Most Beautiful Film Ever Made

Rating: 8/10 (23 January 2001)

Many factors contribute to what makes a good movie. Occasionally, a movie stands out so much in one particular area that it outweighs it's shortcomings in others. Shot-composition, lighting and costume-design combine to make this the most beautiful movie ever made. Many, if not most, scenes could be displayed in art galleries as old masters and no-one would notice. At just over three hours long, the pace rarely seems to drag, because the viewer is so caught up in the mind-boggling beauty being paraded before his/her eyes.
From the Thackeray novel of an Irish lad's adventures, rise in society and ultimate demise, Kubrick plays it as a tragi-comedy of manners, which fits well with the narration from the novel and the stagey visuals, but I found myself wishing for better rounded characters: Marisa Berenson should have been a key character, but she is hardly even given a line; Ryan O'Neal is actually rather good, but I'm sure he could have done even better with more script to work with. But characterisation has never been what Kubrick is about anyway, so I guess he was playing to his strengths. A monumental achievement that deserves to be more widely appreciated.