'Barry Lyndon': plot summary

Epigram

"By what means Redmond Barry acquired the style and title of Barry Lyndon."

Backstory

Barry’s father killed in gun duel over a dispute over some horses but Barry’s mother refuses to remarry. 

1st Act

Barry and his 1st cousin, Nora Brady, play a game of strip poker. He wins a hand and she asks him to turn around so that she can hide a ribbon in her bosom. She stands in front of him and asks him to find the ribbon on her body but after 1 or 2 half-hearted tries he gives up. 

Losing her patience, she orders him to look again and gives him a hint by taking his hand and bringing it to her breast. He pulls out the ribbon and they kiss.

British Army drills

The English Army put on a demonstration for Brady Town in preparation for the French invasion. Barry watches them, particularly Captain John Quin of Kilwagen regiment, with envy in his heart. Later, Captain Quin dances with Nora Brady.

Barry and Nora walk in woods. He is upset with her because she danced with Captain Quin 5 times. She doesn’t consider the men as equals, Barry is but a boy while Captain Quin is a man known for fighting soldiers

Barry doesn’t have a guinea in the world. but he vows to challenge Captain Quin when he sees him. 

Quin declares his love to Nora Brady and she confesses to never having loved any man before him.

John Quin is very wealthy and her brothers prefer Nora to be with him. They act as her chaperones. Barry walks up on Nora and Quin as they are out for a walk. Barry returns the ribbon to her and she introduces them to each other. Seeing Barry hand Nora the intimate article angers Quin and he threatens to withdraw his affections from her and demands immediate repayment of debts the Bradys  owe him. Her brothers try to calm him down by insisting that nothing’s going on between Nora and Barry. One of her brothers reprimands Barry;  Nora marrying Quin would bring 1500 quid a year to their family

Dinner

Barry’s uncle, the father of Nora Brady, hosts a dinner in his home for Nora and Captain Quin. Everyone is seated at the dinner table except Barry who is standing and staring at Nora who is seated beside Quin; he looks smug. Barry is asked to sit and he does so reluctantly. Quit and Nora announce their plan to marry and kiss. Everyone toasts; Barry throws his glass of wine at Quin. Quin is besides himself with anger, reminding everyone that he’s a nobleman and a man of property. 

An uncle walks Barry home and warns him that his actions could wind up costing the family a lot of money. Quin has promised to pay off all of the family’s debts. Jack Grogan also reminds Barry that Nora’s father had been nice enough to take on him and his mother after Barry Sr. died. With all this said to him, Barry remains defiant and swears to fight any man who tries to take Nora’s hand in marriage. He asks his uncle to set up duel between himself and Captain Quin. Jack Grogan looks at Barry in disbelief, then smiles and kisses him in admiration declaring that he “shall not want a friend or a second. Never saw a lad more game in me life!” He agrees to set up the duel.

Duel

The pistols are loaded by Nora’s brothers. Jack Grogan seconded Barry, making sure the pistols are properly loaded and other rules of etiquette are followed. The men are given their pistols. Jack asks Barry to back out of duel and to apologize to Captain Quin but Barry’s mind is made up and Jack throws up his hands. Barry notices that his gun isn’t his own but the gun of one of Nora’s brothers. Jack wishes him luck. The pistols are aimed and cocked (Quin looks terrified).

Both guns fire and Quin falls dead to the ground.

Barry leaves Kilwagen on horseback and sets off to Dublin (bagpipes playing) with 20 guineas in gold in is pocket. He stops at a cottage for a drink of water. Two men there eye him with interest. He thanks them and resumes his journey.

The 2 men he saw at cottage are there and they rob him of his gold (his money) and horse.

The 2 men he saw at the cottage meet him in the woods and they order him, at gunpoint, to dismount the horse. The older bandit is Captain Feeney; they younger bandit is his son. Feenney is cordial but firm. He relieves Barry of his money but, out of courtesy, he allows Barry to keep his boots so he can walk 5 miles to the next town.

Gale’s Regiment of Foot

Officer Gale enlists Barry in the British Army to fight against the French. The compensation for serving is a shilling for life, clothing, arms, and accoutrements. Barry goes through training, marching with other recruits. Fighting against the French Army provides the perfect opportunity for Barry to earn distinction and a proper name. 

During one of the breaks in training, Barry receives a cup full of grease. When he complains to the recruit who served him, the bully among the recruits goes over and takes his cup and drinks the grease and spits it out, throwing the cup and laughing. 

Barry teases the bully about the beating he takes from his wife. The bully gets mad and challenges Barry to a fight.

