History Film / BarryLyndon

* HeelFaceDoorSlam: Possibly, depending on how one interprets Barry's decision to delope during the final duel. Was his decision an attempt at redemption? If so, it was a poorly made one as it earned him a bullet, a lost limb, and a ruined life courtesy of Lord Bullingdon.

* ArchnemesisDad: Barry becomes an arch nemesis ''step'' - dad to Lord Bullingdon.

* ArchnemesisDad: Barry becomes an arch nemesis ''step''- dad to Lord Bullingdon.

& ArchnemesisDad: Barry becomes an arch nemesis ''step''- dad to Lord Bullingdon.

* GreyAndGrayMorality: Barry versus the world. Barry does what he has to in order to survive, even resorting to very low methods when he has to and never against someone who could be considered evil. In the second act, this turns into BlackAndGrayMorality with the opportunistic Barry working against his step-son, a young man whose life he is effectively ruining but who is not much better in terms of good character.
* HeroAntagonist: Downplayed significantly with Lord Bullingdon. From a moral standpoint, one could easily argue that he is a lighter shade of grey when compared to Barry. At the same time, however, he comes off as a bigoted, cowardly, and narcissistic young man whose hatred of Barry derives as much from the latter's humble origins as much as him being a poor step-father.

* AffablyEvil: Captain Feeny, who's awfully well-mannered for a highwayman.

* VomitIndescretionShot: Lord Bullingdon, after [[LiteralMetaphor going off half-cocked]] in his duel with Barry.

[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/barry-lyndon-movie-poster_2845.jpg]]

* {{Deconstruction}}: Most period films of European settings before Kubrick, and after him as well (such as the films of Merchant-Ivory), tended to tell a RoseTintedNarrative of aristocrats living a life of sophistication and good manners. ''Barry Lyndon'' was one of the first to show this period by emphasizing [[ValuesDissonance the strangeness]] of aristocratic social rituals as well as highlighting the ruthless class structure that they were intended to perpetuate. Kubrick moreover achieves this not by glorifying the struggle of his SocialClimber hero against evil aristocrats, but instead showing that however much an outsider can break in, he can easily be cast out with nothing to show for it.

* TheHighwayman: When he stops for a drink of water his way to Dublin, Barry meets a certain Captain Feeny and his son. Shortly afterwards they surprise him with a stickup in the woods, relieving him of his horse, pistol, and purse.

* DirtyCoward: Lord Bullingdon challenges Barry to a duel with pistols, but is clearly out of his depth. The accidental discharge of his pistol means he is forced to stand and recieve Barry's shot, which makes him physically sick with terror. Then, when Barry spares him by deloping, Bullingdon refuses the opportunity to consider the matter settled and wounds Barry with his next shot.

-->'''Barry:''' [[SarcasmMode I hope you aren't thinking of leaving us anytime soon, Sir Charles.]]

* BigBrotherBully: Lord Bullingdon barely tolerates his younger half-brother Bryan. He spanks him for raising a ruckus over a pencil and later uses him in creating a scene to humiliate both his mother and Barry. It is heavily implied that he resents Bryan for being his mother's son by Barry, who he loathes with a passion.

* SpoiledSweet: Barry, for all his many faults, loves his son dearly, and dotes on the boy. His son, in turn, is a happy CheerfulChild who stands outside Barry's intrigues with the rest of the family. Well, except for that tantrum over his brother's pencil anyway. [[spoiler: Ultimately, Barry literally spoils the kid to death, buying him a horse before he's old enough to handle it because the boy begs him to.]]

* DirtyCoward:
** Captain Quinn plays the part of the dashing army captain in order to impress the ladies, but when he actually faces Barry on the dueling ground he can't stop quaking in his boots.
** Lord Bullingdon challenges Barry to a duel with pistols, but is clearly out of his depth. The accidental discharge of his pistol means he is forced to stand and recieve Barry's shot, which makes him physically sick with terror. Then, when Barry spares him by deloping, Bullingdon refuses the opportunity to consider the matter settled and wounds Barry with his next shot.

