The rise and fall of Redmond Barry

Rating: 8/10 (18 August 2017)

In the XVIII century Ireland, Redmond Barry is a young man in love with his cousin, who is promised to an English Captain. Barry challenges him to a pistol duel and wins, being forced to flee to Dublin. On the road, he is robbed and, without further alternative, enlists in the English army to fight in the Seven Years War. When his protector in the army dies, he decides to desert, only to be discovered and forced to join the ranks of the Prussian army, where he saves the life of his captain thus gaining his trust and being assigned to spy on an Irish player. Immediately the two compatriots create a bond of friendship and become associates in the art of the game, embezzling many nobles throughout several courts of Europe. Eventually Barry meets and marries the beautiful and wealthy Lady Lyndon, finally achieving his desired entrance into high society. With his new wealth and name, they move to England where he begins to squander the acquired fortune and thus creating an enemy for life in his stepson. When his son with Lady Lyndon dies at an early age, Barry is devastated, and his stepson sees the perfect opportunity to execute his revenge... through a pistol duel. Barry loses and is forced to renounce his title of Lord, and so the movie ends with the following legend: "It was in the reign of Jorge III that the aforesaid personages lived and quarrelled; good or bad, handsome or ugly, rich or poor they are all equal now".
This is a masterpiece that encompasses all the arts: it is a book on film accompanied by a classical style soundtrack that complements in unison this beautiful drama about the rise and fall of an ambitious man, accomplished in such a way by the master Stanley Kubrick with primordial cinematography that seems more like pictures or paintings in movement, slowly unfolding for the three hours of its duration, and even though the action is also slow and sparse, so much the better for the viewer to appreciate the fine details of the sceneries, clothing, architecture, the incidence of light in the environment, the mannerisms and contrasts of XVIII century people, and the classical music that so well accompanies the progress of the narrative. A very well done movie like few. Not only is it an excellent cinematographic work, it is also an excellent analysis of the human and social condition.
Winner of 4 Oscars: Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction / Decoration, Best Wardrobe and Best Music, including 3 other Nominations.