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70 of 76 found the following review helpful:
 Underrated Kubrick MasterpieceAug 07, 2004
By David Baldwin
I am an unabashed Kubrick fan. I was initiated into his work with "A Clockwork Orange" when I was 16 and went from there. Why is it that "Barry Lyndon" has in my mind surpassed other more revered works. You can cite the magnificent technical attributes of the film(cinematography,art direction, costume design,music), however, a technically proficient movie is not necessarily a moving experience. I would have to say that what elevates this movie is the screenplay and the acting. Kubrick does a great job moving the story from Redmond Barry's youth to his downfall among the English aristocracy. Kubrick has also gathered a great cast of actors here in supporting roles(Parick Magee, Leonard Rossiter, Marie Kean, Godfrey Quigley, Steven Berkof, etc.). What cannot be overlooked is the performance of Ryan O'Neal. If some find him wooden or off-putting should consider that he is essentially playing an unsympathetic rogue. It is a daring performance and O'Neal is utterly convincing whether playing a headstrong teenager or a cold manipulator. One gripe about the DVDs in the Kubrick Collection: with the exception of "The Shining", the only extras on these discs are trailers.
54 of 60 found the following review helpful:
Blu-Ray "Barry Lyndon" Finally AnnouncedOct 25, 2007
By M. Hickey
In 1975, one European reviewer wrote: "One collapses in one's seat and is propelled in a state of drunken euphoria." That's just how I felt about it, going back to experience "Barry Lyndon" over and over again at the Los Angeles Cinerama Dome theater in 1975-76. So I give the movie 5 stars. But for the standard 3x4 DVD (1:1.33 aspect ratio), only 3.
Having recently watched the 16x9 Hi-Def Blu-Ray discs of "Eyes Wide Shut" and "A Clockwork Orange" (after having watched the old standard DVDs a number of times), I can say that Hi-Def makes an important difference with Kubrick's movies -- not just because they are gorgeously photographed, but because the richness of the images conveys so much essential, visceral meaning that even a slightly degraded picture (i.e., standard DVD) actually impairs the work's emotional fullness, clarity and expressiveness. So much of "Barry Lyndon" consists of pure image and music, and so many of the images are meant to intoxicate, that the film needs to be seen in the best possible technical presentation.
Short of a new 35mm print, a 16x9 Blu-Ray disc displayed on a big 1080 set in the dark, uninterrupted, is the way to watch all of Kubrick, perhaps especially "Barry Lyndon." Now, finally, Warners Brothers Home Entertainment will release "Barry Lyndon" in Hi-Def on Blu-Ray disc on May 31, 2011. Yes, that means you have to buy it again, but if Warners' Hi-Def releases of their other Kubrick films are any indication, it will be worth it. With any luck, this Hi-Def release should accelerate the recent critical rehabilitation of this tragically under-appreciated masterpiece.
190 of 226 found the following review helpful:
 This release is NOT 16x9 enhanced!Oct 24, 2007
By bunkaroo
"bunkaroo"
I just received this exact DVD from Amazon. Although the package art now carries a 2007 date, the disc inside is the same as the 2001 release. It is NOT anamorphically enhanced. In fact, the files on the DVD are dated 2001, so it literally is the exact DVD release in 2001 - the menu is the same as well. The only difference is this comes in a keep case rather than a snapper case. Such a shame that WB won't do better by this overlooked masterpiece.
50 of 57 found the following review helpful:
Lavish, engrossing, picaresqueFeb 06, 2002
By Dennis Littrell
Stanley Kubrick's beautifully opulent production takes many liberties with William Makepeace Thackeray's picaresque romance, The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq (1843), narrated in the first person depicting events from the eighteenth century. In particular, Redmond Barry who becomes Barry Lyndon, is something of an admirable rake, whereas in Thackeray's novel he is a braggart, a bully and a scoundrel. No matter. Kubrick, in keeping with a long-standing filmland tradition, certainly has license, and Thackeray won't mind.Ryan O'Neal is the unlikely star, and he does a good job, rising from humble Irish origins to the decadence of titled wealth, employing a two-fisted competence in the manly arts, including some soldiering, some thievery at cards and a presumed consummate skill in the bedroom. Marisa Berenson plays Lady Lyndon, whom Barry has managed to seduce; and when her elderly husband dies, she marries Barry thus elevating his social and economic station in life. But Barry is rather clumsy at playing at peerage, and bit by bit manages to squander most of the Lyndon fortune until his stepson, Lord Bullingdon (Leon Vitali) grows old enough to do something about it. This really is a gorgeous movie thanks to the exquisite sets and costumes and especially to John Alcott's dreamy cinematography and a fine score by Leonard Rosenman. The 184 minutes go by almost without notice as we are engrossed in the rise and fall of Barry's fortunes. There is fine acting support from Patrick Magee as the Chevalier de Balibari and Leonard Rossiter as Captain Quinn, and a number of lesser players, who through Kubrick's direction bring to life Europe around the time of the Seven Years War (1754-1763) when decadence and aristocratic privilege were still in full flower. The script features two dueling scenes, the first showing the combatants firing at one another simultaneously at the drop of a white kerchief, the second has Barry and his stepson face each other ten paces apart, but due to the flip of a coin, the stepson fires first. Both scenes are engrossing as we see the loading of the pistols with powder, ball and ramrod, and we are able to note how heavy the pistols are and how difficult it must be to hit a silhouette at even a short distance. It is this kind of careful attention to directional detail that absorbs us in the action and makes veracious the story. Notice too the way the British soldiers march directly en mass toward the French guns. They actually used to fight battles that way! Also note the incredible pile of hair atop Lady Lyndon's head. Surely this is some kind of cinematic record. Bottom line: one of Kubrick's best, certainly his most beautiful film.
27 of 29 found the following review helpful:
Dammit Amazon, Seperate Your Product Reviews Already!Dec 03, 2011
By Clyde E. Deal
First off; I have not purchased THIS PARTICULAR version of this all-time great film, however, I do want to purchase it for a friend who has bluray. The problem with this particular release is that the bluray version seems to be a terrible transfer. My real issue here aside from the fact that Warner Brothers continues to foist garbage transfers on an unsuspecting public is that ONCE AGAIN, Amazon.com refuses to separate it's product reviews, so it is simply IMPOSSIBLE for me to ascertain the quality of the DVD RELEASE vs. the BLURAY RELEASE.
AMAZON.COM, if you are going to continue to provide customer reviews, PLEASE STOP mixing reviews for separate products together; The QUALITY OF INDIVIDUAL RELEASES IS DIFFERENT AND AFFECTS THE CUSTOMER'S DECISION TO BUY!
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