disappoint those who know that Kubrick desired the film to be more along the lines of 1:66:1 because the black borders gave the images a painterly feel. The DVD is a more accurate representation of those wishes. But trust me when I say that the Blu Ray is the finest way to watch this film. The best way to look at it is what's more important to you? Aspect ratio or image quality? Either way, you will be treated to one of the best experiences of your cinema going life. The best films last. And this one, while a box office failure on release, has become the greatest achievement of cinematography, direction and writing that he ever achieved. Every classical piece keeps my mind engaged, the backdrops and lighting shown to contrast against its distanced character are enticing, and the character building is remarkable. "Good or Bad, Handsome or Ugly, Rich or Poor, they are all equal now".
And Redmond Barry suddenly became the most fascinating character in film; the picaresque Irish lad who becomes an English soldier, a Prussian soldier, a British Officer, a spy, a gambler, skilled swordsman, a gentleman, an opportunist, and then a poor man riddled by grief, almost like he went back to the beginning of the woeful life he tried to escape. And I think that can not only be quite relatable, but I found that as you begun to sympathize with the character of Thackeray, the stages of his life start to unfold, and we start to feel more for his stepson, Lord Bullingdon, than anyone else. His character develops in intellect, manner of speaking and his discipline, but his personality rarely changes from the scoundrel who fell for his cousin back in Ireland. I think that's why his journey is so fascinating to me because as much as he tries to reach a higher status in life, and does as much as he can to achieve the palace of Lady Lyndon, his character doesn't change his Irish ways, and only seems to be selective with the English ones required to reach that desired sphere. I love the performance by Ryan O'Neal; what may seem like wooden and unconvincing acting suddenly brings the character to life. And to be fair, this actually feels like an accurate representation of people in that time. When Redmond disguises as a British officer, and tries to coerce Captain Potzdorf into thinking he is with his stories and sweet talk, O'Neal's delivery has the right amount of passion, and distance that it is not hard to appreciate this level of complexity that he brought to the role. His face shows hurt when he watches his cousin drift away, and his face shows anger when he is shown up by his stepson.
And Marisa Berenson is directed impeccably. When she goes out for air, and the gambler Redmond walks out after her, it is all shown in a wide shot as we see him from the window, and watch her devastated stare as though she is trying to control her impulses.
I don't feel it is just a film that shows the downfall of a character and the beauty of its world, but it is also one that touches on emotion, using music in a visceral manner. I felt emotion for the time, I felt it for Barry in so many instances because he has to deal with a lot of grief, and then he inflicts all of that on a man who would come to resent him. That is why I am always so transfixed by it, and why it continues to be my favourite Kubrick film, and because Kubrick is my favourite filmmaker, I feel that is a massive thing to say. But like Once Upon a Time in America, Taxi Driver, Dark Knight, Way Down East (or Metropolis), Amadeus, Rashomon and Citizen Kane and many others, you could put me in front of the TV, Blu Ray in the player, and whether I am in the mood for it or not, I will be hooked. Films like this hold a very emotional power over me. I can't tell you how close to tears I was when Barry had to tell his son about the fort again. It really defies those who claimed the master wasn't able to handle emotions in film, and to me, that was why he was the best filmmaker.
I have alluded to Lord Bullingdon (played by Leon Vitali), and it is important to talk about him since he is such a major character. He is the one who stops Barry from destroying that family fortune that his father worked so hard for, and much like the way Salieri was to Mozart in Amadeus, Bullingdon becomes increasingly more resentful towards this "opportunist" and the adoration for his mother becomes harder to hold onto. All of a sudden, this character became the one I wanted to see succeed.
He was distanced, but attached to his Mother. He had power, but it was nearly withdrawn by his half brother of Barry and Lyndon descent. When all of this culminates, my emotions were heightened, and I felt so satisfied with the experience that I couldn't let it go. I highly recommend this astonishing film. It is hard to say which version is best since, if you are a purist, the Blu ray's aspect ratio (1:78:1) may disappoint those who know that Kubrick desired the film to be more along the lines of 1:66:1 because the black borders gave the images a painterly feel. The DVD is a more accurate representation of those wishes. But trust me when I say that the Blu Ray is the finest way to watch this film. The best way to look at it is what's more important to you? Aspect ratio or image quality? Either way, you will be treated to one of the best experiences of your cinema going life. The best films last. And this one, while a box office failure on release, has become the greatest achievement of cinematography, direction and writing that he ever achieved. Every classical piece keeps my mind engaged, the backdrops and lighting shown to contrast against its distanced character are enticing, and the character building is remarkable. "Good or Bad, Handsome or Ugly, Rich or Poor, they are all equal now".
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