Barry Lyndon 1975

It's no surprise that your attention is drawn to the cinematography and look of the film given it is Kubrick - it is a beautiful film to watch with every shot perfectly composed as if lifted straight from a painting, especially the night time scenes often lit in candlelight. What may surprise given Kubrick's (unfair) reputation for a cold detached style of filmmaking is how emotional the film is, especially in its second half. The narration of the film sets the tone immediately and lends the film a quaint charm and Kubrick mines a lot of humour from this too. With its three hour running time devoted to following one man's life, the central character is initially very difficult to sympathise with and care about as he has few redeeming qualities, but the audience's attention is held by an unpredictable plot and engaging secondary characters. Gradually as the film develops O'Neal's character becomes much more engaging, particularly in the latter half of the film. Not Kubrick's best film, but well worth the time.

I can appreciate the stunning visuals and the dark comedy that this film offers but the appreciation for this film completely escapes me. It's a long, long, long way to go to see the fairly uninteresting story play out. I won't get that three hours of my life back.

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Barry Lyndon has moments of absolute greatness. However, like Redmond Barry himself, this film delights in excess. 45 minutes shorter and the movie would be all the better.

Not particularly exciting. Maybe it’s because I’m not a huge fan of Kubrick’s work in general, but this also failed to convince me. Don’t get me wrong, it looks and sounds great, but the story is just okay to me.

This is Kubrick at his zaniest. If you’ve been postponing to watch this because you’re assuming that this is some boring costume drama (like me), trust me that it’s anything but. It’s not dry, there’s a lot of story and it’s probably Kubrick’s most entertaining film. Still, the core of the movie is very cynical and typically Kubrick in every sense: when you strip away the sacred layers that are associated with aristocrats, what you’re left with is nothing more than a bunch of opportunistic human beings. I think it moves really well, the cinematography is incredible and detailed, very good acting, intriguing characters, it’s funny, emotional and brilliantly written; there’s little to complain about. I’m just not a fan of the narration. It often repeats things that should already be clear to the attentive viewer, or it communicates information that should’ve been shown visually. Besides that, this is another Kubrick masterpiece.

8.5/10

I've got no idea on how I cam to be watching this. And to be honest, I probably wouldn't have got engrossed if it wasn't for spotting
Leonard Rossiter playing semi-seriously near the start of the movie. But I'm pleased I persisted. It is nothing like any movie I have watched - none of my usually fare (not a robot, zombie or alien in 180 minutes!) but I (surprisingly) quite enjoyed it.

So don't be put off by seeing it is 180 minutes of Stanley Kubrick - enjoy!

Barry Lyndon reminds me of a very specific summer's day I don't remember when I was a child and the sun seemed it would never stop setting and I was amazed at the permanence of things more profound than I.

Absolute masterpiece. Every department deserved an Oscar. Anyone who thinks this is a boring movie should stick to watching reality shows

I don't understand how some Spanish newspapers, in the cinema section, they talk about this movie as Kubrick's most boring and pretentious work. I can understand that they don't like it, but say it's a horrible movie, no. I have no knowledge in the matter, but I don't need studies to know what is a MASTERPIECE.

It's one of the prettiest movies I've ever seen: colors, landscapes, clothes... Everything is in harmony, it's like watching a lively canvas. The script is beautiful and the plot is very deep.

This movie is beautiful. Everything feels exquisite and so particularly crafted for this film. The score is amazing. The story is interesting. Barry Lyndon is a fascinating character and we get to see much of his life. A little too long and I think the second half isn't as interesting as the first. Still well worth a watch to see the love and care Stanley Kubrick put into this film.

"Barry Lyndon is", amidst Kubricks' many masterpieces, a film so easily dismissed due to length and the fact that it is overshadowed by others, but I deeply recommend this film to anyone who would like to see a film both for the plot line, the story and the pure enjoyment of the images presented. Stanley Kubrick made many great films – and this one is most definitely one of them!