Unbelievably beautiful cinematic experience

Rating: 10/10 (3 April 2013)

Barry Lyndon is considered a middling success, in terms of how well it was received when it was initially released (critically and by the public), how well it stacks against other Stanley Kubrick movies and how well it did at the box office.
For me it is a glorious, 3+ hour sensory treat. The Sundance channel played it Easter morning and ran only two commercial breaks.
Stanley Kubrick excels at creating stunning, unforgettable visuals. Some of the most famous are Slim Pickens riding a nuclear warhead, James Mason casually painting Sue Lyon's toenails (Lolita), the astronaut dismantling HAL, floating over a circuit pad and making the computer progressively dumber and dumber, until it starts singing "Daisy," Alec and his droogs in "A Clockwork Orange", and the sergeant berating a recruit in "Full Metal Jacket." So what is the stunning, unforgettable visual in Barry Lyndon? Practically the whole movie! Mr. Kubrick set out to create a cinematic experience out of the Gainsborough paintings of the 18th century. Several scenes in Barry Lyndon are filmed in candlelight, which creates an ethereal experience.
Was there any woman as beautiful in any movie as Marisa Berenson was as Lady Lyndon in Barry Lyndon? Granted, she had help from Stanley Kubrick's direction, but could any actress of today have embodied this role as well? Doubtful. Ryan O'Neal excelled in the title role, as well.
Winner of four well-deserved Oscars for set design, cinematography, musical score and costumes. See it!