Greatest Period Film of All Time

Rating: Null/10 (16 October 1999)

Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon" is a film I just discovered. I missed it when it appeared in the 1970's, and knew little about it. After recently viewing it, I believe it must be the most authentic- looking and beautiful period film ever made. You may learn about the plot from other reviewers, what I want to say about Barry Lyndon is that I feel it is Kubrick's overlooked masterpiece. It has been described by some as slow- moving and tedious, and was not well received by critics when released. However, I believe time will give Barry Lyndon the place of honor it deserves. I was overwhelmed by the attention to detail in both costume and set design in this film, it gave me a rare glimpse into the 18th century in a way that no other film has. There are scenes lit entirely by candle (a technique Kubrick perfected in Barry Lyndon) that are breathtaking and surprisingly crisp in detail. In terms of the use of the camera, the long shots of people in period settings share an eerie resemblance with the sensation one gets from the scene in 2001 when the man in the space suit enters the starkly decorated room and discovers himself at an advanced age. There is a wonderful impartiality here that is characteristic of so much of Kubrick's work. The same feeling was evoked by the panoramic views of Prussia and Ireland, views that provided visual markers along the way and which the camera held in its view for surprisingly long expanses of time before switching to the next scene. I found this technique, along with the landscapes, astonishingly beautiful. Though from an earlier period, the paintings and etchings of Breughel came immediately to mind. Among the most beautifully worked out scenes was a duel between Barry Lyndon and his step son, filmed in a chapel- turned- stable with doves flying around in the background and scattering at the sound of the gun shots. The scene in Ireland where Barry is held up by two somewhat educated and well- spoken highwaymen, who agree to let him keep his boots but not his money and horse, was especially noteworthy and wonderfully acted. Mention must be made of the beautiful period music used throughout the film and the subtle use of narration, telling us, at times, what is about to happen before it actually happens but never distracting us from the story. In the final scenes of Barry Lyndon we see him as a crippled and emotionally spent man. Even though we learn to despise him for his previous actions, we cannot help but have empathy for the man at the end. Schubert's piano trio opus 100 further tugs at our emotions in these final scenes. The piece is "punctuated" with the piano in a way that is both delightful and mournful, while the visceral impact of the film merges to mirror our understanding of Schubert as one of the greatest composers of his time. My one criticism is that even after watching the film 3 times, I had trouble knowing whether Ryan O'Neal's performance was emotionless and without depth, or whether this was the way Kubrick directed him. Oddly enough, it seems to work either way because the story is told not so much about Barry Lyndon but around him. Finally, mention must be made of the genius of a man like Stanley Kubrick, who could create a group of films so unlike in content-- 2001, A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon to mention just 3-- all evoking an astonishing authenticity in terms of time and place, all brought vividly to life for the viewer. We are there 100% and we walk out of the theater in a daze, unable to remember where we parked our car. What greater evidence is there of having just witnessed a masterpiece?