* DidNotGetTheGirl: So much so he gives up on love altogether.

** Captain Quinn plays the part of the dashing army captain, but when he actually has to duel Barry he is quaking in his boots.

* DrivenToSuicide: Lady Lyndon [[spoiler: after Bryan's death.]] The experience is, while not fatal, pretty damn painful.
* DuelToTheDeath: The very first shot of the film shows [[spoiler: Barry's father dueling to the death]]. This establishes a motif throughout the film, though [[spoiler: none of the three duels Barry gets himself into end in death]].

** Nora marries Captain Quinn largely for his income, with the approval of her family.

* GoneSwimmingClothesStolen: Barry steals the messenger uniform that he uses to desert the British army from two gay men who are nude bathing in a pond.
* GreyAndGrayMorality: Barry versus the world. Barry does what he has to in order to survive, even resorting to very low methods when he has to and never against someone who could be considered evil. In the second act, this turns into BlackAndGrayMorality with the opportunistic Barry working against his step-son, a young man whose life he is effectively ruining but is not much better in terms of good character.

* HotBlooded: Oh, Barry.

* MasterSwordsman: Barry is an expert sword duelist by the time he goes into business with the Chevalier de Balibari, which enables him to defend their honor against any gambler who (rightly) accuses them of cheating. Later he is shown teaching the basics to his son Bryan.

* ProfessionalGambler: Barry becomes one under the tutelage of the Chevalier de Balibari.

* SpoiledSweet: Barry, for all his many faults, loves his son dearly, and dotes on the boy. His son, in turn, is a happy CheerfulChild who stands outside Barry's intrigues with the rest of the family. [[spoiler: But, ultimately, he literally spoils the kid to death, buying him a horse before he's old enough to handle it because the boy begs him to.]]

* UngratefulBastard: [[spoiler: During the final duel, Barry has Lord Bullingdon at his mercy, but chooses to spare the younger man. Bullingdon, however, is unmoved and gleefully shoots a defenseless Barry.]]

* UnreliableNarrator: See ForegoneConclusion above.
** Consider the book source, where Barry himself is the unreliable narrator.

* AnArmAndALeg: [[spoiler: Barry loses half of his left leg in the final duel of the movie.]]

* EndOfAnAge: The film is very much about the opulence and high society of the 18th century and the bubble of privilege they lived in. The story ends in 1789, the year the French Revolution began: the bubble of decadence that the aristocracy enjoyed up to that time would soon shrink--if not pop, as from then on men would be judged more on their merit rather than birth or title.

* GreyAndGrayMorality: Barry versus the world. Barry does what he has to in order to survive, even resorting to very low methods when he has to and never against someone who could be considered evil. In the second act, this turns into BlackAndGrayMorality with the opportunistic Barry working against his step-son, a young man who's life he is effectively ruining but is not much better in terms of good character.

* PinballProtagonist: Barry goes through his life simply having things ''happen'' to him, such as being robbed, or being press-ganged, or having his child die. Even his initial action, shooting an officer in a duel, turns out to [[spoiler: have been a fake duel, planned all along by his friends]]. Despite his attempts to gain agency over his life, at the end of the movie, he's just as much a victim of fate as he was in the beginning.

* ShootTheShaggyDog: The second part of the movie geometrically ''undoes'' every bit of luck Barry has enjoyed during the first part of the movie, and he ends with ''less'' than he began with.

''Barry Lyndon'' is Creator/StanleyKubrick's 1975 period piece, widely considered one of his most underrated films. Ideally, this summary should be read while listening to Music/GeorgeFredericHandel's ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91sfrw106xs Sarabande]]''.

''Barry Lyndon'' is Creator/StanleyKubrick's 1975 period piece, widely considered one of his most underrated films.

* HistoricalVillainDowngrade: Barry in the original novel was loosely based on Andrew Robinson Stoney. While Barry slides from naif to rogue to SympatheticVillainProtagonist, he retains some humanity. Stoney was just a sadistic psychopath.