Six: Barry Lyndon

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Year: 1975
Cast: Ryan O’Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Leon Vitali

Barry Lyndon, is a fascinating journey of one man’s quest of success and fortune. It is tale which tells us that there is very little difference between good and bad. That thin line which one unknowingly crosses. This is where your desire becomes more than the decision between right and wrong.

Stanley Kubrick, took William Makepeace Thackeray’s picaresque novel and turned into a beautiful movie. Though movie wasn’t very successful when it was released and nor the critics in those times were very enthusiastic but it has prevailed and won over time.



A picaresque novel is a sub-genre of fiction where the story normally humorous and satirical and tells an adventurous story of a hero mainly form a low class strata of society. This form came into existence in European literature through 16th century Spanish writing but was mostly inspired from Arabic literature of Al-Andalus era. Though, you can even find this kind of writings in ancient Roman and Indian dramas.

Kubrick shot this movie with camera which could capture natural light, for that he had to research and develop techniques based on methods used by NASA space flights. The impact is breathtaking, even the shots where only candle light has been used it looks as if you are in a room with candles lit around you. Some places the use of sunlight makes you feel as if you are in a painting of an old master, here the sunlight is playing tricks on you in colours which you have never seen them in.
Most shots were captured in natural light and in some cases even where artificial is used it is only to mimic natural one. The cinematography is breathtaking and it won many awards for it.

The storyline of the movie is basically divided into two parts and the narration from a neutral follower tells you what you are about to see very much in advance.

The movie starts with Barry, young man totally in love with his cousin is tricked into leaving his village so that she can marry a man of some fortune and with this betrayal in mind Barry is thrown to the wolfs of the world. Here misfortune after misfortune falls on to him. He is first stripped out of every penny that he is carrying by the duo of father and son who are bandits. He then joins the seven year war as a soldier. Not able to cope up with the demands and hardship of the service, he deserts and tries to run away only to be caught by Prussian captain and recruited into their ranks. In amongst men of the lowest standard he learns all kinds of trades and ways of life. Fortune now throws him into the hands of Chevalier de Balibari. They both combined to loot and swindle the biggies of courts across Europe. Now he is in a society in which he didn’t belong. Here he looks for someone he could marry and then lead a life of luxury. His fortune comes by when he encounters a beautiful woman of wealth whose husband is about to die and as soon as Sir Charles Lyndon dies, Barry pounces on the lady and adopts the name of Barry Lyndon.

The second part of the movie tells the decline of Barry Lyndon, his adulteries, his cruelty towards his wife and son, his mother’s conspiracies and he blowing the Lyndon fortune out to gain respect. This culminates into a gun fight with his stepson.

Though at this juncture he shows a sign of chivalry which the age of chivalry was known for but it is too little too late. His stepson has too much hatred for him to leave him unhurt. He loses his leg and is thrown out of England.



The movie starts with the audience liking the character of Redmond Barry, they then dislike him. They further dislike to the point of hate the character of Barry Lyndon which he has turned into and yet at the end they seem to have a pang of guilt for disliking him. He seems all too real and close to the person next door. You feel that fate has been cruel to him and go away with a little discomfort.


The movie itself varies on various fronts when compared to the novel. The novel is funny and has humorous touch to it, the movie is serious. The novel is projected from Barry’s own account and hence it has narcissistic or at least over glorification feel to it. The movie on the other hand is portrayed from an omniscient and neutral view. Of course there are a few changes in the storyline to as for example the ending scene with the gunfight or Chevalier de Balibari turning out to be his uncle in the novel. However taking out the whole, Barry trying to recover his family fortune from Lyndons has given the story a more tragic feel and that makes Barry, more of an antihero in the character.

My Favourite Quotes:

1. It would require a great philosopher and historian to explain the causes of famous seven years war in which Europe was engaged, in which Barry’s regiment was on its way to take part. It is suffice to say that England and Prussia were allies and were at war against French, Swedes, Russians and the Austrians. (Narrator: When describing the war)
2. It is well to dream of glorious war in snug arm chair at home but it is very different thing to see it first hand. (Narrator)
3. Gentleman may talk of the age of chivalry but remember the ploughman, poachers and pick pockets that they lead. It is with these instruments that your great warriors and kings have been doing their murderous work in the world. (Narrator: During the villages being burnt by soldiers)
4. Those who have not been out of country know very little what is to hear a friendly voice in captivity. (Narrator when Barry and Balibari meet for the first time.)
5. Thenceforth, Redmond Barry acquired the style and title of Barry Lyndon
6. Lady Lyndon: Lord Bullingdon, you have insulted your father. Lord Bullingdon: Madam, it is you who has insulted my father. (Young Lord Bullingdon replying when he is asked to kiss his new father, ‘Barry’)
7. King: Good, that’s right Mr. Lyndon, raise another company and go with them too. (When Barry meets the king and )


My Favourite Scenes:
1. When everyone in the village is looking at the force being created for the war. The scenery is breathtaking.
2. The scene in which the two men loot Barry. They do it in such a sophisticated way.
3. When Barry meets Chevalier de Balibari and how the friendly voice and tongue has an effect on both.
4. The scene where Sir Charles Lyndon accuses Barry of trying to seduce his wife.
5. The carriage ride after the marriage and his sudden arrogance in believing that he has arrived.
6. The scene where Barry beats up his stepson.
7. The look on Barry’s face when ultimately he is told of his final fate.

