Barry Lyndon: a slow, long and underappreciated cult classic

By Rafael Abreu / Columnist

Stanley Kubrick is one of the most famous and influential filmmakers of all-time. He’s created classic films that range from science fiction, to horror, to war. One of his films in particular is extremely well praised, respected, and admired by a variety of fans, critics, and filmmakers.

That being said, this particular film seems to go by unnoticed and

by the majority of the public. The very studio that released it (Warner Bros.) even gave it a bare-bones Blu-ray release, further emphasizing its reputation for being less-known than some of Kubrick’s more popular films.

In any case, this particular film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning four for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, and Best Musical Score. The rest of the nominations were for Kubrick: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film in question: “Barry Lyndon”.

Starring Ryan O’Neal and Marisa Berenson, and based on the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, “Barry Lyndon” tells the tale of Redmond Barry, an Irishman who goes from a penniless boy to rich gentleman over the course of several years. We observe Barry as he struggles with first love, being in the army (during the Seven Years’ War), being a gambler, and marrying a woman of high rank (where he then acquires the title of “Lyndon”). We also see Barry struggle with his new rank as gentlemen, being unfaithful, racking massive debts, and losing all of his friends, no thanks to his step-son who hates him (Leon Vitali).

At 184 minutes (Two Acts, Intermission, and Epilogue), “Barry Lyndon” is a slow picture, one which takes its time in revealing everything, from character actions to conversations. Much happens in Barry’s life, and the film intends to show us all the parts that matter. In a lesser film, such a long runtime might bring about unnecessary filler, but in the hands of Kubrick, no minute is wasted.

Indeed, “Barry Lyndon”, no matter how much of slow burn it may be, never feels like it should be shorter or that its runtime is unjustified; every minute and every frame is calculated and important to the overall film.

The cinematography by John Alcott is perfect: every single shot in this film can be considered its own work of art, either due to the technicalities involved in the scene, or just because the shot is beautiful in itself. Shots of the country, the castles, and certain buildings are so well photographed and executed with excellent symmetry that there’s no way it could be further perfected.

Coming from the cinematography, the film looks to be so accurate in its history you’d think you’re really looking at the 18th century; the film is well renowned for its art and costume design, looking and being so accurate to the time it portrays. This is also helped by the film’s (famous) use of natural lighting, which includes only having candles for light during scenes where candles are indeed the only source of light.

From the countryside to the towns to the palaces, the locations used in “Barry Lyndon” all carry with them a sense of realism and authenticity. This also stretches into the music, which includes various arrangements by Sebastian Bach, Schubert, and Mozart, among others.

The casting of Ryan O’Neal was and still is seen as odd for a Kubrick film. Still, I think he did a great job, being able to go from a poor Irish lad who was love sick to an aristocratic gentlemen who now leads a more hedonistic life.

What it’s impressive about O’Neal and the character of Barry is that I believed everything that happened: Barry changes during the course of the film as the years go by, and the progression it took felt well-paced and acted.

Essentially, I never felt as if the actor was being out of character; on the contrary, I believe O’Neal completely understood what he was doing, and allowed Barry to be an actual character who developed over the course of the film’s runtime. The reason why this is so impressive is because how Barry starts off is not the way he ends up; convincing the audience of such a feat is not easy, so it comes with much praise to say that O’Neal embodied the character to perfection.

It’s also important to note that everyone else in the film is great, too. There are a variety of character actors who show up in various roles, and it’s almost impossible to give specific praise to only one of them.

While Barry is of course the center of the film, the cast that surrounds him helps make the film feel alive, which is also helped by the aforementioned art and costume direction.

Released in December of 1975, “Barry Lyndon” was not seen as very successful, even though many critics gave it praise and top honors. Why the film continues to be a less-known Kubrick film is also strange, and it’s lackluster home video releases certainly don’t help.

In any case, I do hope that the film continues to reach new audiences in the future, especially with such mediums as Blu-ray discs being able to present the film as close to its theatrical roots as possible (save for the aspect ratio).

While it is important to point out that “Barry Lyndon” is slow, long, and maybe not for everyone, I still think it’s an important and a gorgeous film worthy of anyone’s time. Think of it like visiting a museum: It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s no doubt that everyone should at least give it a go.