Opulent and engrossing...however, a deep-thinking sensibility muffles its overall impact

Rating: 7/10 (4 October 2015)

Stanley Kubrick received Oscar nominations as director, producer, and adaptation-screenwriter of this well-costumed 18th century drama based upon William Makepeace Thackeray's "Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq." (originally titled "The Luck of Barry Lyndon" and published under the pseudonym George Savage FitzBoodle). Yet, where Thackeray's story of an Irish upstart who deserts the British army and is eventually caught and recruited into taking up arms for the Prussians was--by all accounts--a rascally adventure, Kubrick approaches the material somberly. The too-careful filmmaker is enormously fond of pastoral landscapes and action seen from a great distance. Kubrick nearly distances himself from viewers as well, though the characters do finally emerge, and the film builds in quiet emotional power. The themes in Act I are much the livelier; encompassing much of the second act, Barry Lyndon's ill-fated marriage to a wealthy, widowed Countess slows things down. Still, the human faults of the protagonist (adequately played by Ryan O'Neal) come to the fore by the film's third hour, and Barry's showdown with his embittered, sniveling stepson is the stuff of high drama. The pacing, overall, is too funereal, and a child's death is endlessly protracted for little purpose, but the fights and brawls and duels are wonderfully staged. "Barry Lyndon" runs 183 minutes, however Kubrick is observant and canny enough to keep things simmering, and only occasionally does interest wane. Fine performances help, including Leonard Rossiter as the showboating Captain Quin (who is sadly revealed to have no spine), Patrick Magee as the wily Chevalier de Balibari, and Dominic Savage and Leon Vitali as the child and adult versions of Lord Bullingdon. The film won Oscars for John Alcott's exquisite cinematography and Leonard Rosenman's (somewhat monotonous) music score, as well as for Costume Design and Art Direction. *** from ****