Barry Lyndon (1975)

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

Director:

Stanley Kubrick

Writers:

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

Stars:

Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee

Top Rated Movies #205 | Won 4 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryan O'Neal	...	Barry Lyndon
Marisa Berenson	...	Lady Honoria Lyndon
Patrick Magee	...	The Chevalier du Balibari
Hardy Krüger	...	Capt. 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	...	Rev. Samuel Runt
Frank Middlemass	...	Sir Charles Lyndon
André Morell	...	Lord Gustavus Adolphus Wendover (as Andre Morell)
Arthur O'Sullivan	...	Capt. Feeny - the Highwayman
Godfrey Quigley	...	Capt. Grogan
Leonard Rossiter	...	Capt. John Quin
Philip Stone	...	Graham

Storyline

In the eighteenth century, in a small village in Ireland, Redmond Barry (Ryan O'Neal) is a young farm boy in love with his cousin Nora Brady (Gay Hamilton). When Nora gets engaged to British Captain John Quin (Leonard Rossiter), Barry challenges him to a duel of pistols. He wins and escapes to Dublin, but is robbed on the road. Without an alternative, Barry joins the British Army to fight in the Seven Years War. He deserts and is forced to join the Prussian Army, where he saves the life of his Captain and becomes his protégé and spy of Irish gambler Chevalier de Balibari (Patrick Magee). He helps Chevalier and becomes his associate until he decides to marry the wealthy Lady Lyndon (Marisa Berenson). They move to England and Barry, in his obsession of nobility, dissipates her fortune and makes a dangerous and revengeful enemy.

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Plot Keywords:

gambler | stepfather stepson conflict | voice over narration | social climber | card playing | 

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Taglines:

Great was his rise...And much greater his fall.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

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

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Goofs

When Barry disguises himself as Lt. Fakenham to desert from British army, he should have riding boots. Instead, he wears the gaiters that soldiers serving on foot wore. That would stand out, to any soldiers of the day, and lead to his immediate detection. (Potzdorf, for example, wears riding boots; as a captain, his rank would require him to ride.)

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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...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in My Name Is Bond... James Bond (1979)

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Soundtracks

Women of Ireland
Composed by Sean O'Riada
Harp: Derek Bell

User Reviews

A Challenging Piece to Take Satisfaction From...

... no matter how many pistols or shots are fired. Poor old Barry manages to squander all he could ever have wished for but ultimately gets what he deserves, as does the audience, but only after an unsatisfying three hour wait.

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English German French

Release Date:

18 December 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Barry Lyndon

Filming Locations:

Royal Victoria Park, Bath, Somerset, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$198,992

Company Credits

Production Co:

Peregrine, Hawk Films, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

185 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Metrocolor) Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1