Fight (Duel)

Barry is too fast for the bully who telegraphs every punch. Barry wins easily and rides off on the shoulders of his fellow recruits.

Graduation

After a month of training, Barry is made into a proper soldier. The men are ordered to stand attention for Captain Jack Grogan who rides by them on a horse. He and Barry smile at each other.

That night, Jack reprimands Barry for not letting his family know of his whereabouts. Barry never wrote home because he was ashamed for being robbed of his gold, horse, and his father’s pistols. Jack hears none of it and makes him write his mother immediately. Barry asks Jack about Nora. She, Jack confesses, has married Captain Quin. Quin survived the gunshot because Nora’s brothers had loaded Barrys pistol with tow instead of lead; they weren’t taking chances on Barry killing the captain who promised to pay off all the family’s debts on top of an allowance of 15 guineas a year! The duel was set up to get Barry to leave Kilwagen.

The 7 years war

England and Prussia are allies against France, Sweden, Russia, and Austria. Barry’s 1st taste of battle comes against a rearguard of Frenchmen who occupy an orchard that the British main force wants to pass through. The soldiers on the British side are slaughtered. Jack Grogan falls to the ground with a fatal wound. Barry carries him to a creek. Jack kisses him, gives him his last 100 guineas, and dies.

Barry now wants to get out of service for which he is obligated for 6 years. He stumbles on 2 gay soldiers bathing together in a lake. Johnathan is upset because Frederick has joined another regiment. Barry takes Johnathan’s uniform, identification papers, and makes away on the officer’s horse (50:00). Barry sets off for Holland, a neutral territory. Along his journey he sees a Prussian infantry. He sees a young woman on a small farm and asks her if there is an inn where he can grab a bite to eat. She says no and he offers her money in exchange for food and she invites him into her home for supper.

She has a baby named Peter whose father is away fighting in the war. He’s been gone since spring and she, like Barry, is lonely. He tells her that his name is Lieutenant Fakenham. She asks him to stay with her for a few days and on the 3rd day, he kisses her goodbye and leaves. 

He is but 1 of a long line of soldiers that stopped through the woman’s home. 

To keep its forces replenished, the Prussian Army resorts to kidnapping. Barry meets Capt. Potzdorf claiming to be carrying urgent dispatches to Bremen. Potzdorf points out to Barry that he is going in the wrong direction and asks for the identity papers he’d stolen from Officer Fakeham. 

Satisfied with these papers, Potzdorf offers Barry a meal, a proper map, and night’s lodging.

Over diner, Potzdorf asks Barry who he’s reporting to at Bremen and Barry answers incorrectly;  General Williamson has been dead 10 years! Potzdorf has Barry arrested for desertion. 

Barry is forced to join the Prussian army after passing through a gauntlet and receiving a lash from all of the Prussian officers. 

Barry saves Potzdorf’s life in the Battle of Audorf and for his heroism the King rewards Barry with 2 Frederick d’ ors.

The war ends and Barry’s regiment is garrisoned at the capital. Potzdorf promotes Barry to Police and promises him more promotions conditional on him working as a double agent to go into the service of a suspected spy named Chevalier de Balibari who is employed by the Queen of Austria. Though Balibari pretends to be a Frenchman he is actually an Irishman.

_

Barry agrees to spy on Baliberi. Potzdorf instructs Barry who will pretend to be Hungarian, not know a word of English, and is to have served in the war but was released due to weak loins.

Barry arrives at the Austrian palace and meets Chevalier Balibari who asks for Barry’s credentials. Barry tells Baliberi that his name is Lazlo Zilagy and that he is a Hungarian. But being in the presence of a fellow Irishman makes Barry homesick and causes him to break down and confess that he is a spy. Barry and Baliberi cry in each others’ arms.

Barry gives his report to Potzdorf consisting of mundane details prearranged with Balibari.

Barry serves as Baliberis’ valet pretending not to understand a word of English. At a card game, he serves the drinks so that he can see the cards of Balibari’s opponents. A wipe of the table with a napkin meant the enemy was strong in diamonds; adjusting a chair meant ace/king; asking Balibari if he wanted punch or wine meant hearts, etc. 

The Prince of Tubingen loses to Balibari and looks over his bill suspiciously, accusing the Chevalier of cheating and refuses to pay. 

Barry reports this to Potzdorf who asks whether Chevalier did cheat at the card game with Tubingen and Barry says no. Potzdorf orders Barry to report back to him tomorrow. 

Chevalier instructs Barry to tell Potzdorf that he may challenge the prince of Tubingen to a duel to force him to pay his gambling debt. This, the Prussian government cannot allow because prince Tubingen and Frederick the Great are lovers (wikipedia: King of Prussia from 1740 until 1786) and no harm could come to him.

