Barry Lyndon

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Barry Lyndon

PG

1975

3h 4m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

78%

Tomatometer

156 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

How does an Irish lad without prospects become part of 18th-century English nobility? For Barry Lyndon (Ryan O'Neal) the answer is: any way he can! His climb to wealth and privilege is the enthralling focus of this sumptuous Stanley Kubrick version of William Makepeace Thackeray's novel.

Critics Consensus

Visually astonishing and placid as a pond in the English countryside, Stanley Kubrick's maddening and masterful Barry Lyndon renders a hollow life with painterly poise.

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Jeff Millar

Houston Chronicle

Mar 5

4/4

The film is a comedy in that devious, oblique, droll way that is characteristic of Kubrick films. There isn't a laugh in the whole film that would work anywhere else.

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Martin Knelman

Globe and Mail

Mar 5

You feel no expense or effort has been spared in exhibiting things with formal correctness. You feel called upon to murmur approval of the extreme decorum and esthetic detail, yet the over-all effect is excruciating.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

Jul 22

4/5

[Lyndon] is very Gen Z, essentially sympathetic but aware that he’s perpetually at the mercy of aristocrats, scoundrels, brigands and army captains alike.

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Ciaran Carty

Sunday Independent (Ireland)

Mar 5

Barry Lyndon is 2001 in reverse -- a visual poem of haunting beauty which, through its freedom from the rooted-in-time artifice of dialogue, magically evokes the sensation of being in the past in the same way 2001 evoked the future.

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Mary MacGoris

Irish Independent

Mar 5

A good deal of the laughter comes from the director's pictures with their majestically paced evocation of the stilted artificiality of the period -- the whole film is a visual delight, in camera work, costumes, scenery, colour.

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Matthew Rozsa

Democracy at Work (Substack)

Dec 12

3.5/4

Watch the movie, then read the book, as I was lucky enough to have done. If you do it the other way around, you might be disappointed.

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Advik

May 15

The equivalent of touring an art gallery.

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revolver.0 8

@Revolver08 2d

visually picturesque, otherwise weak even for the director's early period works

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Julian L

@Kubrickians 5d

My second favorite comedy of all time.

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Troy R

@Grim16 6d

It has decent comedy at the sillyness of it all, but I actually enjoyed it more as a period piece. It was for sure too long. Many things in the movie were drawn out far longer than needed and though maybe it sometimes made the comedy hit better. Most was meaninglessly drawn out. Acting was great and the cinematography really helped nail the old time feel. The duel in the later half was a great use of that comedy and drawing out of an event. The ending was ok, bit anticlimactic.

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Ivan M.

@imapug Mar 19

One of the best films to ever be produced. The script was tailored to perfection. This film was far too long and extremely slow. Sceneries, costumes and acting was superb. A great adaptation that still holds to modern standards.

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Spyfan Reznov T

@SpyfanReznov Feb 27

Definitely is not for everyone, i believe i only got through it because i took a dinner break and I am interested in the historical period. The cinematography in this film is beyond good enough for me to describe it, majestical, while some take issue with the acting, it fits with the vision of the film, and the historical authenticity is guaranteed to interest any enthusiast Barry himself I felt was an ass, now my Prudish life will hinder some opinions of my take, but regardless he does have bravery. Though with the long debate between him and Lord Bullington I side with the boy, due to my own life experience.

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Synopsis

How does an Irish lad without prospects become part of 18th-century English nobility? For Barry Lyndon (Ryan O'Neal) the answer is: any way he can! His climb to wealth and privilege is the enthralling focus of this sumptuous Stanley Kubrick version of William Makepeace Thackeray's novel.

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Producer: Stanley Kubrick
Screenwriter: Stanley Kubrick, William Makepeace Thackeray
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Bros., Hawk Films, Peregrine
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 18, 1975, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 31, 2007
Runtime: 3h 4m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.66:1)

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