Based on William Makepeace Thackeray’s satirical novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon, Stanley Kubrick’s period masterpiece came into fruition years after his cancelled Napoleon project. The story follows the adventures of an Irishman who first appears as a hot-blooded young lad, then traverses the continent as a soldier before becoming a gambler and police spy, until he finally reaches high society by marrying a wealthy woman. Lyndon’s adventures are marked by heartbreaks and tragedy, yet humour and irony find their way in every corner.

Kubrick had famously acquired a high-speed lens used by NASA to film indoor scenes that are lit by candles only, in order to recreate the look of 18th century paintings. Drawing influences from British painters of that period, including William Hogarth and Thomas Gainsborough, Kubrick creates a timeless moving picture with innovative filmmaking techniques, a haunting soundtrack, and impeccable design. Over fifty years has passed since the initial release of Barry Lyndon but its beauty and emotional core still edure. Sic transit gloria mundi.

For the screenings on 10 Jan and 1 Mar, the film will be presented in its 50th anniversary 4K restoration.

For the screenings on 24 Jan and 8 Feb, the film will be presented in a 35 mm print from the Academy Film Archive.

Stanley Kubrick (1928–1999, United States) was a photographer for Look magazine before he began his filmmaking career. After showing promise as a burgeoning director with his first two feature films, he directed the anti-war film Paths of Glory (1957) to great acclaim and continued to direct some of the most celebrated films of the 1960s, including Dr. Strangelove (1964) and 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). He turned his sights to the futuristic fable A Clockwork Orange (1971) after he failed to secure funding for a Napoleon biopic. His research for an epic period drama would later inspire him in the making of Barry Lyndon (1975). The Shining (1980) and Full Metal Jacket (1987) were both hailed as masterpieces in their respective genres. He died at the age of 70 after completing Eyes Wide Shut (1999).