[5]

Beautifully shot and slavish to Kubrick’s singular, intentionally off-putting vision, Barry Lyndon follows the circuitous rise and fall of an unscrupulous man through love and war, as he swindles his way into aristocracy and sews the seeds of his own ultimate misfortune. I can appreciate the exercise, creating an immaculate vision so emotionally restrained, it’s almost devoid. But the film is a conundrum for me, because apparently ‘leaving me cold’ is Kubrick’s desired intent, but I don’t like movies that leave me cold. So the result is a film that really works, but that I don’t particularly like, and especially don’t enjoy.

Barry Lyndon is alienating. I guess the people who like it appreciate the unusual approach. And of course the film is gorgeous. The landscape vistas are painterly and there are few times where you’d swear Kubrick was God to manipulate the clouds and sunlight so… but I just don’t care what happens to Barry Lyndon. The film wants to keep you distant from him, and Ryan O’Neal, except in rare moments, is indeed impenetrable and dull in the role. Aside from the scrumptious photography, my favorite aspect of the film was the climactic duel between step-father and step-son (Leon Vitali, who plays the only accessible character in the movie). The restrained directorial approach really worked for this sequence, making its outcome completely unpredictable.

Academy Awards: Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction, Best Music

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay