Leisurely-paced but masterful historical epic

Rating: 9/10 (21 October 2012)

It's rare that a film so rooted in the past it is set in feels like a bridge to the modern world that created it. Barry Lyndon is set in the 18th century but its protagonist is a thoroughly modern man in his ambitions: despite being born to lowly stock he fights and cons his way into a rigidly class-based, aristocratic society on the verge of being threatened by the American and French revolutions that would eventually lead to their destruction. Lyndon is almost a 20th century American conception of the "folk hero" - low-born, ruthless, utterly self-serving and completely making his way on his own merits. But this is not 20th century America and, despite his talents, he eventually comes into conflict with the British ruling class he has fought so hard to be the "equal" of and who feel so threatened by him and such contempt for his lack of "breeding".
In many ways, more than any history book, this film tells us exactly what the ideological battlegrounds were in the 18th century. But Lyndon is no simple banner-waving hero, nor even political. His only desire is to further his own station and it is clear that he would gladly embrace the English aristocracy if not for the fact that they will never embrace him. He is in many ways an anti-hero and the audience will likely find themselves admiring and loathing him in equal measure throughout the film. Lyndon is a complex character, and gives the impression of a man who represses his sense of guilt and compassion in order to further himself rather than someone who feels neither.
All of this takes place in one of the best looking films I have ever seen. Kubrick apparently wanted every shot to look like a painting and utilised natural light as much as possible. The result is a film as attractive as it is engaging. Despite this beauty it has a strong realist feel, particularly when it comes to violence. In one memorable scene British troops march purposefully towards the enemy who fire on them with dozens of the scarlet-coated soldiers falling as their comrades march on. Kubrick follows this with a shot of the carnage that has been left behind on the battlefield: dead and wounded, crawling men. The whole thing is the opposite of the picturesque, romantic image of 18th century warfare presented by the paintings Kubrick was influenced by in making this film.
Barry Lyndon is a historical tale with a political undercurrent more rooted in the past it is set in than referring to the present. It can be enjoyed on that level or simply the story of a clever, manipulative man who tries to climb as high as he can through English society. Its length (about three hours) and leisurely pace mean it will be too slow for some and yet this film contains some of the most emotionally engaging scenes I've ever seen, particularly a gripping pistol duel towards the film's end. Along with Ridley Scott's The Duellists this is a more unromantic look at a period often steeped in crude sentimentality.