A Sprawling Period Piece from Stanley Kubrick

Rating: 9/10 (5 December 2007)

"Barry Lyndon" is a three hour exposition into the life of an Irish commoner and social riser in 18th Century Europe. The film delves into great detail the events of his romantic youth through middle-age, and all the notable sidesteps along the way. The film depicts these happenings rather matter-of-factly, and doesn't cast bias one way or another on Barry (Ryan O'Neal). The viewer is free himself to decide whether they accept Barry as a gentleman ultimately, or merely a devious scoundrel.
This is possibly the greatest period piece ever made, and another notch in the belt of cinema's finest director. Filmed in such a way as to present an aura of total authenticity, I almost felt as though I could have been watching a movie made in the 1700's. Kubrick's indelible presence could definitely be felt over this film, and you will never mistake his work for another's.
The gentle pacing of this film may be lost on modern audiences hyped on CGI-porn, but there is a classic Kubrick moral woven within an elegant visual tapestry for those with the patience to bear it.