Criterion - The Making of Barry Lyndon (2017) Part 1
Based on William Makepeace Thackeray's picaresque novel of 1844, Barry Lyndon tells the story of a social-climbing trickster (Ryan O'Neal) whose opportunism takes him from an Irish farm to the battlefields of the Seven Years' War and the parlors of high society where he succeeds in marrying a beautiful aristocrat far above his social station (Marisa Berenson), only to see his gains eventually undone by avarice and spite. Meticulously conceived and sumptuously photographed-using a specially-modified lens and almost exclusively lit by candles and natural light-Barry Lyndon is at once a satirical and sympathetic portrayal of a strangely endearing antihero. (Because “he has charm and courage,” said Kubrick, “it's impossible not to like him despite his vanity, his insensitivity, and his weakness.”) Despite underwhelming audiences and critics alike when it was released in 1975, a time when period pieces were not all the rage, Barry Lyndon has quietly risen in the ranks of Kubrick's canon and is now widely considered to be not only among his finest achievements but a cinematic masterpiece without equal. This Criterion Special Edition has eight bonus features, starting with Making Barry Lyndon running thirty-eight minutes with cast and crew interviews, following more new featurettes covering the film's visual style for those with an interest in camerawork, editing and cutting the film, the influence of period art on film's visual style, the sound mix and the costume design on the production.
Part 1
MAKING BARRY LYNDON Produced in 2017 by the Criterion Collection, this account of the making of Barry Lyndon features executive producer Jan Harlan, assistant directors Brian Cook and Michael Stevenson, actors Dominic Savage and Leon Vitali, excerpts from a 1976 audio interview with Stanley Kubrick, and more. (38 min)
Full Version Available Upon Request