Hi Walt, you must be clairvoyant. You nailed all the points that I was going to make. 1st half more enjoyable that the 2nd half, entire use of candlelight for interior nighttime scenes. I thought Mr. O'Neil had a passable Irish Accent. I love the music of the period. I'm kinda glad that he didn't do Napoleon. After Waterloo, the public would have stayed away in droves if he had done that film. The timing sadly was not in his favour. I must admit that you are still at the top of your game with this review. Keep up your stellar efforts as each one brings a little sunshine into my life. Take care my friend.
Hi Thor. Very nice to get your text. Quite honestly, I will often start watching my Lyndon blu-ray but only watch the first half. "Rise and fall" movies often have that challenge. I think the second-half pacing is a little off, in my view, and when you know where things are painfully going you just want to get them over with - especially the 4th or 6th time around. Again, thanks for watching and writing - all the best.
Enjoyable review and it makes me want to see the movie again after twenty-odd years. The info about the attitudes of the studios at the time is appreciated, as that's something I wouldn't otherwise have known.
Thanks. There's always quite a bit of content on Kubrick subjects, and while others focus on many of the technical productions details, as a history fiend I continue to be interested in Kubrick's Napoleon project and how it morphed into Lyndon. Btw, as you may know, the pictures of his vast Napoleonic photo data base come from a book which is still available. Always glad when a vid sparks someone's interest in watching a classic!
I love this film, but it went completely under my radar until a couple of years ago when I heard critic Mark Kermode talking about it. None of the streaming services I had access to in the UK had it so I bought it on Amazon, which as a penny pinching miser is rare for me. One of the things Kermode drove home was how in order to fully appreciate the film as a whole, and the lighting and camerawork in particular, you needed to see it on a cinema screen. Sadly I've yet to come across a screening in the UK, but when I do I'll be willing to travel a long distance to get to it. Very much enjoy your reviews and this one is of the usual depth and quality. Always a pleasure to see a new video from you pop up in my subscriptions.
I truly appreciate you viewing and your kind comments. Yes, it is a universal truth that the best way to experience movies in on the big screen - the way they were meant to be seen - but it is doubly important with movies by directors like Kubrick and Lean. Also, I had always hesitated to do appreciations on films by major directors such as Kubrick as there is already so much information and content on them - so I'm pleased you still found this a good watch. One other thought I had about Kubrick's control of his projects, which I might have added, is that it is interesting in the trailer for Spartacus that the "marketing" emphasis is on producer/star Kirk Douglas and other stars (including Olivier) while Kubrick is nary mentioned - things certainly changed.
I totally agree - but next time I go back to it I will need to be more attentive to all the effort Kubrick put into the second half. Thanks for watching!
Great review of The Kubrick masterwork I always enjoy the added information and in this case about Scorcese s belief it is the greatest K film As noted and in this movie especially the use of ready made music of the period was so well done
Thanks so much. You are right about Kubrick's genius for music. A small and illuminating example I always remember is his decision to use a frothy piece from The Thieving Magpie for the chaotic melee between Alex's Droogs and Billy Boys gang in Clockwork. Sadly, he also "ruined" Singing in the Rain by using it for the rape scene.
@@Vlad65WFPReviews My pleasure. Thanks for the link! You know, my first exposure to Barry Lyndon was the parody in MAD Magazine (1976 #185) "Borey Lyndon". Drawn by the incredible Mort Drucker with no advance screening or press kit, probably only in a few days due to MAD's tight deadlines. Fantastic art paired with funny writing. From the scene where he brawls with his stepson: "I detest you, Borey Lyndon!" "Why?" "Because I'm 18 and you're 45. But you look younger than I do!" "How gauche! Stop that fighting this minute! You want to wake up the audience?"
@@helbent4 Yes, I had a ton of Mads and the movie parodies were often the highlights, usually on the front cover art too. Drucker was a bit harsh here (though that is what parodies do) though I do find the second-half pacing a challenge after all the first-half action. (I sometimes just rewatch the first half on blu-ray and stop there.)
in terms of the "most" celebrated technical aspect of this film in the Kubrick books I own the most discussed subject are the lenses and cameras. There are also interesting details such as the story that the candles had 3 wicks for brighter burning - but doing a succinct video for a general audience you can only include so much content
