Trying to find your place in the world

Rating: Null/10 (13 January 2017)

Best thought of as a film about uncertainty in life, this engrossing Stanley Kubrick drama chronicles the ups and down of an eighteenth century man whose fortunes constantly changes. Growing up, 'Barry Lyndon' was never one of my favourite Kubrick films; after all, the uncharismatic title character never changes very much and lacks personality. The narration also tends to reveal key events too early on for them to retain an emotional punch. A recent rewatch of 'Barry Lyndon' with 'A Clockwork Orange' fresh in mind was a revelation though. While one is set in the past and the other is set in the future, the two movies actually have a lot in common as they deal with young men trying to find their place in cruel and unfair worlds. Barry's breaking down into tears when unsure whether to spy on the Chevalier is reminiscent of Alex being kicked out of his parents' home with the same uncertainty of where to go and what to do, having been displaced from a once-familiar life. Emotionless as he sometimes seems, Barry makes for a highly sympathetic character too. Early in the piece is labeled as "but a boy and does not signify more than (a) parrot or lap dog!", while later he is referred to as a "common opportunist" and the film is mostly about Barry trying to change what others think about him for the better. Whatever the case, the film is very well tied together by the employment of non-original music, adapted from the likes of Schubert, Bach and Mozart. Almost every scene is set to music of some sort, and the final duel near the end is given nail-biting tension by the sombre music throbbing in the background.