Stanley Kubrick made only 13 feature films throughout his nearly 60-year career. While he’s famous for classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dr. Strangelove, and The Shining, his 1975 film, Barry Lyndon, is less widely known.
By this point in his career, Stanley Kubrick was taking increasingly long breaks between films. Four years passed between the release of A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon. He then waited five years for The Shining, seven for Full Metal Jacket, and a full twelve years before his last film, Eyes Wide Shut, came out in 1999. Sadly, he passed away just days after submitting the finished film to the studio.
Kubrick was known for meticulously researching and investing heavily in his films. After finishing ‘A Clockwork Orange’ in 1971, he began planning a Napoleon biopic with Jack Nicholson. However, when the 1970 film ‘Waterloo’ failed commercially, Kubrick abandoned the project despite extensive preparation. This pattern continued throughout his career – for example, the success of Spielberg’s ‘Schindler’s List’ led him to drop his own film about the Holocaust.
Despite this, he continued making historical films, choosing to adapt the classic novel The History of Henry Esmond by William Makepeace Thackeray. The story follows the adventures of Barry Lyndon, an Irish rogue played by Ryan O’Neal, who charms a wealthy widow and takes on the identity and social status of her deceased husband in 18th-century England.
This ambitious film was the result of extensive pre-production work and became the director’s most visually impressive movie. A key element was his insistence on using only candlelight for indoor scenes, which presented a challenge for cinematographer John Alcott, known for his work on films like A Clockwork Orange and later The Shining. Existing camera lenses and film couldn’t handle such dim lighting, but the director, a former photographer, refused to compromise his vision. He creatively solved the problem by collaborating with NASA, utilizing specialized photographic lenses developed for space missions. The result was breathtaking. Along with his cinematographer and production/costume designer, he created one of the most visually beautiful films ever made, rivaling the early work of Terrence Malick. The film’s compositions were often inspired by paintings, particularly those of Gainsborough, resembling carefully arranged tableaux.
Kubrick’s choices for the actors were noteworthy. Ryan O’Neal, recently Oscar-nominated for the sentimental film ‘Love Story,’ was a perfect fit for the lead role. He was paired with Marisa Berenson, a less experienced actress who had only appeared in three films, including the acclaimed ‘Death in Venice’ and ‘Cabaret.’ British audiences might have been particularly interested in Leonard Rossiter, who had previously been in ‘2001,’ and was a respected dramatic actor, but he was becoming better known for his comedic role as the scheming landlord Rigsby in the TV show ‘Rising Damp’ – a role he’d already filmed scenes for before working with Kubrick. Like the director, Rossiter was incredibly dedicated to preparing for any role, serious or funny. Kubrick, as usual, pushed everyone hard to achieve his vision, even making the crew work on Christmas Day – he was so focused on the film that he didn’t even notice it was the holiday. This intense dedication was becoming typical for his productions, which were already taking over 300 days to film and would continue to grow longer. While most of ‘Barry Lyndon’ was filmed in Ireland, production moved to the UK when Kubrick learned he was on an IRA hit list.
Filmed over a period starting in 1973, the movie premiered in 1975 with a substantial $11 million budget for its time. However, it only earned $570,000 at the box office. The film’s poor performance was likely due to its lengthy, over three-hour runtime or possibly the complex subject matter, as the story unfolds at a deliberately slow, though consistent, pace. Despite this, it was critically acclaimed and received seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. It won Oscars for Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, and Original Score. Stanley Kubrick also won a BAFTA for both Best Director and Best Film. Despite its merits, it remains the most overlooked film in Kubrick’s 13-film collection, which is unfortunate because many consider it to be his finest work and well worth watching.
Now available for the first time in 4K UHD, this visually stunning film truly shines in the format, showcasing its beautiful lighting and elaborate costumes and sets. It’s disappointing, however, that this release, like most Stanley Kubrick home video releases, doesn’t include any extra features. While Kubrick and key collaborators like Ryan O’Neal, Rossiter, and cinematographer Alcott are no longer with us, many knowledgeable film critics could have offered valuable insights. This could have included Leon Vitali, an actor in the film who became Kubrick’s dedicated assistant for the rest of both their lives. We spoke with Vitali years ago after Kubrick’s death and he explained that the director preferred his films to stand on their own, with little interest in bonus content like deleted scenes or behind-the-scenes footage.
And to be fair he is right. The film’s the thing and Barry Lyndon is a sumptuous masterpiece.
Here’s the Barry Lyndon trailer…….
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2025-11-15 10:24