[Leica] Barry Lyndon & Kubrick's Zeiss

[Douglas Barry]

I watched this film for the first time in years last night. I saw it way 
back in the 70s in my twenties when it was released in the cinema, and 
thought it was sumptuous at the time, but Ryan O'Neal jarred in the lead 
role as his accent seemed an anachronism to my Irish ears.

I watched this time as someone who does, and loves, photography, and it 
was even better than I remembered. The film is simply glorious, and the 
gradual americanisation of the world has flattened accent differences, 
so that Mr O'Neal efforts seemed commendable, and were not as much a 
distraction as before. The acting is very strong, and Kubrick's framing 
and pacing are marvellous.  Needless to say, the wonderful interior 
scenes lit by candlelight, and filmed with Kubrick's special NASA Zeiss 
lens are magical. The next time they're showing the 70mm print version 
of this near me, I'll have to see it again.

Douglas
PS for Tatiphiles and 70mm fans, I also watched Playtime the previous 
night. I'll have to buy a bigger tv as 48 inches is not big enough. My 
son went in to see the new digital print of the 70mm original of 
Lawrence of Arabia in the Irish Film Institute this evening and was 
blown away by it. I'll have to try and see it myself