Disappointments:
1. At some places the characters seem to act a little differently than a normal behaviour, but I guess that is a writer’s discretion.
2. The ending, I hope that it was a little more explanative of Barry’s life.
3. Chevalier de Balibari, disappears from the movie suddenly, the person who played such an important part in the protagonist’s life has no clear exit.
4. Too much beauty sometimes takes away the attention from the characters.

Five: Bande a part

Godard is one of those famous directors who have attracted more controversies than they actually wanted. Recently when he was being facilitated by the Academy there was nervousness around because he is considered to be a Nazi sympathizer or at least an Anti Semitic. Now that is something Hollywood doesn’t tolerate.

However all his reclusiveness, his existentialism & Marxist thoughts, his strong likes and dislikes cannot take away from him, his genius of treating simplest of stories with utmost creativity.
Though this was my first Godard movie and it grew upon me. ‘Bande a part’ was made by Godard and his wife Anna Karina (who is also the heroine of it) when they had just finished working on a big budget three producer film and hence this carries a small budget, simple setting theme. Anna Karina is a sweetheart in the movie. What is with women who play these innocent victim roles? Why do men get attracted to them?

The movie starts when two unemployed and ignoble characters Franz (played by Sami Frey) & Arthur (Claude Brassuer) trying to seduce Odile (Anna Karina) into making her an accomplice into a heist. Anna has befriended Franz in an English learning centre and reveals to him that there is a big pile of cash lying at her wealthy benefactor’s villa. Franz tells this to Arthur and they scheme to steal the money. Anna is of course the bait to get to the fish. Both guys get attracted to her with Arthur having no true feelings and Franz over the time realising the intense protectiveness he feels towards her. The heist itself has no meaning but the emotional journey for three of them has an attraction which makes watching this movie worthwhile.

It is interceded with a narrator’s voice (done by Godard himself) which keeps the story glued in the times when the visuals are hard to portray. Brilliantly shot in black and white with winter in Paris as a backdrop. You feel the gloom so well that even it would have been shot in Eastman colour the colours wouldn’t have changed much. Godard brings in a lot of allegory through the stories which are told by the characters in the movie, mostly by Franz. Anna Karina is fabulous as her portrayal of young and naive Odile whose effort to impress these two guys always wins over her sense of what is right. Sami Fray is brilliant as and Brassuer plays a brilliant scoundrel. Anna was Godard’s wife and muse and he was totally in awe of her and that sometimes has a negative impact on people as far as her talent is concerned, however, for me that wasn’t the case as I didn’t even know who she was before I saw this movie.

There are a couple of scenes which are worth mentioning here in detail, the dance sequence which I am guessing each critic or admirer would pick too as their favourite and I am not different. The spontaneity of the shot is so wonderful that for me it is already the best dance sequence in any movie that I have seen till now. Especially when the music stops and Godard intervenes by telling us what each character are thinking while they are still dancing, that was a wonderful touch. I truly wanted to put the scene here in the blog but then I felt not to ruin the pleasure of watching the movie.


It’s a movie which needs to be watched for any number of reasons but for me what stood apart were the small little stories that are sewn into the fabric. For example, When John tells about the story with a letter he is referring to Edger Allan Poe’s ‘The Purloined Letter’ or the story where the guy is banished for lying, or the trio trying to break the record set by some American for going through the Louvre fastest or even at the start when the teacher is reading out Romeo and Juliet.

My Favourite Scenes:

1. The fake shooting game between the two actors.
2. The opening class room scene where Odile takes the cigarette from Arthur which brings out a pang of jealousy very clearly.
3. Odile running away from home to go out with these guys, she makes you want be a teenager.
4. Arthur telling Odile that there is a run in her stocking.
5. “The minute of silence”, which actually only lasts for 36 seconds.
6. Of course the dance scene.
7. The song in the metro, and the Godard mixes it between Odile’s voice and the singer.
8. The end scene in the car.

My Favourite Quotes:

1. Odile to Franz: This isn’t your first lie either. Franz: He told you that he killed his grandma with a hammer. Odile: Is that true? Franz: No, just a second lie.
2. Random guy to Franz: Empire crumble, republics founder, but fools go on.
3. The narrator during the dance sequence: Franz thinks of everything and nothing. He wonders if the world is becoming a dream or if the dream is becoming the world.
4. Odile to Franz: Where will you go? South America. Franz: No, North, to the Jack London country, he wrote some terrific books.
5. Just before the heist, the narrator: Under a crystal sky, Arthur, Odile and Franz, crossed bridges over impassive rivers, nothing moved on the palace front, the water was stagnant, a taste of ashes floated in the air.
6. Franz: Isn’t it strange how people never form a whole. Odile: In what way? Franz: They never come together. They remain separate. Each goes his own way, distrustful and tragic. Even when they are together, in big buildings, or in the street.

Disappointments:
Didn’t understand how Lady Victoria was alive when all of them had thought that she was dead.

Rating: