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| Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick
Magee |
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Anamorphic
widescreen |
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Dolby Digital
5.1 |
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DTS |
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Trailer(s) |
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Featurette(s) |
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Documentary |
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Audio commentary
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Deleted scenes
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Concept art
/ storyboards |
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Multi-angle
feature |
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Narrator:
Her Ladyship and Barry lived, after a while, pretty separate. She preferred
the quiet, or - to say the truth -, he preferred it for her, being a
great friend to modest and tranquil behavior in woman.
A
penniless Irishman seeks his fortune in eighteenth-century England.
 Best
known for its technical achievements in cinematography, Barry Lyndon
is without a doubt Stanley Kubrick's most overlooked, undervalued work,
deserving of much more praise than most of his more controversial works
of his late career. Following the enormous controversy that surrounded
A Clockwork Orange, many simply didn't know what to make of this
languid, episodic, and meticulously designed three-hour sojourn into
the past. Indeed, those who proclaim themselves Kubrick fans for the
sake of the kinetic shocks and disturbances of Clockwork, The
Shining and Full Metal Jacket may find little to enjoy here,
and dismiss it as a 'coffee table book of a movie'.
But Barry Lyndon is much more than the pretty but shallow length
of period drama it has been labelled far too often. The constant wit
of its screenplay, the breathtaking perfection of staging, framing and
lighting, and the wholly convincing recreation of a period brought to
life for once without jokey anachronisms or stilted stuffiness, but
with a language, a code and a landscape all its own is an accomplishment
one can only marvel at. Kubrick was outraged by the fact that he had
overestimated both his audience and his critics, all of whom were thrown
for a loop by Barry Lyndon. And I'm sure that some of this anger
is what fuelled the rage at the core of his next project, The Shining,
which he was determined to see a commercial success. It's a pity that
many still need convincing in making a case for Barry Lyndon.
But looking back over Kubrick's long and diverse career, one could perhaps
safely argue that Barry Lyndon was indeed something of a masterpiece,
and the last truly great film Kubrick ever made. |
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The
first DVD release of Barry Lyndon was available separately or
as part of the original Region 1 release of the Stanley Kubrick Collection
box set, and featured a rather soft transfer drawn from damaged source
elements.
A remastered edition was released earlier this year for Region 1, again
both separately and as part of the newly remastered Stanely Kubrick
Collection box set, and features a cleaned-up transfer.
The Region 2 release of Barry Lyndon features the remastered
version of the film, and is available both separately and as part of
the newly released Stanley Kubrick Collection box set. The Region 2
release, which is identical to the R1 version, served as basis for this
review.
Unfortunately
for all those with widescreen TV sets or projectors, Warner Home Video's
policy is to release non-anamorphic transfers of films with a 1.66:1
aspect ratio, and contrary to what the Region 2 packaging would claim,
Barry Lyndon is no exception. But although a windowboxed anamorphic
transfer would probably have pleased the majority of DVD buyers more,
the transfer on this newly restored and remastered presentation is no
less than outstanding. The image's general softness is part and parcel
of the original look of the film, which is presented here more accurately
than ever before on home video. The source elements are free of dirt
and scratches, and the often breathtaking tableaux on display throughout
the film are presented with marvelous detail and consistent colors.
The new Dolby Digital 5.1 sound mix brings forth a finely judged widening
of the front soundstage that breathes new life into the impeccable use
of music throughout the film. The dialogues sound clear and warm, without
any evident distortion, and very occasional use of the rear channels
gives the soundstage just the required bit of depth.
The
theatrical trailer is the only extra on this disc.The
static menu screens are presented in anamorphic widescreen and are accompanied
by a music cue from the score.
Dan
Hassler-Forest
Reviewed: 2001
Click
here for IMDB info on Barry
Lyndon .
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