Every frame is breathtakingly shot. The film goes for over three hours. It has its own rhythm. Kubrick's dirty perve tendencies are on display all the way through. -within the first ten minutes Ryan O'Neal is shoving his hands into the cleavage of a woman. There's various shots of women lounging topless throughout.
This is an odd duck. Long. Beautiful. Restrained. Kind of cold. But also not. I mean Barry cries at the death of his mentor, his son. The death of the kid is very moving. The final duel is suspenseful. The film kicked into gear in the second half for me. I can see why it wasn't a hit. I can also see why people love it. The movie's a little like an anaconda.
A lot of his issues are his own fault. People have written that the movie is about chance but it's Barry who decides to fight the opening duel, to desert, to steal the papers, to change sides against the Prussians, to pursue a rich woman, to cheat on that woman, to treat her son badly... I mean, Barry really is a dill. A little kindness and courtesy he wouldn't get in strife. Then, as the narrator points out, if he didn't have the moxie to go for those things he wouldn't have the dimness to lose them.
Ryan O'Neal's performance is good. He's muted, as required. He was better with someone to bounce off and doesn't have it here. But he was the character - charming, hot tempered, libidinous, making enemies, bad marriage, loyal..
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