Barry Lyndon Persuasive Essay

1636 Words7 Pages
Barry Lyndon Filmmaking is an art form - a set of skills which has been growing and developing over the last hundred years. Yet, it's apparent that not all films are art. There is a certain standard of quality that has been set for the arts over the course of human history, and only some works truly qualify. The 1975 British-American film Barry Lyndon , directed by Stanley Kubrick, is a more-than-adequate example of something possessing, or even surpassing such quality. It displays Kubrick's mastery of cinematic language, storytelling, and - like most of his other works - breaks new ground in filming techniques, and sets a new standard of quality. Though upon its initial release it was met with very mild commercial success, Barry Lyndon is now widely hailed as a masterpiece of cinema and an…show more content…
To truly make use of film as an artistic medium, music and sound must be involved. The importance of proper auditory elements in a film can't be understated. Communicating a message to the viewer solely through visuals is as effective as reading a written message - you can understand what it says, but you don't know the tone that the message is being said in. Adding sound to those visuals is akin to hearing the message be told to you directly by a person. You can understand the message being said, but more importantly how it's being said. Sound in a movie goes a long way. It allows the filmmaker to more easily convey emotions and moods to the audience, accentuating the moments in the story that matter, either through the lack of or the presence of sound. Barry Lyndon does not fall short in this regard. Stanley Kubrick, an avid listener of classical music, picked the soundtrack to the film and made sure the music choices properly fit the setting, the events, and the mood of the story. The soundtrack is mostly made up of classical music including pieces by J.S. Bach, Vivaldi, and Mozart - who are among history's greatest

    More about Barry Lyndon Persuasive Essay

      Open Document