What is the name of the Kubrick film set in the 18th century?

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What is the name of the Kubrick film set in the 18th century? The film is Barry Lyndon. Released in 1975, it follows an ambitious Irish adventurer who uses marriage, deception, gambling, and social maneuvering to pursue an aristocratic position in European society.

Kubrick adapted the film from William Makepeace Thackeray's 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon, later also published as The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq. The story takes place during the 18th century and includes settings connected to the Seven Years' War. Ryan O'Neal plays the title character, with Marisa Berenson as Lady Lyndon.

Barry Lyndon is especially famous for its period visual style. Kubrick and cinematographer John Alcott used specially modified lenses to film some interiors by candlelight, producing images that resemble 18th-century paintings. The film also uses carefully composed landscapes, long takes, and a detached narrator, creating a contrast with the more energetic style of several earlier Kubrick films.

The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, and Best Art Direction. Its deliberate pace divided audiences at release, but its visual design and historical atmosphere have since become central to its reputation.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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