On B List of Movie Reviews

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Barry Lyndon (1975)

Rate: 10
Viewed: 5/08, 7/13, 8/20

BLyndon
5/08: Barry Lyndon is a superbly photographed flick that defines filmmaking in every way but can be emotionless, tedious, and lifeless.

This is Ryan O'Neal's finest hour in acting. He did what Heath Ledger and Ryan Phillippe as well as thousands of other flukes couldn't do: act good for the day but still be an overall bad actor. If there's anything I love the most, it's the cinematography. The costumes are outstanding which are all genuine. Both were Oscar winners.

Stanley Kubrick's direction is exactly how an 18th century epic picture should be made. When I think of Barry Lyndon, I think of standards. However, it's not a complete masterpiece as it falls short in plot and character. Also, there's a layer of austere coldness throughout that repels me although it's typical of Kubrick's films.

All in all, Barry Lyndon needs to be seen for its breathtaking beauty, but don't count on being fully satisfied.

7/13: Barry Lyndon had everything going for it until the third act, and thereafter, it fell apart.

Stanley Kubrick lost me by turning the epic, all of a sudden, into about everything else but the protagonist. When the epic ended, the story didn't have a moral to impart. On the other hand, I love Ryan O'Neal's performance which is a rarity given how his career has turned out.

All in all, I've enjoyed Barry Lyndon for the most part.

8/20: Ryan O'Neal's finest hour in acting is showcased in Barry Lyndon which is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful pictures ever filmed.

This time, I'm raising my rating from '9' to '10' and now view it as a masterpiece for an 18th century British period picture. There are many things to like: the story, the acting, the costumes, the in/exterior sets (the latter was shot on location in Ireland, England, and West Germany while the former in London), the deliberate pace, the coldness, and, most of all, the cinematography. A precedent was set by setting up scenes through natural lighting by candles only which was made possible with the aid of special ultra-fast lenses.

Ryan O'Neal is a tough actor to like because of his inability to emote. He had been good in a couple of films, but in Barry Lyndon, Ryan O'Neal was born to play the role of Redmond Barry, later naming his son after him, and thus should've earned an Oscar nomination.

All in all, Paths of Glory, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Barry Lyndon are my favorite movies from Stanley Kubrick.