Stanley Kubrick: Ranking His Films From Worst To Best

Barry Lyndon is a 1975 period drama based on the works of William Makepeace Thackeray. The film recounts the life, and later unravelling of an 18th century man who worms his way into a marriage with an rich old widow in the attempt to climb the social ladder. This movie deserves the high spot on this list as it is beautiful work of fiction from beginning to end.

Work on the movie began after Kubrick finished production on the 1971 film, A Clockwork Orange. He had originally intended it to be biopic on the French dictator, Napoleon. This however fell through due to failure of the 1970 epic, Waterloo.

Kubrick’s cinematography was at the time described by critics as ground-breaking. Even today, a film buff may stare in awe at the use of long double shots and scenes lit entirely by candlelight. Every moment in this film is packed with intensity and the melancholic emotion that you’d expect from a brilliant period drama.

However, this was a troubled shot. This was mainly down to the weather and poor planning, but Kubrick also feared that he may be a hostage target of the IRA! Thankfully, this wasn't the case, and the movie went on to win four Oscars in Scoring, Costume Design, Art Design and Cinematography.