897 Barry Lyndon

[Stefan Andersson]

Interesting comment on Fregonese´s Black Tuesday, Barry Lyndon and shooting by candlelight:

"cinematographer Stanley Cortez on shooting The Night of the Hunter and working with Charles Laughton: “The sharp contrasts in this picture, that was strictly my invention, and fortunately Charles agreed with that interpretation… (Film stock) Tri-X had first come out around then, and I had used it on Black Tuesday, where I experimented with a scene shot entirely by the light of one candle. I understand Mr. Kubrick is saying that Barry Lyndon is the first feature to shoot scenes with nothing but the light from some candles, but actually our scene with just one candle was the first. Anyway, the sensitivity on the Tri-X was faster than on the (filmstock) we were used to using."
(quote from Heaven and Hell to Play With: The Filming of The Night of the Hunter, book by Preston Neal Jones)

https://cinephiliabeyond.org/the-night- ... ns-career/

[Stefan Andersson]

Articles on the 0.7 lens used for Barry Lyndon:
https://www.dpreview.com/news/839071169 ... -of-optics
http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/sk/ac/len/page1.htm
https://theasc.com/articles/flashback-barry-lyndon

[HardNight'sDay]

I just re watched the film last night, still a great film. But afterwards I realized how shocking modern it is then your average period drama. And then, another thought came to mind: Redmond Barry is no different than Jack Torrance.

In fact, a lot of themes in Barry Lyndon will later be unitized in The Shining: Barry's and Jack's abusive testament of their families, how the comfortable and glamorous lifestyles like mansions or hotels are built on the suffering of millions, whether it's war or genocide, and how history tends to overshadowed those aspects. I'm sure there's more but these are the ones that stuck out.

[Walter Kurtz]

I just re watched the film last night, still a great film. But afterwards I realized how shocking modern it is then your average period drama. And then, another thought came to mind: Redmond Barry is no different than Jack Torrance.

In fact, a lot of themes in Barry Lyndon will later be unitized in The Shining: Barry's and Jack's abusive testament of their families, how the comfortable and glamorous lifestyles like mansions or hotels are built on the suffering of millions, whether it's war or genocide, and how history tends to overshadowed those aspects. I'm sure there's more but these are the ones that stuck out.

And how about when Barry Lyndon blows smoke at Lady Lyndon in that carriage? That portended Sydney Pollack’s character toward the end of Eyes Wide Shut in that pool table room blowing smoke at Tom Cruises’ character. Or maybe he was ‘blowing smoke’ at him and not literally blowing smoke. I forget. But either way it works!

[domino harvey]

Considering it’s been almost two pages and four years since someone talked about this as a film and not as a set of tech specs, perhaps your open mic bit is somewhat misplaced, unless you were speaking to the duality of man?

[Mr Sausage]

I just re watched the film last night, still a great film. But afterwards I realized how shocking modern it is then your average period drama. And then, another thought came to mind: Redmond Barry is no different than Jack Torrance.

In fact, a lot of themes in Barry Lyndon will later be unitized in The Shining: Barry's and Jack's abusive testament of their families, how the comfortable and glamorous lifestyles like mansions or hotels are built on the suffering of millions, whether it's war or genocide, and how history tends to overshadowed those aspects. I'm sure there's more but these are the ones that stuck out.

One thing they both share is a passivity. They’re very much acted on by outside elements, pulled through the narrative by forces outside their control or understanding, rather than determining their own fates. There are plenty of instances of that type of thing across Kubrick’s films, but maybe Barry and Torrence are the most…I don’t know, pathetic examples? They’re certainly the least aware of their lack of agency. Characters like Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut and Modine in Full Metal Jacket are at least confronted with their smallness and lack of control, even if they’re unable to know what to do with this information (the latter retreats into communal childhood while the former tries awkwardly to return to his previous life). But Barry and Torrence are consumed by the forces that toy with them without even a moment of self-awareness. Tragic and comic versions of the same kind of limited character.

[Walter Kurtz]

I'm sorry, H-Day. I'd rather read your hypotheses than ten pages of technobabble that assuredly paint the walls of hell.

[HardNight'sDay]

Yeah, I must admit my analysis is bit of a scratch. Although I can't help seeing the comparison between the two films. Everybody knows that Kubrick always return to similar themes in his filmography. I agreed with your reading, Mr Sausage.

[Walter Kurtz]

H-Day, a bit of a scratch formed the beginning of Einstein's theory of gravity, also known as the general theory of relativity... what may consider the greatest work of imagination in history. He started with two observations and combined them. Keep at it! And parody is the sincerest form of flattery. Who would bother unless there is something of value to begin with?