#john alcott

Barry Lyndon premiered in London on 11 December 1975.

Based on William Makepeace Thackery's 1844 novel, The Luck of Barry Lyndon, Stanley Kubrick began adapting the novel in 1971 after failed attempts at his biopic of Napolean (the studio pulled its financing) and began filming in early 1973.

One of the major achievements of filming was Kubrick and cinematographer John Alcott's use of natural light, specifically shooting many scenes by candlelight. Kubrick had obtained 3 lenses developed for the Apollo moon landing (not all scenes were shot with these lenses, however, and most utilized more standard equipment).

Barry Lyndon received mixed reviews when it was first released, with many critics questioning the casting of Ryan O'Neal, the slow pace of the film, and its "coldness" (many compared it to a coffee-table book, "ravishingly beautiful and incredibly tedious"). It was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It received 4 Oscars: Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction, and Best Score.

ASK EDDIE returns Thursday, May 29, 7:00 PM PT to our Facebook page.

FNF prez Eddie Muller responds to film noir fan questions fielded by the Foundation's Director of Communications Anne Hockens. In this edition, we discuss Eddie’s upcoming Bay Area appearances; the original scripted ending of “Angel Face”; the differences between inter positives, fine grain release print, and negatives; and more. Our deep dive of “The Big Combo” segues into a discussion covering John Alton, cinematography, Stanley Kubrick, his masterpiece “Barry Lyndon”, and more. We wrap with our responses to the question, “Are there any Noir scenes that give you the munchies?’ On the cat front, Elly and Tyrian give their farewell performance.

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