A Brilliant Film

I think Amadeus owes a lot of this film as well- Milos Foreman, like Richardson, ended up crafting a period piece with irresistible humor.

But I don't think Barry Lyndon has much of anything to owe to this film. Kubrick was trying to go somewhere unique, somewhere completely and utterly surreal with that film. And despite a few occasions of humorous coincidence, it's not a comedy. Richardson's film (and Foreman's film) are both trying to put a fresh spin on the period piece for modern audiences. Kubrick's film, however, is more formal, more analytical and more philosophical over all of those questions about manhood and humankind that Kubrick was always asking his audiences... because of that, unlike Tom Jones and Amadeus, it was a flop- and no wonder.

What I don't understand is how we're going to stay alive this winter.

Having watched the movie days after finishing the novel, what I think quite successful is the way they used film techniques to capture the spirit of the novel. For instance, the novel is quite famous for its intrusive narrator constantly remembering the reader he's reading a novel, totally breaking down any pretense of verisimilitude. The movie achieves this by having the characters break the fourth wall and interact with the viewers, and using fast-motion to make the action more exaggerated and hence less realistic. The novel makes fun of several genres, like the epic, the pastoral, and you can see the movie attempting the same - the silent movie homage/pastiche - although in this regard I don't think it was as radical as it could have been.

This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.

Brilliant is the right word! I've just watched it now. It's lovely. I'm just grateful to TCM for showing it.

Disagree. Unbearable. Harpsichord music, women called "slut" for doling no more than the main character--who is ac laimed as worthy of a book and movie. Put this antique piece of garbage on the trash heap...unless your tastes run to mud fights, spitting, little in the way of dialogue and all sorts of uncivilized behavior, then this is your free for all.