Potzdorf decides to deport Chevalier. According to Barry’s false report, the Chevalier has a habit of taking a ride in his carriage every morning after breakfast. So, tomorrow morning after the Chevalier has finished his breakfast, that carriage will ride him to the frontier and out of the Austria.

The next morning, Barry is disguised as Chevalier and acts surprised at seeing 2 Prussian officers standing by his carriage. They tell him that they have orders to take him to Saxony. Barry is upset; he has an appointment at the Austrian ambassador’s home. The officers give him a small bag containing $2,000 Friedrich d’or's and usher him into the carriage (The real Chevalier left Austria the night before and was already in Saxony awaiting Barry). 

Barry and Chevalier at gaming table with Lord Ludd who loses and asks for credit. Chevalier grants his request. Barry makes Lord Ludd sign a promissory note but Lord Ludd reneges on the note.

Duel

Barry and Lord Ludd duel with swords. Barry wins and Ludd agrees to honor his promissory note. 

Barry and Chevalier travel throughout Europe gambling and are received as gentlemen by the best societies. Barry acquires a taste for the finer things in life and these tastes grow beyond the fine clothes and trinkets he earns by gambling. Like all men like him who are ambitious but are not born into wealth, he sets his sights on a wealthy woman, in his case, Viscountess of Lyndon, wife of Charles Lyndon, Knight of the Bath, parents of little Viscount Charles Bullingdon. He sees her in a courtyard, her husband in his wheelchair, little Charles Bullingdon their son, and their chaplain Reverend Runt.

Chevalier and Barry at gaming table with Charles Lyndon. Barry and the Countess can’t take their eyes off each other(these glances are complemented by burning candles). She leaves the table to go outside for fresh air. Barry leaves the table also and meets her on the terrace where they kiss.  From this moment, she is rarely seen without him by her side. 

Montage

• They ride in a small boat
• They walk the grounds

Charles and his friends are at the gaming table. Barry walks in and immediately Charles accuses him of cheating with his wife. The moment Barry leaves this setting, Charles dies at the table. 

Intermission

2nd Act

One year later, in the year 1773, Reverent Runt marries Barry to the countess. Barry takes the last name of the late Charles Lyndon. He has arrived!

He and the countess ride in a carriage. He is smoking a pipe and looking pleased with himself. The smoke bothers her and she asks him not to smoke. He blows smoke in her face. 

Young Bullingdon and Mr. Runt are in a separate carriage. Charles voices his dissatisfaction  with Barry, his mother, and their hasty marriage.

The following year, the countess gives birth to Barry’s 1st child, Bryan Patrick Lyndon. 

Montage

• She sits in chair with child looking lonely
• Barry having a ball with the maids

Charles, Reverend Runt, and the countess are strolling the grounds and see Barry kissing one of the maids. He sees them, too.

The countess, Reverend Runt and maids are playing cards. The countess asks of the time and Reverend Runt tells her that it is very late (Barry is out kicking it)

As the countess is bathing, Barry walks in and orders the maids to leave. He apologizes to his wife and they kiss. 

The countess tells Barry that she’s taking the children to the village and he tells Charles to look out for his mother and little brother. He kisses Charles who refuses to kiss him back and accuses his mother of insulting the memory of his dead father. 

Barry takes the boy to another room and gives him 6 lashes.

Barry throws a magic show for Bryan’s 8th birthday. Barry’s mother has come up from Ireland and is among the guests.

Barry tucks Bryan in bed and tells him about a battle he fought in the war with the French. He leaves the candles burning for his son.

Barry and his mother standing on a bridge. She tells him to get a title for himself. The countess has everything and one day all of her wealth will go to Bullingdon who won’t give him a cent.

Barry visits Lord Hallam, a fellow gambler and lawyer of the higher courts, a man who is also the 13th Earl of Wendover. His proximity to the monarch makes him the perfect advocate for Barry’s peerage.

Barry begins his campaign for peerage—or higher ranking in society—by mingling in all the proper circles where those of upper society attended. He uses the Countess’s wealth—including her diamonds—to buy land for 10 times its value, to buy overpriced paintings and other articles of little value (note—this is how he goes broke. In the beginning, he tries to earn his name; in the 2nd half of the movie, he tries to buy his name or peerage). 

He even begins paying bribes rationalized as loans to those he believes can influence his chances at gaining peerage. 

At the palace, Barry and others like him seeking peerage stand shoulder to shoulder before the king like sycophants hoping to be recognized and distinguished. Lord Hallam is there, and when the king passes over Barry, Hallam puts in a word for Barry to the king who gives him a polite cursory nod.

