BARRY LYNDON

UK, 1975, 187 minutes, Colour.
Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Hardy Kruger, Marie Kean. Murray Melvin. Leonard Rossiter. Narrated by Michael Hordern.
Directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Barry Lyndon is a Stanley Kubrick film. Kubrick is now considered one of the best of the commercial film makers. His reputation rests on his film A Clockwork Orange, 2001, Lolita, Spartacus, Paths of Glory and some earlier thrillers. This time writer-director Kubrick has striven to make the equivalent of a nineteenth century novel about the eighteenth century, which was William Thackeray's style. He has succeeded well. But not everybody likes the length, style and panorama of Thackeray (differing, for instance, from twentieth century psychological subtlety).

Everyone agrees that the visual impact of the film, with its classical poses and posturings, its portraiture, landscapes and set scenes (of battle, gambling, family life, duels) is stunning. The third person commentary, spoken beautifully by Michael Hordern, the presentation of the characters locked within their society, the equivalent of Clockwork Oranges of their time, of fate and of chance have not provoked unanimous praise. Ryan O'Neal seems passive and is not immediately considered successful. However, Kubrick suggested that this actor corresponds to what he intended in the presentation of Barry and his character. Kubrick has achieved an excellent version of a Thackeray novel.

1. The status of the film as a classic? Its overall impact? The contribution of Stanley Kubrick in writing, production and direction? The intentions of the film maker? How accurate. realistic, pretentious in its achievement?

2. The background of Thackeray? The 19th century style of writing. its interest in character within society. in the vast pageant of history and society? The 19th century looking at the 18th century and its style? Society at peace. at war? Styles in society? The 20th century visualising of 19th century literature and 18th century ways of life? The significance of the film's division into parts I and II? The nature of the epilogue and its moral comment? The importance of the third person narrative and its quality? The irony of its style, its observation, its filling in of detail. moralising? How did it distance the audience from the events? Bring the audience closer to the meaning of the film?

3. The importance of the length of the film, its visual style. musical background, its pictured observation of life. its seemingly dispassionate presentations?

4. The contribution of the colour, the locations, the costumes, the tableaux, the models of 18th century art?

5. Comment on the film as a draw? The intertangle of human relationships and society' How was the film a comedy.. a comedy of manners? A satirical comedy with its irony?

6. The structure of the film with its picaresque rise and fall of a hero? The episodic nature of the structure? Audience response to this pageant of life?

7. What predominated in terms of theme: luck. chance, fate, accidents? What did the film show of each person's contribution to his own destiny? The constraints of time and place on each character? The constraints of society? How much freedom and self fulfilment was possible in this world? Persons moulded by their circumstances? What judgment was made on this? In terms of the moral choices of the characters?

8. The influence of death and its restraint on the characters? The final sequence of Barry's father's death in a duel, the seeming death of Captain Flin, Rogan's death in war? Lord Lyndon's death and the marriage, Brian's death and the emotional effect on Barry, Lady Lyndon's attempted death, the final duel with Lord Bullingdon? Barry Lyndon's life petering out until his own death?

9. The attempts at escape by Barry? The search for freedom in marrying Nora, his freedom after escaping from the duel, the army offering him a freedom from being on the run, his desertion as the search for freedom, his service of the Prussians to escape the army, serving the Chevalier to escape from the Prussians, his marriage as an escape to nobility and gentlemanliness, using money as an escape to all his ambitions and to the title? His finally being shot and wounded, his being paid to go away and escape? What was Barry trying to escape to?

10. How well did the film delineate the character of Barry? The choice of Ryan O'Neal for the part? Barry as a young and pleasant young man, naive in love, money dealings manners? Spoilt by his mother? With ideals about life? His ambitions and their disappointment? His wanting to be free, his watching the army parade in his own town and then his own participation in the army? The change in army life by the experience of war, and by the bad example of soldiers? His shrewdness in taking the place of the spy? His disillusion in the Prussian army? His service of the Prussians and his shrewdness in getting out of his situation? His ingenuous honesty with the Chevalier and collaborating with him? The further corruption by the world of gambling and cheating for the Chevalier? His marriage and its lovelessness? His disillusion in living a high life? His attitude towards his wife ignoring her, and Lord Bullingdon? The change in him with the birth of his own son and his spoiling him? A mixture of spoiling and loving and being vicious? Being pushed by his mother? The trying to get a title and all the expenditure? His being humiliated by Lord Bullingdon? Being physically wounded and humiliated? Barry as basically a good-natured person trapped by his society? The significance of his exile and the nothingness of his latter part of life? How strong a character? How well did the film show the development and change?

