Barry Lyndon (1975)

Director:

Stanley Kubrick

Writers:

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

Release Date:

18 December 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | 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 position in 18th Century aristocracy.

Plot Keywords:

British Army | Irish | Spy | England | 18th Century

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Ryan O'Neal	...	Barry Lyndon
Marisa Berenson	...	Lady Honoria Lyndon
Patrick Magee	...	Chevalier de 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
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
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)
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)

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)

Stunts
Roy Scammell	....	stunt arranger

Camera and Electrical Department
Lou Bogue	....	gaffer
Paddy Carey	....	camera operator: second unit
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-Columbia Films (1976) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• 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) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. (????) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (1988) (Greece) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Canada) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2011) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)

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

Language:

English | German | French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:PG | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | West Germany:12 | USA:PG | Iceland:12 | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Spain:18 | Finland:K-16 (1976) | Sweden:15 | France:Unrated | Brazil:Livre | Canada:14A (video rating) | New Zealand:PG | Norway:16 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Royal Victoria Park, Bath, Somerset, England, UK

Company:

Peregrine

Trivia:

Director Trademark: [Stanley Kubrick] [Bathrooms]Barry Lyndon apologizes to Lady Lyndon while she is in the bath.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The flags shown in the scenes of Barry's service in the Prussian army are from three different regiments. The flag with a white background and grey/silver-grey vertical stripes is that of the Royal Guard regiment, the yellow with white corner darts is that of Fusilier Regiment Nr 39, and the dark flag looks like it could be the flag of Infantry Regiments Nr 2, 8, 13, 28 or 54, all of which had black flags with varying colored details. The regiment's uniform distinctions of white lapels, cuffs and collar make it look like Regiment Nr 13, which was known as a hard-fighting, hard-drinking unit.

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 "American Masters: You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story (#22.4)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

IDOMENEO (march)

The World of Stanley Kubrick: A young rapscallion makes good in 18th century Europe.

Barry Lyndon (1975) has to be Stanley Kubrick's most realized project that he has ever taken. A big task for the maverick director. For a film like this to be made during the free wheeling seventies had to take some big stones. One must admire Mr. Kubrick for even trying to produce and direct such a complex and expensive film that had all the ear markings of a financial and personal disaster. Not only did Kubrick manage to out do his last epic "2001" but he has created a movie that not only showcases the untapped acting abilities of Ryan O'Neil, but a beautifully lensed film that uses minimal lighting , gorgeous sets, perfect balance, positioning and meticulous timing. I have never seen such a magnificent film such as this one. Every shot and frame plays out like an eighteenth century oil painting.

A young Irish man of lower class has the strangest quirk of luck. After participating in an illegal duel, young Barry is forced to flee from his home village. After being accosted by some gentlemanly highway robbers, Barry winds up cross country and becomes a conscripted soldier. Rising in rank, Barry is sent to fight in the Seven's Year War. Whilst in battle he watches his friends and fellow soldiers being slaughtered in combat due to poor tactics and leadership. Having enough of this life of hardship and struggle, Barry uses his god given talents to do what he has to do in order to survive and become a man of proper social standing.

I was very impressed with this movie. I've put off watching this film until recently. Some have told me how long and boring this movie was. Others have said it was pretty self serving and not worth watching. But after seeing part of it on T.C.M., I just had to find a copy of my own. The film is over three hours in length but they go by very quickly because Barry's story is so captivating. Kubrick poured his heart and soul into this film. The results are on the screen. He's clearly a master film maker. His reputation is cemented forever with this movie. Ryan O'Neil impressed the hell out me with his role as Barry Lyndon. He gives the character some dignity and depth that no other actor could have possibly given to the title role.

Overall I would have to give this film one of my highest recommendations. This is one of my top ten films of all time. If people tell you not to watch this masterpiece ignore them. I advise you to get a copy and enjoy. For a film like this you need to set aside a weekend afternoon to fully appreciate a film such as this. Believe me you will not regret it.

Highest recommendation possible.

It doesn't matter whether you watch it on D.V.D. or V.C.D. because the transfers are excellent on either format.