In a feature film career that spanned almost 60 years Stanley Kubrick directed only 13 films. And whilst films like 2001, Dr Strangelove and The Shining are classics perhaps least known is his 1975 film, ‘Barry Lyndon’.
At this point in his career he had begun interludes of ever lengthening time between making films and Barry Lyndon had been released four years after A Clockwork Orange. After this it would be five years until The Shining, seven years until Full Metal Jacket and a huge 12 years before his final film Eyes Wide Shut was released in 1999 having passed away mere days after delivering his finished film to the studio
Kubrick was already putting vast amounts of time, resources and research into his films and after A Clockwork Orange (1971) he had given consideration to making a film about Napoleon with Jack Nicholson in the title role. But after the 1970 film ‘Waterloo’ starring Rod Steiger in the lead role crashed and burned at the box office his own project was immediately canned despite a huge amount of research. It would be same for several planned projects throughout the directors career with the release of Spielberg’s Oscar winning Schindler’s List putting an end to Kubrick’s own Holocaust project.
Despite this he stayed in period film territory having settled on the classic William Thackeray Makepeac novel. A storythat saw an Irish rogue the Barry Lyndon of the title played by Ryan O’Neal who wins the heart of a rich widow and assumes her dead husband’s aristocratic position in 18th-century England
An epic novel that saw the director investing an immense amount of time in preproduction that would produce his most visually stunning film. This might well have been due to his instance on using candlelight for so many of the interior scenes – a process that caused issues for his DoP John Alcott who had photographed Clockwork Orange and would later work on The Shining for the director. The problem was that lenses and film stock could not cope with such low level lighting but Kubrick, who had started his working life as a photographer, and never one to let a problem block his vision, got NASA on board using photographic lenses that they had developed and used for space expeditions. It worked quite brilliantly because what Kubrick produced with his DoP along with his production and costume designer is one of the most stunningly beautiful films to be committed to celluloid outside of early Terrence Malick films of the 1970’s. Many of the shot compositions were tableau’s inspired by paintings most obviously those of Gainsborough.
Kubrick’s casting was interesting too. Ryan O’Neal who had been Oscar nominated for the 1971 weepie ‘Love Story’ and was ideally cast here and opposite him would be the relatively inexperienced Marisa Berenson who had only made three films previously albeit they included ‘Death in Venice’ and ‘Cabaret’. Perhaps for British audiences it was the casting of Leonard Rossiter who had also appeared in 2001 and had an extensive career as a dramatic actor but this would be overshadowed by his role as the conniving slum landlord Rigsby in the TV sitcom ‘Rising Damp’ that he had first appeared in 1974 having already shot his scenes for Kubrick. But like the director he was as fastidious in his preparation for a role whether it be dramatic or comedic. And Kubrick, true to form, was as demanding as ever in bringing his vison to screen even expecting the crew to work on Christmas Day of which he himself had been oblivious being so wrapped up in the production which was becoming the norm for his films having shot for over 300 days – something that would get longer with his subsequent from hereon. Though Barry Lyndon was shot mostly in Ireland, production soon moved to the UK when Kubrick was informed that his name was on an IRA hit list.
Having started shooting in 1973 the film was released in 1975 and costing a, for the time hug $11m, the film would earn a paltry $570,000 at the box office. Whether it be the subject or more likely the running time of over three hours in what is undoubtedly an evenly but for some slow pace as the story unfolds. And yet despite this it was recognised for the masterpiece it surely is earning seven Oscar nominations including Best Film and Best Director and winning for its photography (obviously), its Art Direction, Costume design and Score (Kubrick did win a BAFTA as Best Director as he did also for Best Film). And yet it is probably the one film in this 13 film catalogue that’s most overlooked which is a pity as its one that’s undoubtedly worth a look and is argued by many to actually be his best film.
Out now for the first time on 4K UHD it’s a format that’s ideal for such a beautifully photographed film that serves the rich lighting and sumptuous costumes and sets well. Unfortunately like just about every Kubrick Home Ent release there are no bonus features which is a shame because though Kubrick and O’Neal ( as well as Rossiter and DoP Alcott) are no longer with us there are plenty of very well informed critics that could speak knowledgeably about the film. This would have included Leon Vitali, an actor who appeared in the film and was so enamoured with Kubrick’s working practice that from thereon he became the directors right hand man for the rest of both his and the directors life. We spoke to Vitali some years ago albeit after Kubrick’s death, about this and mentioned about the lack of bonus features, deleted scenes and so forth on Kubrick’s films releases on DVD and blu-ray and he replied that the director had little time for such things preferring the film to speak for itself
And to be fair he is right. The film’s the thing and Barry Lyndon is a sumptuous masterpiece.
related feature : Ryan O’Neal obituary
related feature : Stanley Kubrick’s assistant Leon Vitali talks about when Stephen King visited set of The Shining
Here’s the Barry Lyndon trailer…….
