Barry Lyndon (1975)

Popularity:

Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Stanley Kubrick

Writers:

Stanley Kubrick (written for the screen by)
William Makepeace Thackeray (novel)

Release Date:

8 September 1976 (France)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

At long last Redmond Barry became a gentleman -- and that was his tragedy.

Plot:

An Irish rogue wins the heart of a rich widow and assumes her dead husband's aristocratic position in 18th-century England.

Plot Keywords:

Wealth | England | British Army | Spy | Prussian Army

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 11 nominations

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	...	Reverend 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	...	Lt. Jonathan Fakenham
Peter Cellier	...	Sir Richard
Geoffrey Chater	...	Dr. Broughton
Anthony Dawes	...	British Soldier
Patrick Dawson
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		(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:
Norman Gay	...	Tailor (uncredited)
Katharina Kubrick	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Vivian Kubrick	...	Magic Show Spectator (uncredited)
Gary Taylor	...	Barry's Fight Second (uncredited)

Directed by
Stanley Kubrick

Writing credits
Stanley Kubrick		(written for the screen by)
William Makepeace Thackeray		(novel "The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq.")

Produced by
Jan Harlan	....	executive producer
Stanley Kubrick	....	producer
Bernard Williams	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
John Alcott		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Tony Lawson

Casting by
James Liggat

Production Design by
Ken Adam

Art Direction by
Roy Walker

Costume Design by
Milena Canonero
Ulla-Britt Söderlund		(as Ulla-Britt Søderlund)

Makeup Department
Alan Boyle	....	makeup artist
Ann Brodie	....	makeup artist
Jill Carpenter	....	makeup artist
Yvonne Coppard	....	makeup artist
Barbara Daly	....	makeup artist
Susie Hill	....	hair stylist
Joyce James	....	hair stylist
Leonard	....	hair stylist
Leonard	....	wig maker
Maude Onslow	....	hair stylist (as Maud Onslow)
Daphne Vollmer	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Malcolm J. Christopher	....	unit manager (as Malcolm Christopher)
Terence A. Clegg	....	production manager (as Terence Clegg)
Don Geraghty	....	unit manager
Rudolf Hertzog	....	production manager: Germany
Douglas Twiddy	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Brian W. Cook	....	assistant director (as Brian Cook)
Michael Stevenson	....	assistant director
David Tomblin	....	assistant director
Andy Armstrong	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Gary White	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Bill Beecham	....	painter
Bill Brodie	....	assistant art director
Richard Dicker	....	drapesman
Vernon Dixon	....	set dresser
Ken Dolbear	....	property buyer
Mike Fowlie	....	property master
Joe Lee	....	construction manager
Cleo Nethersole	....	drapesman
Jan Schlubach	....	art director: Germany
Chris Seddon	....	drapesman
Terry Wells	....	property man
Cos Egan	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Barry Wilkinson	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
George Akers	....	assistant sound editor
Robin Gregory	....	sound recordist
Rodney Holland	....	sound editor
Bill Rowe	....	dubbing mixer
Richard Daniel	....	sound maintenance engineer (uncredited)
Michael Hickey	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Gerry Johnston	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Roy Scammell	....	stunt arranger

Camera and Electrical Department
Lou Bogue	....	gaffer
Patrick Carey	....	camera operator: second unit (as Paddy Carey)
Tony Cridlin	....	camera grip
Ed Di Giulio	....	special cinematographer
Laurie Frost	....	assistant camera
Dodo Humphreys	....	assistant camera
Douglas Milsome	....	focus puller
Mike Molloy	....	camera operator
Luke Quigley	....	camera grip
Larry Smith	....	chief electrician
Ronnie Taylor	....	camera operator
Keith Hamshere	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Micky Wilson	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gloria Barnes	....	wardrobe assistant
Ron Beck	....	wardrobe supervisor
Gary Dahms	....	costume maker
Yvonne Dahms	....	costume maker
Norman Dickens	....	wardrobe assistant
Jack Edwards	....	costume maker
Judy Lloyd-Rogers	....	costume maker
Willy Rothery	....	costume maker
Colin Wilson	....	wardrobe assistant
Francis Wilson	....	hats

Editorial Department
Dave Dowler	....	color grader
Peter Krook	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Leonard Rosenman	....	conductor
Leonard Rosenman	....	music adaptor

Other crew
Margaret Adams	....	secretary to producer
Bob Anderson	....	fencing coach
Bill Aylmore	....	armorer
Ron Bareham	....	assistant accountant
David Berglas	....	advisor: gambling
Andros Epaminondas	....	assistant to producer
Carolyn Hall	....	assistant accountant
John Mollo	....	historical advisor
Arthur Morgan	....	location liaison
George Mossman	....	horse master
Peter Munt	....	wrangler
William O'Kelly	....	location liaison (as Col. William O'Kelly)
Loretta Ordewer	....	production secretary
Pat Pennelegion	....	production secretary
June Randall	....	continuity
Geraldine Stephenson	....	choreographer
John Trehy	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Peregrine
• Hawk Films
• Warner Bros.

