The melancholic life of Barry Lyndon

Rating: 9/10 (3 October 2009)

In a small village in Ireland in the eighteenth century there lives a young man by the name of Redmond Barry.He is in love with his cousin, Nora Brady.But Nora engages to the British captain, John Quin, and Barry challenges him for a duel of pistols.He wins, only to find out later that there were no real bullets used.But Barry has led to Dublin, and he joins the British army after being robbed.He deserts and is forced to join the Prussian army.He want to climb the social ladder, and marries Lady Lyndon and becomes Barry Lyndon.When we look at the masterpieces by the great Stanley Kubrick, Barry Lyndon (1975) is often overlooked.I personally can't understand that.The movie is beautiful as a painting.The movie is not dull as many people say, especially in our modern world.In the world where fast speed is required in order to stay awake.The pace of this movie is just right.It gives us the right image of the 18th century.Kubrick also made the movie without recoursing to electric light.It meant shooting in candlelight.That's also one thing which makes this film look more real to the period.Ryan O'Neal does a remarkable job as Barry Lyndon.His character is not the most likable, but you can't hate him either.Eventually you even start to pity him.Marisa Berenson does distinguished job as Lady Lyndon, who becomes deeply depressed after she marries Barry.The movie has a lot of silent scenes, scenes that need no words.Lady Lyndon and Barry at the gambling table exchanging lingering looks is one such a scene.The scene where Barry beats up Lord Bullington is harsh.The duel between them in the end, which leads to amputation of Barry's leg at the knee, is a classic.It is most touching when Barry's son Bryan is dying after falling off a horse.Then there is his funeral, and you hear the music being played loud and the reverend speaks his words.The classical music that we hear in this music is masterous.There's Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Vivaldi, Franz Schubert etc.The piece that's associated to the film is George Frideric Handel's Sarabande.Ludwig Leonard Rosenman won an Academy Award for Best Musical Score for adapting the various pieces of baroque and classical music.A very fine movie, a very fine movie indeed.