Barry Lyndon is a 1975 movie directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Barry Lyndon tells the story of Redmond Barry, an Irish farm boy who seeks to climb the ladder of social nobility. Along the way, he serves as a soldier, a spy and a gambler before marrying into wealth. Eventually, he discovers the limits of his pursuits.
Purely for enjoyment, I listened to a few podcasts on Barry Lyndon – a movie that I found mostly entertaining. I was blown away by the disdain some in the movie community have towards this decadent period piece.
As an example – In case you like jaded film students discussing their hatred of film, take a listen:
Yet, even measured film critics seem to struggle with classifying this movie:
NY Times – How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Barry Lyndon
The Guardian – Why It’s Time to Reassess Kubrick’s Coffee Table Movie
Roger Ebert – Technically Awesome, Emotionally Distant and Classically Kubrick
At its worst, Barry Lyndon demands patience from an audience. It’s a movie that doesn’t rush. Our main character is painfully dull and/or is vague in his intentions. At times, stretches of silence have to be interpreted as a reading of Thackeray’s novel – a text that not all are familiar with.
Yet, Kubrick presents a rich, decadent landscape of sensory details. Barry Lyndon is a gorgeous movie. It’s visually stunning – capturing both the brutality and splendor of war, along with the devastating effects incurred by the pursuit of social mobility.
The transformation of Ryan O’Neal’s Barry and Marisa Berenson’s Lady Lyndon reflect this feature. O’Neal begins the film as an earnest, passionate, lovestruck boy and exits a broken shell of failed ambition. His face grows puffier and his eyes glassy and tormented.
Berenson’s Lady Lyndon appears youthful and vibrant upon meeting Barry. As her life unravels thanks to Barry’s infidelity, her son’s estrangement and crumbling finances, she turns ashen and ghost-like – as if her very blood has been sucked from her.
Berenson conveys much of the movie’s tone simply through her expressive eyes. Her weariness is heartbreaking – especially after the death of their son. While O’Neal’s character is often absent from similar sentiments – either by Kubrick’s choice or because of the actor’s limited range – Berenson silently explores the darkness of a broken life. It’s a subtle but spectacular performance.
O’Neal performs well in the outsider role that constitutes Barry. Early in the movie, he’s a presence as the idealistic, eager young farm boy in love with his cousin. He’s endearing as he has to make a life for himself – getting robbed and becoming entrenched in endless wars. It’s easy to root for O’Neal – especially given his craftiness in trying to scrape together a name for himself.
Yet, as the movie enters its second act, O’Neal becomes increasingly unlikeable – which is likely by design. After he has achieved his goal of acquiring wealth, Barry must fight to ensure his place in society – which leads to battles with Leon Vitali’s Lord Bullingdon, Lady Lyndon’s son with Sir Charles Lyndon.
O’Neal becomes more of a physical presence. His battles with Bullingdon lead to a series of raw whippings and an incredibly tense and brutal scene where he viciously beats the boy in public – an act that ultimately leads to Barry’s excommunication from high society and his overall demise.
O’Neal is effective in the withdrawn, somber retreat he assumes after the death of his son. He is shown drinking to a point of collapse. Yet, it’s hard to find complete empathy for the character – given that he still retains a dangerous edge and again, we’re never allowed to fully understand Barry’s motives beyond accumulating wealth.
The battles between O’Neal’s Barry and Vitali’s Lord Bullingdon are the highlights of the movie. The two characters present as perfect opposites. O’Neal is brawny, direct and assertive while Vitali portrays Bullingdon as soft, effeminate and reticent.
Vitali is a scene stealer as Bullingdon. After being embarrassed by continual whippings, he disrupts a small ceremony and chastises Barry for his working class roots. Bullingdon receives a brutal thrashing at the hands of Barry – which may represent a culmination of his repeated failures to earn acceptance into higher society. It’s an explosive scene that shows Barry figuratively admitting defeat.
Later in the movie, Bullingdon returns to essentially save his mother’s estate. As Barry and Lady Lyndon separately grieve over the loss of their son, Barry’s mother assumes control of the family finances. Bullingdon muscles up the courage to challenge Barry to a duel.
Vitali shines in the duel scene. He taps into Bullingdon’s feeble attempts at courage and sheer panic. Bullingdon misfires his pistol before running off to vomit. He is saved by Barry’s charity and returns the favor by blasting his opponent in the knee. The character grows into a venerable son, while Barry fades into the unknown.
The BEST – Uniforms
It’s always a bonus when filmmakers get military uniforms right. Barry’s British jackets are vibrant – they bleed against the lush countryside – while the Prussian outfits are decidedly staid.
The BEST Part 2 – Barry’s Brawl
This scene almost feels like a reach, but Barry’s physical prowess is established as he challenges a brutish British soldier to a slugfest. Despite giving up an easy hundred pounds, he absolutely dominates the fight.
The BEST Part 3 – The Chevalier
Barry is assigned to spy on The Chevalier – an airy, dissolute Frenchman who specializes in cheating at cards. He and Barry instantly find kinship in being estranged from their homelands. Patrick Magee gives The Chevalier a kindness and honor, despite his devious nature. It’s an important and somewhat overlooked character.
The WORST – Brian and the Horse
Of course, you just knew something bad was going to happen. Precocious Brian disobeys his father and rides his new horse – he is thrown and ultimately dies. It’s a tragic end for an innocent character and also represents how the trappings of wealth Barry seeks causes him immeasurable grief.
The WORST Part 2 – Barry’s Mother
Marie Kean is terrific as Barry’s no nonsense mother. However, she emerges late in the movie as a driving force – taking over the Lyndon family estate – despite being featured in only a couple of earlier scenes.
FOX FORCE FIVE RATING -4.25/5
You have to be patient with this movie – at times, it feels every bit of three hours. However, Kubrick presents a gorgeous sensory experience that is impeccably detailed. The acting is terrific throughout and while there is certainly room for critique, Barry Lyndon is a must watch.
