History Film / BarryLyndon

* GoneSwimmingClothesStolen

* TheFilmOfTheBook: Adapted from the 1844 novel ''The Luck of Barry Lyndon'' by WilliamMakepeaceThackeray.

The film is based on the novel ''The Luck of Barry Lyndon'' by WilliamMakepeaceThackeray, the author of ''VanityFair''.

The film had very mixed reviews when it came out, and was seen as weird for Kubrick as he wasn't fond of period pieces. Nowadays, however, the film is considered a cinematographer's dream with its beautiful camera work (including scenes lit only by candles), and no other film has so convincingly brought the 18th century to life. It's a simple story, but if you allow yourself to be absorbed by it and accept the pace it's deeply engaging, romantic and even thought provoking. There are some truly classic scenes, such as the climactic duel between Barry and his stepson which has tremendous tension, and the first meeting and seduction of Lady Lyndon by Barry, which involves a room of gamblers, a balcony, and the slow movement of FranzSchubert's Piano Trio in E-flat major, which is just pure romance on film.

* SevenYearsWar: As a backdrop during Barry's rise to fame and wealth.

* DidNotGetTheGirl
* DirtyCoward: Captain Quin.

* CharacterTitle

* SelfMadeMan: Barry.

* VillainProtagonist: Some viewers take Barry's opportunist side and grant him the benefit of redemption [[spoiler: during the final duel]] while others identify with the Lyndons' pejorative view of the "upstart Irishman". He has, without a doubt, the BlueAndOrangeMorality of his times, but is he really any more villainous than the remainder of the cast?

''Barry Lyndon'' is StanleyKubrick's 1975 period piece, widely considered one of his most underrated films. The film concerns the life of Irish peasant-turned-adventurer-turned-aristocrat Redmond Barry, who leaves his Irish home after his family con him into leaving alone his cousin with whom he is besotted. The first half shows how he then goes on to be a British deserter of the Seven Year's War, a Prussian conscript, a spy and then a travelling dandy. The second half, however, is far more downbeat and involves his quest to become an aristocrat, which eventually merely leads to tragedy as he spurns his beautiful but fragile wife and brings his stepson to hate him with a passion.

* SophisticatedAsHell: '''The entire film'''. The film is mannered in the extreme, but much of the humor comes from the Very Proper Narration. For example, Barry encounters a woman whose husband is at war. He's very gentlemenly, she's very ladylike, she has a quiet dinner with him while her baby is snoozing, and they have sex. The narrator then states matter-of-factly that she does this '''a lot'''. In other words, she's a total slut who cheats on her husband constantly.

** TruthInTelevision: Englishmen [[hottip:*: And the fact that Barry is Irish, not English, is very relevant here]] of that era took the "stiff upper lip" to a ridiculous degree. [[http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/c/chesterfield/letters/index.html Lord Chesterfield]], in his famous letters of advice to his son, even objects to ''laughter'' as a vulgar excess.

'''''Barry Lyndon''''' is StanleyKubrick's 1975 period piece, widely considered one of his most underrated films. The film concerns the life of Irish peasant-turned-adventurer-turned-aristocrat Redmond Barry, who leaves his Irish home after his family con him into leaving alone his cousin with whom he is besotted. The first half shows how he then goes on to be a British deserter of the Seven Year's War, a Prussian conscript, a spy and then a travelling dandy. The second half, however, is far more downbeat and involves his quest to become an aristocrat, which eventually merely leads to tragedy as he spurns his beautiful but fragile wife and brings his stepson to hate him with a passion.

The film had very mixed reviews when it came out, and was seen as weird for Kubrick as he wasn't fond of period pieces. Nowadays, however, the film is considered a cinematographer's dream with its beautiful camera work (including scenes lit only by candles), and no other film has so convincingly brought the 18th century to life. It's a simple story, but if you allow yourself to be absorbed by it and accept the pace it's deeply engaging, romantic and even thought provoking. There are some truly classic scenes, such as the climactic duel between Barry and his stepson which has tremendous tension, and the first meeting and seduction of Lady Lyndon by Barry, in which involves a room of gamblers, a balcony, and FranzSchubert's Piano Trio In E Flat Major, which is just pure romance on film.

* {{Corporal punishment}}: While Barry is serving in the Prussian Army, he witnesses corporal punishment. He later administers it himself upon his stepson, Lord Bullingdon, on two separate occassions.

* DownerEnding
* TheFilmOfTheBook

* GoldDigger: Every single scene but (arguably) [[spoiler: the final duel]] establishes Barry Lyndon as one.

* ManlyTears: Barry cries FOUR TIMES during the film, which is a heck of a lot of crying for a male character in one movie. He cries [[spoiler: when his friend Captain Grogan dies, when he meets another Irishman while in exile, when his son dies, and when his leg is cut off.]] Yeah...I think those are all pretty good reasons for tears.

** When Barry realises that Captain Potzdorf has been leading him on and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7sNTTjgqag&feature=feedlik exposed him as a deserter]].

** Apparently this was because Kubrick was contractually obligated by Warner Bros to cast an actor who was currently one of the top 10 highest box office earners, or else they wouldn't fund his film. Most of the 10 were ruled out, because they were too old or unsuitable or female, leaving only two - Robert Redford and Ryan O'Neil. He couldn't get Robert Redford.

* ShootTheShaggyDog: The second part of the movie geometrically ''undoes'' every bit of luck Barry has enjoyed during the first part of the movie, and arguably ends with ''less'' than he began with.
* SophisticatedAsHell: '''The entire film'''. The film is mannered in the extreme, but much of the humor comes from the Very Proper Narration. For example, Barry encounters a woman who's husband is at war. He's very gentlemenly, she's very ladylike, she has a quiet dinner with him while her baby is snoozing, and they have sex. The narrator then states matter-of-factly that she does this '''a lot'''. In other words, she's a total slut who cheats on her husband constantly.

* CryIntoChest: Barry does this [[spoiler: when Captain Grogan dies.]] He kisses him, and then collapses onto his chest, weeping. Justified, because the guy was probably the closest thing he had to a father figure

* TheFilmOfTheBook