Lavish, engrossing, picaresque

In some way almost all of Stanley Kubrick's movies are very gloomy, dreary and wicked. The idea of "Lolita" is definitely perverted, "The Shining" is maybe the most terrifying film ever made, "Full Metal Jacket" is still one of the most pressuring war movies, from time to time "Eyes Wide Shut" looks almost like a horror film and even "2001: A Space odyssey" has some pretty frightening visions.

"Barry Lyndon" was Kubrick's next film after his darkest masterpiece "A Clockwork Orange" and certainly a totally different kind of a work. Even though "Barry Lyndon's" second half is slightly darker and the movie certainly isn't a comedy of any kind it's still quite a nice, warm and genial picaresque story. It's hard to say is it a bit overlong because it's easier to watch in two parts but nevertheless it's a brilliant film from the very start. "Barry Lyndon" is full of unforgettable sequences. My favorite is probably the duel between Barry Lyndon and his stepson Lord Bullington.

One of the things I love most about this movie is the splendid epilogue. Closing words of "Barry Lyndon" brings hilariously together every event seen in the film. Ryan O'Neal makes a fabulous performance as Barry. He isn't all that well-known actor in the movie business but he does a great job in the difficult leading role. I'll give 9 out of 10 to "Barry Lyndon" and point out that although it's not Kubrick's finest flick it's still a very excellent movie and an extremely important part of his works and it should not be underestimate. If you have seen lots of Kubrick classics but not this one, take this chance to jump into 18th century and watch the entertaining adventures of Redmond Barry.