Who would you have play Barry Lyndon?
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Felixthecat34213 — 10 years ago(December 13, 2015 10:12 PM)
The only real shortcoming was O'Neal's ridiculous attempt at an Irish accent, as irritatingly stage-Irish as in numerous other Hollywood and British films, from Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in Far and Away to John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara in Ford's The Quiet Man, to Fred Astaire in Coppola's Leprechaun film, to the Blarney babblers in David Lean's condescending Ryan's Daughter (Funnily, it's as if that film was made by a relative of the corrupt and obsequious Lord Bullingdon such is the classist and patronizingly racist and sexist stereotyping). Of course, Bullingdon would indirectly 'reappear' as a spectre in Kubrick's subsequent film, via Philip Stone (Graham in Barry Lyndon) playing Delbert Grady, the obnoxiously classist-racist 1920s butler-waiter-caretaker who directs Jack Torrance to do his superegoic duty by "correcting" his family.
I disagree completly. I'm not Irish, but I found his accent to be subtle and non intrusive. I almost forget his character is supposed to be Irish because he makes the accent very natural. -
Nicanthony — 9 years ago(January 10, 2017 06:17 AM)
I didn't notice the bad Irish accent. Perhaps one has to be Irish, or be from Europe/UK to notice the difference.
Also, I enjoyed Ryan O'Neal as the lead.
PS. I give Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, and Dr Strangelove all 10/10. But Kubrick movies for me tend to go off the scale. Clockwork deserves an 11, and Strangelove a 10.5. Barry Lyndon is the most flawed of the 3, but so beautiful it still deserves a 10. Else I would have to shift all my other ratings down by a point. -
The_Centurion — 12 years ago(March 11, 2014 01:20 PM)
I think Ryan O'Neill fit the part very well, and remember that it was the studio who demanded that Kubrick cast a top ten actor in the leading role thus limiting options. Malcolm McDowell and Anthony Hopkins are both interesting possibilities, however.
You are a smooth smoothie, you know. -
tyrexden — 11 years ago(June 02, 2014 09:29 AM)
This movie is the movie it is, because of Ryan O'Neal. He has a great balance of youthful naivitee, admirable heroics, moppish affection for his love life, innocence yet capability. He makes it easy to root for, even though he's not a typical protagonist.
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danasider — 9 years ago(August 14, 2016 08:51 PM)
I agree with this most. Sure, the Irish accent wasn't great, but all the other qualities you've stated make O'Neal perfect for the role.
I saw some other actors mentioned like Malcolm McDowell and Anthony Hopkins. Neither have the boyish charm that O'Neal and the character share, not to mention, the looks one would need to be a believable casanova which would cause the Lady Lyndon to fall in love 6 hours after meeting.
Normally, I don't care about looks and even get annoyed when everyone looks perfect in film, but Redmond Barry is the quintessential hero in all aspects including charm, natural ability and looksbut subverted like only Kubrick can do. -
robhiphop — 11 years ago(December 01, 2014 03:38 AM)
The character of Barry Lyndon requires a certain sense of naivet. He's an opportunistic social climber, but there's a kind of cluelessness in the way he blunders crudely from one situation to the next. Both Malcolm McDowell and Anthony Hopkins would've been too "knowing" and self aware to really carry this off. Ryan O'Neal might have his limitations as an actor, but he was right for this part.
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Bourbon_King — 11 years ago(December 25, 2014 03:25 PM)
Barry Lyndon is one of my all time favorite films as well.
I do think however that Ryan was a good choice to play Redmond (bad accent and all). Ryan's poor accent lends to Redmond's inability to ever fit in with the English Aristocracy. Remember also that the Chevalier himself spoke German and Hungarian with a passive Irish lilt that the Chief of Police in Prussia found highly suspect as well. It's a running theme throughout the film about not fitting in.
"Where's your spark now?" -
Felixthecat34213 — 10 years ago(December 13, 2015 10:16 PM)
I do think however that Ryan was a good choice to play Redmond (bad accent and all). Ryan's poor accent lends to Redmond's inability to ever fit in with the English Aristocracy. Remember also that the Chevalier himself spoke German and Hungarian with a passive Irish lilt that the Chief of Police in Prussia found highly suspect as well. It's a running theme throughout the film about not fitting in.
I don't know, What was so bad about it? -
TravisChaplin — 10 years ago(May 17, 2015 08:45 AM)
Malcolm McDowell and Anthony Hopkins both would have been interesting( as would have David Hemmings) but after watching Barry Lyndon again for first time in a while, I do think that Ryan O'Neil did do a good ( great?) job. It's not as as an immediately iconic a performance as say Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange, Jack Nicholson in The Shining, or George C. Scott in Dr. Strangelove but O'Neil was able to bring enough nuances to the role that he definitely worked despite not being the most well suited for the part.