Barry Lyndon (1975)
I am always a bit weary before trying to watch a period piece costume drama, and I probably won’t love them, but of course Kubrick brings something unique to the table. I like the use of the narrator. Is feels like someone taking your hand and competently guide you through the story. Narration is often frowned upon and close to completely gone from film today, but I think they can still have their place.
Kubrick is always challenging, and this time around he asks us to sit through three hours following a mostly unlikable character. At first he cheats and hustles his way to the top, but still mostly keeping some honor in the process, to his ultimate downfall as a despicable person. All that is interesting to keep me watching, but not really enough to be really engrossed. Despite being a little bored at times watching it, it stayed it my head a good while after. Plenty of moral and ethical themes here, just even more hidden than usual for Kubrick.
Rating: 3.5