BARRY LYNDON (1975) A Film Review by Ted Prigge Copyright 1997 Ted Prigge
Director: Stanley Kubrick Writer: Stanley Kubrick (based on the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray) Starring: Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Leon Vitali, Hardy Krüger, Mary Kean, Frank Middlemass, Leonard Rossiter, Gay Hamilton, Diana Körner, Murray Melvin, Arhtur Sullivan, Philip Stone, David Morley, Michael Hordern
Many people consider Stanley Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon" to be overrated, as it was his most successful at the Oscars (garnering seven nominations), yet seems to be his least involved. Sometimes dubbed as just "Kubrick's Costume Drama," it has been ridiculed for being too long, and too bland, the latter in comparison with Kubrick's other films. However, beneath the period piece, Merchant Ivory, Ryan O'Neal-miscast surface of the film lies a poetic little allegory, as complex and involving as his other work.
"Barry Lyndon" takes place around the time of King George III, and centers around a slick opportunitist: Redmond Barry (Ryan O'Neal) - a poor Irish boy. The film seems to chronicle his rise and fall from grace and power (with a couple trips along the way), showing him trying to become a gentleman throughout the film. We already know what will happen to him by the end of the film, the narration (by Michael Hordern) more than subtlely hints at it. But that's precisely what this film is about.
Through the 185 minutes of the film, Redmond has quite a huge reportoire of things occur to him. He starts out in his hometown, forced to leave because he won in a duel (there's a lot of them in this film), and soon ends up in the army during the "Seven Year's War." He also ends up gambling with a fellow Irishman, simply named "The Chevalier" ("A Clockwork Orange"'s Patrick Magee, who played the insane writer), and even marries into a wealthy family: the Lyndons (hence the name). But by the end, Redmond has lost everything, and dies penniless.
"Barry Lyndon" will easily be loved by fans of period pieces turned into film, as it is a tour de force of authentic 18th centruy decor. All of the costumes were made the exact way as the ones from the time period, and the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. The people in this film look, act, and appear just like they would if they lived at the time of the characters...even Ryan O'Neal. The story is wonderful, filled with irony, sadness, and tragedy (and some nice un-forced comical bits here and there). It feels like an epic.
And this film is also noted for creating a special camera for shooting in rooms lit only by candle. While this is now obselete, this was the prototype for this kind of camera (and apparently it was a big pain in the ass: if a character moved back or forth, they'd go out of focus) and is, of course, in the history books. Also noted is the fact that one of the greatest duel scenes in film history takes place at the end of this film (there's a bunch of them).
But this is not just a period piece for the sake of being a period piece. Kubrick has never been so simple to make a film which is ONLY a period piece, or ONLY a horror film, or ONLY a sci-fi film. Like all of his films, "Barry Lyndon" has a lot of depth, and a hidden meaning which is never easily spelled out. Kubrick is always fascinating because his films are never really easy to comprehend the first time around. Even "Dr. Strangelove" has a deeper subtext to the text (that it's a film about sex in the mechanical age).
"Barry Lyndon" seems to be about man trying to become the ruler of his own world, but ultimately failing. The characters are always striving for greatness, but can never escape fate. Redmond, in particular, is an opportunitist, and feels that taking his chances will ultimately set him farther in the human race. He has no real dignity, honor, or even scruples (he shamefully marries a woman chiefly because she's rich), but at the end, when he has suffered so much that he tries to be a good man, he fails miserably (not really his fault though).
The characters in "Barry Lyndon" are all bound by fate, crushed by the frames of the film. If you look closely at the film, you see that they are usually confined to the film's frames (probably better with a widescreen treatment, though), suffocating them. No matter how any of the characters try, not just including Redmond, they can never escape and become...dare I say it...the master of their own domain (hee hee). Even the narration basically tells what's going to happen (which pissed off Pauline Kael, but as pointed it out blatantly by Sam Peckinpah, THAT WAS THE POINT, PAULINE!!!!!!!).
The acting is generally good, although nothing spectacular - the film's only real drawback. Ryan O'Neal, who seems like a joke for the lead in a costume drama, actually does a pretty good job. Although having one look for most of the film, it works, and he's surprisingly moving towards the end of the film (also, his irish accent is far better than that of Brad Pitt and Richard Gere). Other standout performances come from Madchen Amick-looking Marisa Berenson as the Lady Lyndon, who's excellent at looking hurt and melancholy without looking like Matt Le Blanc; Patrick Magee as the heavily-painted Chevalier; Hardy Krüger as General Podzdoff; Philip Stone, as the kind of always nervous Graham; and Leon Vitali, as Lord Bullingdon, son of Lady Lyndon, and enemy of Redmond, who's really amazing in his role.
As always, the direction and writing is the best thing about the film. Kubrick squeezes so much into the three-hour film that you'd think that it'd be either too much or too little, too fast or too slow. But Kubrick finds a nice leisurely pace, and allows the story to unwind nicely. "Barry Lyndon" is an odd choice for Kubrick, especially as his follow-up to the X-rated, disturbing-as-hell "A Clockwork Orange." But Kubrick pulls it off, amazingly, and presents to us his most underrated about being overrated film.
MY RATING (out of 4): ****
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