The Art of Film

Rating: 10/10 (21 October 1999)

Perhaps the greatest film ever made, Barry Lyndon defies description in the usual sense that one may describe a film. That is, the plot is not really a plot; the cinematography is unlike anything you've ever seen; the music (arranged and conducted by Leonard Rosenman) is entirely authentic to the period; and the performances, especially that of Ryan O'Neal, set a mood rather than tell a story. (The fact that Mr. O'Neal was willing to turn in such an innocuous performance at the pinnacle of his career speaks volumes for the star's character.)
The point of this film is not in the script, it's in the overall experience. If you try to view it as a movie, it will fail you (or rather the other way around). But if you approach it as a work of art-- a wonderfully detailed painting combined with a fantastic symphony, you will enjoy it immensely.
As with all of Kubrick's films, don't expect entertainment. This is art. That is why it gets such wildly mixed reviews. Where most of today's filmed entertainment is the cinematic equivalent of rock-n-roll, Kubrick's films are mostly waltzes. If you go into them expecting a patient, moving experience you will enjoy them tremendously; and this one above all.
Barry Lyndon is the definition of the Art of Film. The world of film is far poorer for the loss of Stanley Kubrick.