Not only is it one of Stanley Kubrick’s best movies, it is the greatest period piece to exist on screen. It completely takes you back to another time without any faults at all. It’s slow paced, sure, but that’s how it was meant to be. That’s part of the reason it’s so effective, you spend time with the sets, music and costumes as much as you do the characters and story. Ryan O’Neal in my opinion is perfect as Barry, he says so much with his mannerisms and eyes. It’s a subtle and highly effective performance that goes completely unnoticed for the majority of viewers. The story is also very subtle in what it says about the bureaucracy and politics in Europe during the 1700s. It’s an incredible journey, a man goes from being nothing more than a peasant to a rich nobleman with little effort. The relationships are very real and intense, it’s the driving force of the entire movie. I feel that of all Stanley Kubrick’s work, this is given the least amount of appreciation.