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Director: Stanley Kubrick
Verdict: Thumbs Up Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation of the 19th century novel Barry Lyndon closely details the tumultuous life of Redmond Barry. The rags-to-riches story has a very clear overarching theme made especially effective through the strong use of non diegetic elements. Redmond Barry is a young Irish lad with a hot temper and fierce determination. When his love cheats on him with a British Army captain, Barry duels with him, but is forced to skip town after the affair. He enlists in the Royal Army but soon deserts having stolen a General’s uniform. However his desertion does not last as he is found by a Prussian captain and forced into the Prussian Army. He soon befriends the Captain and after the Seven Years War works for the Captains Uncle, the Minister of Police in Prussia. He is assigned to work undercover for a wealthy man who is suspected of being an Irish spy. This is true and Barry befriends him and they flee Prussia, following a life of gamblers. After amassing considerable fortune, Barry marries the Countess of Lyndon and takes on the title of Barry Lyndon. However, he is unfaithful and the Countlesses first child, Lord Bullington (not of Barry’s raising) becomes increasingly unpleasant towards Barry. After a fight during a concert between the two, Lord Bullington leaves the palace. Barry and the Countess have a child but he is killed by a horse. Following this, both Barry and the Countess fall into a deep depression. Lord Bullington, now much older, returns and challenges Barry to a duel. Bullington manages to somehow wound Barry in the leg, which is later amputated. Lord Bullington forces Barry from England, paying him 500 guineas a year. Kubrick went to incredible lengths when making Barry Lyndon to make it as accurate as possible. He had done extensive research into period clothing, and the costume designers were so exact and precise they won an Oscar for Best Costume Design. It was really quite incredible how realistic the film felt. What really sold the effect was Kubrick’s use of classical music. Although shown as a diegetic element at one point, when Bullington and Barry had their tussle, the role of music as a non diegetic element was one of the most all encompassing aspects of the entire film. Through the movie, even between the two acts, there was very little sense of uplift. The film truly felt as though you were Barry Lyndon, slogging your way through life, constantly fighting for every little thing. This emotion, this general sense of weight draped over the entire film, almost oppressive in its nature, propagated the whole of the movie in a way that is only truly noticed upon completion of the film. While undoubtedly a portion of this emotion can be contributed to the plot itself, the greater effect came from the music used. The music never attempted to really pull the film out of the drab feel the movie achieves. At one point, during the dinner between the Captain and Barry, the music is slightly less melancholy but this is a false emotion. During the intro of this scene, the narrator informs the viewer that the Captain is merely toying with Barry and suspects that he is not really the general he claims to be. This instantly brings the emotion back to earth and the reality that Barry is about to fall from is momentary grace. The music is so effective it too received an Oscar for Best Musical Score. While the music was arguably the most effective non diegetic element, it is greatly enhanced by the narration. The narrator is a brilliant way for Kubrick to direct the movie to his artist desire without having to change scenes as to make them understandable and keep the emotion that shrouds the whole of the film. The narrator has a very calm, ever so slightly downcast voice that accurately follows the feel of the film. His involvement is strictly non diegetic and omniscient but also rare. We do not often hear the narrator but when do it is to gently guide us as to what has occurred, avoiding the need for otherwise unnecessary explanations within the film that would disrupt the emotion that Kubrick had worked so hard to produce. What was somewhat surprising was how almost un-Kubrick the beginning of the film felt. The scenes were all incredibly conventional, almost amateurish at some stages. However, as the film progressed, more and more of Kubrick’s artistic nature came through. During the fist fight between Barry and the soldier, Kubrick gets the camera very up close with the action. It is after this where the shots become much more artist, using beautiful backdrops in many of the scenes. The lovely backdrops actually seemed to work in helping with the feel of the movie. Seeing the beautiful countryside and nice weather in contrast with all of the events taking place made it feel like a very private and personal affair. All of these problems were affecting Barry and those immediately around him while the world went on its merry way. This helped solidify the impression that Barry Lyndon was all on his own as the world passed by, giving a somewhat reclusive feel to his life, even though he was rather outgoing. Another little trick Kubrick used was that the scenes were all made to be as authentic as possible. During the candlelit scenes, there was no electrical lighting, as to make the scenes as realistic as possible. When electrical light was used, Kubrick went to great lengths to make them as organic and natural as possible. All of these lengths helped the film receive another two Oscars, for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography. Barry Lyndon also received Academy nominations for Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Kubrick and his brilliant work of Barry Lyndon deserve far more praise than they have received. Although a very slow paced movie with only flashes or action, it is a true cinematic masterpiece and an artist marvel. Kubrick used non diegetic elements to their maximum and through this was able to let his mind roam and create the movie he wished to make.
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June 2018
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