90
It’s a movie that actually makes the past look otherworldly, unlike many period pieces, which strive to make history seem easy to slip into.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
80
Kubrick's superb version of William Thackery's first novel is meticulous and philosophically stimulating but it can leave some audiences unmoved on an emotional level.
100
Barry Lyndon is a rich cinematic experience which fully deserves to once more be seen on the big screen and enjoy its status as one of Stanley Kubrick’s greatest achievements.
88
Barry Lyndon is a costume epic that pokes fun of other costume epics even as it outdoes them.
100
Between the vast exteriors and candlelit interiors, the expressive authority of Kubrick’s direction is breathtaking.
91
Entertainment Weekly by Owen Gleiberman
To watch Ryan O’Neal’s performance as the upwardly mobile Barry, part victim and part cad, is to see Kubrick’s perverse genius with actors. He cast a dullard only to jolt us, by the end, with the revelation of the bastard within.
100
The Guardian by Peter Bradshaw
Barry Lyndon is an intimate epic of utter lucidity and command.
88
Chicago Sun-Times by Roger Ebert
Barry Lyndon isn’t a great success, and it’s not a great entertainment, but it’s a great example of directorial vision.
100
Time Out London by Tom Huddleston
This is a story of identity, and the lack of it. And it’s fascinating.
90
The New York Times by Vincent Canby
Barry Lyndon is another fascinating challenge from one of our most remarkable, independent-minded directors.