Anyone else obsessed with Barry Lyndon?

... so, what’s the consensus among you folks who actually sat through it?

Absolutely stunning 👍 👍

A total masterpiece. Honestly, I feel like this movie gets overlooked way more than it should, even though it’s easily one of the best Kubrickian films out there... and we all know what kind of genius he was. You really have to settle into the pacing, which I know trips some people up, but calling this film boring is just wrong. The cinematography is phenomenal, and watching the rise and fall of such an incredible personality is just... beautiful. O'Neal is incredible in the lead role; his character really hits you right in the feels.

Too good! :clapping:

It’s definitely one of those lesser-known Kubrickian gems—you know, tucked away in the shadow of Radiation, Orange Madness, or 2001: A Space Odyssey—but it’s absolutely brilliant and worth a watch. 👍

I generally avoid weighing in on serious cinema, as I feel the masses are far better equipped for such heavy lifting than I am. My only observation is how much I enjoyed the score: particularly the title theme and that specific piece—if memory serves—that plays when the protagonist first begins his pursuit of that noblewoman.

The main theme in this flick... hmm, feels like it's based on that 'Sarabande' piece by Handel. Just slightly tweaked for the movie.

Truly a masterpiece. From the score to the screenplay, everything about this was a perfect ten. 👍 👍 👍

By any chance, does anyone know if Dr. Strangelove is available on DVD?

Jeffrey Long said:A masterpiece. The music, the script—everything gets a perfect 5/5... 👍 👍 👍

PS: Does anyone know if Dr. Strangelove is available on DVD?

It's at Amazon, so it should be available in the States.

Unfortunately, there isn't one—Dr. Strangelove is actually the only film from the Kubrick collection that hasn't been released on RH yet.

slyrider16 said:The core theme of the movie... hmm, I suspect it revolves around those 'Sarabande' pieces by Handel. They've just been slightly tweaked for the screen.

Hmm... that doesn't actually clarify much. A Sarabande is a dance from the 17th and 18th centuries, which also serves as the name for a specific type of musical composition. Handel composed them quite frequently. Still, I suppose that's more information than I usually possess regarding any other music I happen to enjoy.

Richard Hernandez13 said:Unfortunately, it's not available—Dr. Strangelove is the only one from the Kubrick collection that hasn't been released in the US.

Actually, you're wrong; I saw the DVDs with my own eyes over at Best Buy.

Jeffrey Long said:Does anyone happen to know if Dr. Strangelove is available on DVD?

There are actually two different editions of that DVD available. Since you're likely over in Germany, do you think you could track one down? If you happen to find a collector's edition while you're at it, I'd love for you to grab one for me too. Thanks so much in advance. 😁

P.S. — I know exactly where you got that avatar! 😂

northernotter3 said:There are actually two different versions of that DVD out there. Since you're probably over in Germany... maybe you could track one down? If you can, grab me a collector's edition while you're at it. Thanks a million! 😁

p.s. - I know exactly where you got that avatar! 😂

I don't get out to Germany all that often anymore, but if I head that way, I'll pick it up. In the meantime, I could always just rip it for you as a low-quality DivX file... 😎

p.s. - 🙂

Jeffrey Long said:Well then, I guess I could just record it as a low-quality Divx file for you.

The law ! I absolutely adore low-quality Divx files! I'm actually quite famous for buying original DVDs just so I can manually convert them into Divx, ensuring I end up with the absolute worst quality possible. 😍

Justin Patel said:Actually, I think you might be mistaken—I saw the Devajdej right there with my own eyes at Amoeba Comics.

It was probably some kind of foreign import.
Kubrick (well, his estate now) was always such a massive pain in the neck when it came to negotiating the publishing rights for his films.

casualotter21 said:Hmm... honestly, I don't think that actually helps much. A sarabande is really just this specific dance style from the 17th and 18th centuries, and it's also used as a name for a certain type of musical composition. Handel composed them quite frequently, but hey, that’s probably still more information than I can offer about any other music I happen to enjoy.

Could it possibly be the funeral march instead?

Richard Hernandez13 said:It’s likely a foreign release.
Kubrick (well, his estate now) was a total pain in the neck when it came to licensing his films.

He refused to let his movies be released in communist countries, but since we aren't living under communism anymore...
so what if it's an import? Watching them without subtitles is actually better anyway.

Richard Hernandez13 said:Could it possibly be a funeral march?

I wouldn't know; the only funeral march I recognize is Chopin's, and even then, everyone knows it regardless of whether they realize it belongs to Chopin. It’s essentially the ultimate funeral march: you hear it constantly in cartoons or comedies whenever some old guy kicks the bucket.😁

Justin Patel said:He didn't want his movies released in communist countries, but since we aren't living under communism anymore...

I don't think it was actually about communism—that was just the convenient excuse distributors used back then to cover their tracks. Like I mentioned before, Kubrick was a massive pain in the neck when it came to distribution and copyrights; he had incredibly high standards regarding how his films were handled once they hit theaters. Back in the old days in the former Yugoslavia, the whole distribution system was such a disorganized mess that it bore absolutely no resemblance to anything you'd see in the West. That's really why K. wouldn't allow most of his work to be distributed there at the time.

And honestly, that pattern carried right over into the newly independent United States, because it took them two or three years just to get everything released on the DVDs we have today.

Richard Hernandez13 said:It wasn't actually about communism—that was just the excuse former distributors used to cover their tracks. As I mentioned before, Kubrick was an absolute nightmare when it came to distribution and copyrights; he had incredibly high standards regarding how his films were handled. Back then, the distribution system in the former Yugoslavia was pure chaos and looked nothing like anything you'd see in the West. That’s exactly why Kubrick wouldn't allow most of his work to be distributed there.

That pattern carried right over into the independent and sovereign United States era, simply because it took them two or three years to finally release what we have on DVDs today.

No, unlike the West, communism was merely a consequence of the situation.
As far as our local distributors go, they were still way too weak to handle non-Hollywood hits and the classics.
Kubrick was a massive pain in the neck, but he certainly knew how to make a masterpiece.

Patrick Gonzalez76 said:... what’s everyone's honest take on this (for those who actually sat through it)?

The way they brought Thackeray's novel to life, frame by frame, was incredible. Honestly, it belongs in the conversation for the greatest adaptations ever made.
Pure cinematic genius. A total masterpiece.
🙏