11. What kind of man was he? Was he a hero of the 18th century? A non-hero? As an example for 20th century heroes and non-heroes? The possibility of heroic achievement for this kind of person trapped in his world?

12. Comment on the variety of society present in the film and its influence on characters. The Irish background of it poverty and isolation, moneymaking and marriages? Highwaymen? The society of the army, its fighting, good fellowship, fodder for powder? The experience of the Seven Years War and death? Prussian society and its brutality for e.g. the whipping of the soldiers through the lines? Germany and its police society and spying? The aristocratic society of gambling, the artificiality of its makeup, its easy way of life and interchange of money, gambling and duels, cheating? English society and its beauty in its country houses, its leisure, aristocratic ways? The world of titles and dining? Of politics and King George? The world of poverty after the duel? The perennial cycle of people's fortunes in society?

13. The importance of the Irish background for Barry? The importance of the long scenes with Nora at the beginning as revealing Barry and his background? His Irish people using him? His learning about life in this experience? The dining scene and the challenge to Captain Flin? The duel with him?

14. The contribution that Grogan made to Barry's development? Being his second in the duel? Helping him in the army? His liking him and the importance of the emotion at Grogan's death?

15. The detailed portrayal of the army? The food, training, uniforms, status? The effect on Barry? His pride? The disgust at so much death? The British army and the Prussian army?

16. Barry's ingenuity in his desertion? The two soldiers talking in the river and Barry's taking his place? Potsdorf seeing through this? The hold that Potsdorf had over Barry? What kind of person was Potsdorf? Barry's rescuing him in the rain? The police state and Barry's service of Potsdorf?

17. The personality of the Chevalier and his contribution to the film? This Irish background and reliance on Barry? The details of their report to the police? The details of Barry's way of cheating for the Chevalier? The escape?

18. The presentation of the people in the gambling world? The German Count that the Chevalier cheated and his sense of honour? The artificiality of the rooms, make-up and costumes of those who gambled? Barry's feeling at home in this world? His career with the Chevalier?

19. Barry's ambition to marry? The personality of Lady Lyndon? The personality of Lord Lyndon and his death? The formality of the wedding and Lord Bullingdon's disapproval? The loveless marriage and Barry's infidelities and wasteful life? The scene of his repentance? Lady Lyndon as unhappy and nervous? Her relationship with Lord Bullingdon?

20. Mister Runt and his contribution to the atmosphere of the film, his friendship with Lady Lyndon, training Lord Bullingdon, his attitude towards Barry? The satisfaction of his role in Barry's downfall? The final confrontation with Mrs Barry?

21. Mrs Barry and fulfilment of her ambitions? The contrast with her life in Ireland? Her enjoyment of wealth and power? Her devotion to Brian? Her standing by Barry in his downfall? The revenge that those who felt her power had on her?

22. The character of Lord Bullingdon? As a young boy and his resentment of Barry and its justification? His maturing in condemning his mother and Barry? His growing up to hate Barry and the reasons for this? His sour personality, his relationship with Brian, e.g. at the magicians' show for his birthday, the study scene where he antagonised Brian, where he was beaten, remembering the beating of his youth, his refusal to be beaten? His attitude towards Barry in the duel, his fear and his illness, yet his wounding Barry? His being shown growing older and staying with his mother and signing the cheques? What insight into character via Lord Bullingdon?

23. Brian and his role in the lives of his father and mother? Barry as a doting father, spoiling Brian, his birthday, telling him stories, the horse for his birthday, Barry's grief at his death? Lady Lyndon and her love for Brian? Her contrasting him with Lord Bullingdon? Lady Lyndon's lack of comprehension when Lord Bullingdon brought Brian through the hall at the concert, and then fight?

24. The portrayal of the aristocracy, Barry's friends when he was getting the title, the interview with the king, the parties and the concerts, their reaction when he was bullying Lord Bullingdon? Lord Wendover's snubbing him at the Club? Barry's failure at attempts to get into the aristocracy?

25. The impact of the final duel? The dramatic way in which it was staged? The ritual of the duel and its seeming stupidity? The physical danger and injury?

26. Barry after the duel and his acceptance of life? Separation from Lady Lyndon? Accepting the money, the support of his mother? The final glimpse of him getting into the coach? The final glimpse of the Lyndon's all in tableau signing the cheques for many years?

27. The achievement of this film in portraying such a vast world? The insight into character, society, fulfilment of personal lives? Is the film a classic?