Opulent, Articulate, Masterwork

Rating: 10/10 (11 February 2004)

Simply put, Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon is the most impeccable piece of film I have ever seen. There is an incredible sense of depth and care to every image in the film. The quality of the imagery is absolutely perfect. Kubrick also goes to great length to convey the dry nature of the world Redmond Barry roams. To paraphrase Ferris Bueller, "Everything is very cold and very beautiful."
I have heard many people call this film BORING. That comment just means they have a short attention span. This isn't a movie for the "Fast and the Furious" crowd. The characters are interesting and dynamic. The problem is, the world these characters inhibit isn't dynamic. It's static and Redmond tries and tries to fit in. No matter what he tries, his fallacies draw out conflict in one form or another. The saddest of these is in the death of Redmond's son and the fall out with his wife and step-son.
Barry Lyndon works on so many levels; technically, photographically, dramatically, and ultimately Artistically. Even more amazing is how Kubrick turned a wordy busy novel into a quiet, powerful drama. This work is a reflection of the master status Kubrick deserves. A photographer who is obsessed with perfection in his images. And a filmmaker who is obsessed with cinema. For me, Barry Lyndon is an unforgettable work of art.