There’s not a single credible list of great movies out there that doesn’t feature Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon. It’s prominent on ’s 100 Greatest list and you can find it perched regally at number 45 on Sight & Sound’s pantheon of greats.
So what a new year’s treat to discover that Warner Bros. has uploaded the entire 18th-century-set opus to YouTube for movielovers to enjoy – free of charge.
Released in 1975 to mixed reviews and middling box office, Barry Lyndon’s standing in the cinema canon has skyrocketed in recent years, driven by filmmaking fans like Yorgos Lanthimos and John Wick’s Chad Stahelski, and its increasing popularity at repertory cinemas like London’s Prince Charles.
‘Traditionally, [it’s] the sort of film you might see on a Sunday afternoon or maybe midweek evening,’ the Prince Charles’ head of programming Paul Vickery tells The Guardian. ‘Now, it’s become a Saturday night movie. “Oh, we’ve got a three-hour gap in the programme, put Barry Lyndon on.”’
Adapted from William Makepeace Thackeray’s novel about a young Irishman’s (Ryan O’Neal) journey from lovestruck exile to cynical grifter in war-torn 18th century Europe, it’s an elegiac, sharp-witted film, full of painterly compositions and illuminated by John Alcott’s legendary candle-lit cinematography.
Could it even be Kubrick’s best film? Watch it below and decide for yourself:
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