Barry Lyndon

Stanley Kubrick's lavish 1975 historical drama—adapted from the 1844 novel by William Makepeace Thackeray about the rise and fall of a poor Irish lad—stars Ryan O'Neal as a country boy with no name or prospects whose destiny turns him into a master cad: a deserter, a cheat, and a philanderer who marries into a fortune and makes his wife (Marisa Berenson) miserable while squandering her money chasing a title. Kubrick directs the film with a measured pace and pays attention to every detail, from the painstaking compositions (his images resemble paintings, and he shot scenes by candlelight using NASA deep space lenses) and grandly-dressed sets, to the era's social manners and customs. Barry Lyndon is now recognized as a masterpiece but upon its initial release was criticized both for its slow pace and for the casting of O'Neal, who was accused of delivering a shallow performance, although his wide-eyed look of pained, guileless innocence actually serves the character well. Other Kubrick films remain more popular but this one took home four Oscars—for Cinematography, Score, Art Direction, and Costume Design—more than any other of his films except Spartacus. Newly remastered and presented in its original aspect ratio, this is now the definitive home video release, with extras including featurettes on the film and Kubrick, interviews with Kubrick collaborators, an archival TV clip on the film's costumes, and a booklet. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)