Barry Lyndon - The Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

If ever there was a divisive masterpiece, it would be Barry Lyndon, and I usually see the anticipated audience reaction reduced to however it is that the viewer feels about Stanley Kubrick as a whole. If you love Stanley Kubrick, you’ll likely love Barry Lyndon. And if you find the director’s work to be cold and off-putting, you’ll probably feel the same way about this one. I’m not sure how true that is, but it seems true enough. Me? I’m a kinda-sorta fan of Kubrick. I think that when he makes something good, it’s extraordinary. I also feel that he has made a lot of movies that are solidly not for me. I can never argue with the technical craft, which is always impeccable, but I do feel an emotional distance in some of his work that keeps it from being something I truly admire on a personal level.

I suppose, then, that I should be ho-hum toward Barry Lyndon, a film of impeccable beauty, which holds the action at arm’s length, narrated by a droll omniscient that almost appears to have disdain for the story that unfolds. Somehow, and I can’t quite put my finger on why, it just works. It works marvelously well. We see the long, epic story that occurs over multiple decades of how penniless Redmond Barry cons his way into high society under the title Barry Lyndon.

Perhaps the audience’s mileage will vary on how much they enjoy the antics of a scamp. Barry (Ryan O’Neal) is not what you’d call an antihero. An antihero may be selfish and put their needs above all else, but at the end of the day, you can count on them to reluctantly do the right thing. Barry, largely, avoids that whole mess by going from one episodic adventure to the next, seeing where his elaborate con can take him. Throughout a war-torn eighteenth-century Europe, wherever he is, the gears in his head will begin to turn, as he begins to devise a scheme to manipulate the game to his advantage. Sometimes he wins, sometimes he loses, but no matter what happens, he picks himself up, dusts himself off, and continues about his life wherever the wind takes him.

Personally, I love a good snake - a villain I can live out vicariously through. There’s something refreshing in seeing a character who is not burdened by a conscience and can lie their way out of a jam. That’s not to say that Barry is a sociopath or lacks emotion; there are plenty of times when Barry is humbled by the story or suffers real heartbreak and fear. There are times when he’s immensely saddened by someone’s death. It’s just that, at the back of his mind, he’s truly only saddened because of what that loss means for him. He thinks very little of anyone else, other than what immediate benefit they may offer.

Through Kubrick’s detachment, it’s clear that neither the director nor the film condones his actions. The movie treats him harshly (and fairly) as someone whose misery is through a lifetime of poor decisions. But Kubrick also knows the fun in watching someone like this think on their feet, so we get to have our cake and eat it, too. We get to see someone rise through the ranks of society through lying and cheating, but ultimately, it’s a tale about how these things, really, don’t permanently pay off. Barry can always reinvent himself, but he can never escape himself. 

Quick thoughts from Matthew Hartman
As Billy and I were in something of a duel ourselves over who got to review this set, I wanted to chime in with a quick couple of thoughts of my own about Barry Lyndon. Of Kubrick's efforts, I have to put this film among his finest. It's not as "entertaining" or as easily accessible as The Shining or Dr. Strangelove nor is it quite so esoteric as 2001: A Space Odyssey or A Clockwork Orange. It's a cinematic species all its own. As I'd often heard, it was his "worst" film from many people I knew. It was therefore the last film of Kubrick's catalog I dug into while Eyes Wide Shut was still being filmed. I dutifully rented it from my local Mom & Pop shop on VHS, and I was immediately taken away by it. I also knew in an instant that I shouldn't be watching this film from a tape on a small television screen, so I turned it off after the first duel. Growing up in a college town with two arthouse theaters, I didn't have to wait long for Barry Lyndon to come around so I could watch it properly on the big screen. At all of 15 or 16, it was a grand experience. It was one of the first experiences I ever had in the theater, where all I could do was sit there and absorb what I was seeing. In the decades since, every time I sit down with this film (every two years or so), I reexperience that sense of wonder and amazement by it. I don't know if I'd go so far as to call it my favorite Kubrick film, but it's the one I'm most fascinated by. For me, it's a 5/5

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Criterion has put together a lovely release for Barry Lyndon in 4K, with three discs total in this set: The film is contained on both a 4K disc in 2160p/Dolby Vision, with the HD version on a separate Blu-ray disc, with all supplements contained on a second Blu-ray disc. Inside is a robust booklet containing an essay on the film written by Geoffrey O’Brien and two pieces about the look of the film from the March 1976 issue of American Cinematographer. All of this is enveloped by a rigid case containing classic black and white poster artwork, save for a single red rose.

Much has been said about Barry Lyndon throughout the years, and it’s all true: This movie is a sight to behold. Breathtaking. Gorgeous. Sumptuous. You name the adjective, and it’ll be accurate. Frequent Kubrick collaborator and cinematographer John Alcott puts in S-tier work on Barry Lyndon—and while people (deservedly) laud those candlelit sequences, I think that the scenery compositions are just as beautiful in how meticulously framed they are. 

Back in 2017, when Criterion released Barry Lyndon on Blu-ray, that HD presentation was an event. The sheer beauty of the film could be seen in a whole new light for viewers at home. That Blu-ray, also included with this release, still looks terrific, but the 4K UHD presentation improves upon it in both subtle and very obvious ways throughout. The sharper image allows more intricate details to emerge from the costume design and set design. The color realization through the Dolby Vision HDR grading allows a more nuanced picture, particularly in those famous candlelit sequences, where the blacks of the shadows are thicker and more impenetrable. 

Viewers are treated to two audio options: A lossless LPCM mono, original theatrical audio mix, and a 5.1 surround mix encoded in DTS-HD MA. Audio purists will be extremely happy with the mono mix, faithful to its original release. It’s well layered, with dialogue clarity favored throughout. And for a mono mix, it’s very robust in handling atmospheric effects, musical score and bombastic effects like gunfire and cannon explosions in wartime sequences. Viewers who are interested in a more modern surround mix will find a lot to admire with this 5.1 option, which was co-supervised by actor Leon Vitali, who was also Stanley Kubrick’s close friend and assistant. The surround mix is awesome, with many subtle effects finding their way to the rear of the soundstage, like echoing voices in the chamber of a large mansion, gunfire, buzzing insects, cooing birds, and, of course, the classical music selections of Vivaldi, Bach, and others. 

There are no new special features here for viewers who purchased Barry Lyndon on Blu-ray. All supplements from that previous release are ported over here. The good news is that those supplements were robust and informative, shining a light on Kubrick’s creative decisions and the film’s lasting impact.

• Making Barry Lyndon (HD 37:52)
• Achieving Perfection (HD 15:32)
• Timing and Tension (HD 13:50)
• Drama in Detail (HD 13:34)
• Balancing Every Sound (HD 10:13)
• On the Costumes (SD 5:00)
• Passion and Reason (HD 17:35)
• A Cinematic Canvas (HD 15:04)
• Trailers

Stanley Kubrick’s career has been defined by not only one masterpiece after another but mixed reactions to those masterpieces. Kubrick’s work is not for everyone, and that’s part of what makes him a great artist. He’s true to himself and his own vision, for better or for worse. Out of all of his works, Barry Lyndon seems to have the most varied response, solidly a part of the love-it-or-hate-it camp of filmmaking. It’s also his most varied work, open to interpretation depending on the viewer’s reaction to Ryan O’Neal portrayal of Barry. Is he a scofflaw or a victim of circumstance? That’s for you to decide. Kubrick will not hold your hand. The Criterion Collection takes a beautiful film and makes it the best it’s ever looked on home video. Barry Lyndon is a Must-Own!