Barry Lyndon (1975)

***Barry Lyndon*** is a 1975 period drama film written, directed, and produced by Stanley Kubrick, based on the 1844 novel *The Luck of Barry Lyndon* by William Makepeace Thackeray. Starring Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Leonard Rossiter, and Hardy Krüger, the film recounts the early exploits and later unravelling of a fictional 18th-century Irish rogue and opportunist who marries a rich widow to climb the social ladder and assume her late husband's aristocratic position.

Kubrick began production on *Barry Lyndon* after his 1971 film *A Clockwork Orange*. He had originally intended to direct a biopic on Napoleon, but lost his financing because of the commercial failure of the similar 1970 Dino De Laurentiis-produced *Waterloo*. Kubrick eventually directed *Barry Lyndon*, set partially during the Seven Years' War, utilising his research from the Napoleon project. Filming began in December 1973 and lasted roughly eight months, taking place in England, Ireland, East Germany and West Germany.

The film's cinematography has been described as ground-breaking. Especially notable are the long double shots, usually ended with a slow backwards zoom, the scenes shot entirely in candlelight, and the settings based on William Hogarth paintings. The exteriors were filmed on location in Ireland, England and West Germany, with the interiors shot mainly in London. The production was troubled; there were problems related to logistics, weather, and even politics (Kubrick feared that he might be an IRA hostage target).

*Barry Lyndon* won four Oscars at the 48th Academy Awards: Best Scoring: Original Song Score and Adaptation or Scoring: Adaptation; Best Costume Design; Best Art Direction; and Best Cinematography. Although some critics took issue with the film's slow pace and restrained emotion, its reputation, like that of many of Kubrick's works, has grown over time.

## Shooting

* Filming was from May 3rd, 1973 - February 27th, 1974.

## Cast

* Ryan O'Neal - Barry Lyndon
* Marisa Berenson - Lady Honoria Lyndon
* Patrick Magee - The Chevalier du Balibari
* Hardy Krüger - Captain Potzdorf (as Hardy Kruger)
* Steven Berkoff - Lord Ludd
* Gay Hamilton - Nora Brady
* Marie Kean - Barry's Mother
* Diana Körner - Lischen (as Diana Koerner)
* Murray Melvin - Rev. Samuel Runt
* Frank Middlemass - Sir Charles Lyndon
* André Morell - Lord Gustavus Adolphus Wendover (as Andre Morell)
* Arthur O'Sullivan - Captain Feeny (the Highwayman)
* Godfrey Quigley - Captain Grogan
* Leonard Rossiter - Captain John Quin
* Philip Stone - Graham
* Leon Vitali - Lord Bullingdon
* John Bindon - Recruiting Soldier
* Roger Booth - King George III
* Billy Boyle - Seamus Feeny
* Jonathan Cecil - Lieutenant Jonathan Fakenham
* Peter Cellier - Sir Richard
* Geoffrey Chater - Dr. Broughton
* Anthony Dawes - British Soldier
* Patrick Dawson - Seamus Feeney
* Bernard Hepton - Diner at Feast for Lord Wendover (Left of Barry's Mother)
* Anthony Herrick
* Barry Jackson - British Soldier
* Wolf Kahler - Prince of Tübingen
* Pat Laffan - British Soldier (Fight Instigator) (as Patrick Laffan)
* Hans Meyer
* Ferdy Mayne - Colonel Bulow
* David Morley - Bryan Patrick Lyndon
* Liam Redmond - Mr. Brady (Nora's Father)
* Pat Roach - Toole (Soldier in Fistfight)
* Dominic Savage - Young Bullingdon
* Frederick Schiller
* George Sewell - Barry's Second
* Anthony Sharp - Lord Hallam
* John Sharp - Doolan
* Roy Spencer - Horse Seller
* John Sullivan
* Harry Towb - Innkeeper
* Michael Hordern - Narrator (voice)

**Rest of cast listed alphabetically:**

* Mark Baxter - Boy (uncredited)
* Norman Gay - Tailor (uncredited)
* George Holdcroft - Gentleman (uncredited)
* Katharina Kubrick - Dancer (uncredited)
* Vivian Kubrick - Magic Show Spectator (uncredited)
* Anthony Lang - Gentleman (uncredited)
* Gary Taylor - Barry's Fight Second (uncredited)
* John Trehy - Duel Steward (uncredited)