Kubrick conquers yet another genre!

Rating: Null/10 (26 September 1999)

I think what I admire most about director Stanley Kubrick is that he never seems to repeat his work. He tackles a genre, sets a standard for it and then moves on. In Barry Lyndon, Kubrick offers a period piece that certainly raised the bar for that type of film, and perhaps set the standard for the Merchant-Ivory-type productions that would later follow.
Barry Lyndon is based on the book by William Makepeace Thackery, and follows the life of its title character from poor beginnings in Ireland, through a stint in the 7 Year War and onto an opulent aristocratic lifestyle.
Lyndon is an Irish stereotype; stubborn to the core, and willing to fight to the death for what he believes to be his. As a young man he forces a duel with a British officer who has come to his small village to marry Lyndon's first love. Later, Lyndon is a front line soldier battling the French. Throughout the movie, he encounters various people and events, each helping Barry, unwittingly of course, move up the social ranks. He is a prisoner of a Prussian captain, a spy to the British, and a card shark in European high society.
Like most of Lyndon's work, this film moves slowly, taking the time to capture each and every detail. There are some marvelous scenes where characters sit frozen for minutes at a time. While they appear to be doing nothing, a lot is happening and the viewer is compelled to pay close attention. In one scene the camera pans out as Lyndon sits in a small boat on a small lake, gazing into the eyes of the woman he is courting. For two minutes the characters don't move, yet the viewer, caught up in the beauty of this scene, knows what is happening each and every step of the way.
Stanley Kubrick has made his mark as one of the great directors by presenting his audience with intriguing visuals. For Barry Lyndon, Kubrick studied European art from the late eighteenth century and tried to bring some of those scenes to life in this film. As a result, we are presented with a mesmerizing tour de force, a visual delight! Eye candy ... not plain... and certainly not simple!
Occasionally the viewer is awakened with a 'thud' realizing that this is more than just a pretty picture, there is actually a complicated plot going on here. The character of Barry Lyndon, played well by Ryan O'Neal, takes us on an interesting journey. Like real people, he has a multifaceted personality, and his behavior is shaped by the events that take place. At times we feel sorry for him, at times we look up to him, and at times we despise him.
Kubrick made sexuality the key focus of films like Lolita and Eyes Wide Shut, but neither film evokes the passion contained in this effort. As he courts various women, Lyndon is violent and sexy. There are moments of homo-erotica that dare the viewer to wander. His dying uncle begs him for a kiss, for 'it will be my last' and we are witness to what might be a tender moment, but what seems like something else.
There is nothing conventional about this film. There are no good guys and there are no bad guys. Everyone does what they do in a effort to survive. The viewer cannot predict what is going to happen next. It's best to sit back and enjoy the ride. By thinking too much, one might miss what is going on.