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (1975) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1976) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1976) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1976) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1976) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (1988) (Greece) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Canada) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2011) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1976) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• MTV3 (1997) (1998) (2003) (2009) (Finland) (TV)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2001) (Finland) (DVD)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2006) (Finland) (DVD) (6-disc Kubrick Prestige Collection)
• Scanvideo (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Corsham Court  special acknowledgment
• Somerset Rural Life Museum  special acknowledgment (as Glastonbury Rural Life Museum)
• National Trust Stourhead Gardens  special acknowledgment (as Stourhead House and the National Trust)
• Castle Howard  special acknowledgment
• Dolby Laboratories  special sound assistance
• Carl Zeiss  lenses for candlelight photography made by (as Carl Zeiss West Germany)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

184 min

Country:

UK | USA | Ireland

Language:

English | German | French

Color:

Color (Metrocolor) | Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Brazil:Livre | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:14A (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | France:Unrated | Iceland:12 | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:PG | Norway:16 | Singapore:PG | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Royal Victoria Park, Bath, Somerset, England, UK

Company:

Peregrine

Trivia:

The movie was nominated for seven Oscars, winning in four categories. The three nominations lost by the movie (Best Screenplay, Best Director and Best Film) were all nominations given to Stanley Kubrick, making him the only person involved with the movie who didn't win any Oscar for it.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Barry first meets the Chevalier di Balibari, there's a small side table with a coffee pot to the right, but when the Chevalier is viewed from the front, the table is gone.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[two figures visible on the horizon prepare to duel. Three witnesses stand between them]
Second:Gentlemen, cock your pistols! Gentlemen...
Narrator:Barry's father...
Second:...aim your pistols!
Narrator:...had been bred, like many other young sons of a genteel family, to the profession of the law.
Second:One!
Narrator:And there is no doubt he would've...
Second:Two!
Narrator:...made an eminent figure in his profession...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 71st Annual Academy Awards (1999) (TV)

Soundtrack:

PIPER'S MAGGOT JIG

The Camera and the Stage

When I was in high school, it was considered "cool" to watch Stanley Kubrick movies as they were seen as "more enlightened forms of entertainment" over stuff by Steven Spielberg and John Hughes. If you didn't memorize the opening speech to Full Metal Jacket or hadn't seen Nicole Kidman in Eyes Wide Shut then you were rejected from the clique. This was at the time when I was first viewing Kurosawa's Rashomon and Ran and accidentally came across this gem. Sure, the rest of the gang would be quoting along with Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange, but not one of them would dare sit down and watch this or 2001: A Space Odyssey. Fools.

Barry Lyndon is another sign of sheer genius on behalf of Kubrick. Notice that in his career he is never concerned about making money, just creating an image and telling a story. Imagine if Michael Bay did the same, he'd be out of the business in no time and having to sell his own movies at the Video Hut. This movie is one of his better detailed (and yet mysteriously unsung) masterpieces that is so beautiful to look at that it almost becomes artistic pornography (in the sense of creating intense emotion). This isn't to say that Barry Lyndon is vulgar. By comparison to Eyes Wide Shut and The Shining, this is a kid's cartoon.

Kubrick is once again a certified genius with his camera. The elaborate and glamorous scenes ranging from duels to gardens and even just the opening prologue are beautifully rendered in a style reminiscent of Monet or other artists. I found it interesting how Kubrick includes pigeons (doves?) in the final duel. Perhaps John Woo gained some inspiration from this.

The story is paper thin compared to 2001 and lacks much of the symbolism. In fact, it is very hard to either sympathize with Ryan O'Neil as the title character because of his lack of portrayal. As a whole, none of the characters gain either support or disapproval because of their fleeting presence. The sets and costume designs themselves become more of a character than the actors. Thankfully, the story is not as convoluted as I expected. It flows nicely and never gets boring because of the variety of powerful elements infused into it.

First off, kudos to both Ken Adam and Vernon Dixon for their brilliant production design. I loved what Ken did with Dr. Strangelove (smart move for him to ditch the Bond series for that). John Alcott is one of Kubrick's lesser cinematographers, but he is still very talented here. I'm certain that, if he had lived longer, Kubrick would've kept using him. He is not as concerned about symmetry, that or the topics aren't, as the rest of Kubrick's work. The biggest irony about Barry Lyndon would have to be that everyone in the categories EXCEPT Kubrick won an Oscar for their work. I think the Academy has something of a grudge against him because of his superior quality of work.

Overall, a phenomenal quality of film that they just don't make anymore. I put this in my Top 10 required viewings for anyone who wants to be in film. Kubrick has transcended Shakespeare with this film. 4.5 out of 5 stars.