The movie Barry Lyndon was released in 1975. It is directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on the life of Irish painter and traveler, James Barry. The movie revolves around the life of Barry Lyndon, an Irishman who is sent to London at the behest of the Irish Parliament to be trained as a gentleman, but the journey he embarks on to get there is anything but normal.
To add to the intriguing storyline, Kubrick’s cast includes Sean Connery as Barry Lyndon and Marisa Berenson as Lady Lyndon. The story crosses multiple locations from London to Ireland and back as well as Europe and America.
Contents
All About Of Barry Lyndon Movie Storyline and Short Review
Storyline of the Movie
The movie starts off with Barry Lyndon (Sean Connery) in a park representing his home country Ireland. This scene was shot at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Dublin and had to be redone because of rain. At one point, after being thrown out of a window by an irate actor, he woke up on Westminster Bridge wearing only his underwear.
On finding that he has money from the Irish Parliament for traveling expenses when staying there as part of his training, he decides to head back home but instead of using the money from Ireland’s Parliament as initially intended, he ends up spending it in London.
He meets with many people along the way and most are just sightseeing which causes him to make some wrong decisions during that time period. Later on when Lord Townshend (Leonard Rossiter) throws a ball for young ladies in hopes for an heir by one of them whom Barry Lyndon is introduced to, he meets Lady Lyndon (Marisa Berenson). The story continues from here.
Besides the main characters of Barry and Lady Lyndon being played by Sean Connery and Marisa Berenson respectively, another film legend appears in this movie as Lord Townshend who was portrayed by actor Leonard Rossiter. Leonards’s theatrical career is not too renowned but his portrayal in this particular role however has earned him a lot of praise that there is a biography written on him with the same name as his character named Lord Townshend: The Unauthorized Biography of Leonard Rossiter.
The Climax of the Movie
The movie’s main climax of the story finds Lady Lyndon abducting Barry in a carriage with servants who are holding him down. though he manages to escape out, one of his shoes gets shot off by Lord Townshend, who returns with more men to retrieve it which destroys all lives present around them and locks everyone inside the stairwell when they attempt another exit as seen in this video below:
The History book that contains some pictures from this movie , can be seen in this still below:
More details about the scenes and how some of them were shot, as well a concept sketch from behind the scene of Lord Townshend’s character when acting out are provided here. Here is our brief synopsis for Barry Lyndon depending on your interests after viewing these images:
Barry Lyndon is a story of a man who has no direction in life. His father, an Irish nobleman, has left him to live in the world of the Irish upper class. He is forced to become an apprentice to a butler, who is a bitter enemy of his father. The movie explores the complexities of relationships and how different people are shaped by their upbringing.
Cast and Character Review
This film is based on a novel by Irish author, William Makepeace Thackeray
Thackeray had written that the character of Barry Lyndon was inspired from his own father but it seems he might have just been exaggerating. does seem like British actor Gerald du Maurier who portrayed Lord Townshend in this movie would be able to relate more than others as he has come from such a prestigious background himself with family members receiving honors awards etc . In fact he even posed for a photographer in front of the walls at Castlecaulfield House where Lord Townshend resided during filming.
His character as we see throughout this film is not based on any actual person, however Gerald had called his parents directly before playing him, to get their permission which does make it seem more genuine when reading about it online. The same procedure was used with regards to others, although has said that ‘Alex Ferguson was so furious that at one point the crew put a plate of shells next to him on set, he threw it across the room!’
Short Review
I really enjoy the portrayal of Lord Townshend in this film and it is obvious he has done his research. The idea that one can become ’emotionless’, after being raised as a child for a privileged life, makes you question your own upbringing.
Lord Townshend was an ancestor to golfers Brian (Brian McCann) and Eric Hall who are characters in Victoria Wood’s fantasy novel, Vicar of Dibley which she has utilized as basis to this collaboration with the exact same names of their modern day counterparts. In fact one character is played by Ryan Witty who previously appeared in her adaption of Mrs Beeton’s Book Of Housewifery .
Barry Lyndon can be related to much more than just that, it was also a ‘glamor’ movie and used Technicolor which has long been associated with Africa especially South America where Stanley Kubrick had filmed his Congo adventure. The story about a young Robert Boyle was also well known beforehand making this perhaps one of the first examples in cinema history of it being turned into another genre than an adaptation from real life .
Being that none have been available to watch over the decades, online I’ve done several acting research projects including seeking out performances during my trip with some great actors like Patrick Bergin (1999 – 2010), David Kavanagh (1970s ), and the late Seán Delaney a few years ago.
Blog Conclusion: The protagonist is Barry Lyndon, a British nobleman who is dissatisfied with his life and wants to get out of it. He has the intention of going to Spain, but he doesn’t have enough money to do so. As such, he goes to Paris instead, where he is able to get rich very quickly thanks to the love affairs of Lady Lyndon and her husband. After becoming wealthy, he decides that he doesn’t want to be bothered with the responsibilities that come with being a nobleman anymore and therefore leaves for Vienna, where he gets involved in various intrigues before returning home and dying.
S Barry Lyndon a Good Movie?
The film is very good and poses a lot of challenges to the viewer. It does not have as much narrative arc or story complications as current popular films do, but it offers its viewers more questions than answers. The plot starts out with Julia following Barry’s footsteps, blindly believing him to be her lover Lyndon; however she begins asking uncomfortable question about his earlier life after going through some journals that he left behind when passing over into the next world .
This is a difficult question to answer as everyone has their own opinion. Some people may think that it is a great movie while others may not. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide whether or not they think Barry Lyndon is a good movie.
Is the Movie Barry Lyndon a True Story?
We cannot be entirely certain about this question, but it is certainly plausible. There are a lot of films that try to recreate facts from history and show them in life-like format without the historical context for which they were originally created. However, Barry Lyndon’s director Stanley Kubrick was famous for creating little known facts and stories from between grainy photographs via his movie Eyes Wide Shut . It relies heavily on the suspenseful mystery in its narrative; however there are no ‘real’ historical events that are central within the story. They are all either just a snippet, or described through voice-over by witnesses who would not have witnessed them in real life .
Why Is Barry Lyndon a Great Film?
There is no one answer to this question as opinions will vary. However, some people believe that the movie is based on a true story while others believe it is an embellished story.
From what we can tell, the movie does seem to be based on a true story and follows the life of Barry Lyndon, a British nobleman in the 18th century who becomes a wastrel due to his lavish lifestyle.
There is no one answer to this question as opinions will vary. However, the general consensus is that the movie is based on a true story and it was directed by Stanley Kubrick.
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