Barry and wife pays the bills which is 1 of the unpleasant duties of managing the estate. Reverend Runt, the boys’ tutor, leaves them alone to work on their assignments.

The moment Reverend Runt leaves the room, Bryan starts fidgeting. He asks Bullingdon what the word strenuous means. Bullingdon is trying to concentrate and wants to be left alone but Bryan is restless and needs attention. Charles blocks him out. Bryan climbs down from his chair and tries to wrestle the pencil away from Bullingdon. Bullingdon spanks Bryan and Barry walks in. 

He gives Charles 6 lashes for laying his hand on Bryan, something he was forbidden to do. After his punishment, Charles warns Barry not to hit him again, threatening to kill him if he did so. 

The Countess and Mr. Runt entertain guests with a musical performance. She plays the piano and he, the flute. Bullingdon crashes the party by coming in barefoot with shoes on his little his brother. 

Bullindon asks his mother if his shoes fit Bryan better. Then he tells his mother that he’s running away because he doesn’t like Barry, or him fooling around on her, or his squandering of his father’s wealth. Barry beats the boy in front of the guests. 

Everyone that attended that performance and witnessed that beating now have nothing to do with Barry and avoid him at every opportunity. Barry spots Neville at a restaurant and goes over to invite him to a game of cards; Neville invents an excuse not to do so.

All of Barry’s creditors bill him at the same time!

Montage: outcast

• Barry fishes alone in a boat with his dog
• Barry reads a book to Bryan
• Barry teaches Bryan how to fence
• Barry rides a horse and Bryan rides a pony

Barry buys Bryan a horse and has it put up until his birthday next week. 

The Lyndon’s and Reverend Runt— minus Bullingdon—have dinner. Bryan tells his father that he knows that he’s getting a horse for his birthday and that he also knows that the horse is being kept for him at a farm nearby. 

The countess makes Bryan promise not to ride the horse without his father being present.

As Barry is shaving Reverend Runt walks in to tell him that there’s been an accident regarding Bryan; the boy snuck to Doolan’s farm to ride the horse! 

Barry rushes to the farm and two men with the cart carrying his son meet him on the trail. The horse had thrown Bryan off. Barry sends for the doctor but the boy’s death is imminent. 

Barry and Countess at child’s bedside. Bryan asks his father whether he will die but Barry says no and tells him his favorite bedtime story of how he and his fellow soldiers stormed a French fort in the 7 Years’ War.

Mourners follow the carriage containing Bryan's body.

Montage 

• Barry’s mother finds him passed out from drinking and has two servants to carry him to bed
• Reverend Runt, with the countess at his side, reads a passage out of the Bible

Barry and the countess are so distraught over Bryan’s death that Barry’s mother has taken over the estate. She informs Reverend Runt that the estate can no longer afford him. He offers to waive his salary so he can keep an eye on the countess. Ms. Barry’s polite bearing vanishes and she accuses Runt of putting Mrs. Lyndon in her present state. He only takes orders from Mrs. Lyndon, he tells her, going on to voice his opinion of how she and her son, Barry, ruined the estate’s finances. She throws Runt out! 

The countess tries to take her life by poison.

Runt and the family counselor meet with Bullingdon to plot his return to the estate and revenge on Barry. At the estate, Bullingdon finds Barry and his friends drunk and semi-conscious around a gaming table. Bullingdon challenges Barry to a duel. 

They meet in a barn. Two seconds load the pistols and hand them to Barry and Bullingdon. Bullingdon wins the coin toss for the 1st shot. Barry stands tall and braces himself. Charles looks terrified. He is told to cock his pistol and to take aim. Bullingdon has never fired a gun and the gun goes off and the ball of lead is spent in the ground. He asks for another try but he isn’t allowed another shot until after Barry gets his turn. Bullingdon throws up and stands for the shot. Barry, seeing how afraid the boy is, aims his pistol at the ground and shoots. 

(he regains his honor) Everyone looks at each other with shock mingled with admiration. They ask Bullingdon if he is satisfied and he says no. They reload his pistol. Barry is stoic and braces himself. This time, Bullingdon cock’s the gun correctly, aims it directly at Barry, and fires. Barry falls down hollering and holding his leg. Bullingdon looks relieved.

Barry is taken to an Inn where a surgeon amputates his left leg below the kneecap.

A carriage transports Bullingdon and the family counselor back to the estate. Charles orders the counselor to take his mom to London and to evict Ms. Barry immediately. 

Graham the counselor visits Barry and his mother at the Inn. The counselor gets down to business: 

Bullingdon wants both of them to leave England in exchange for $500 guineas a year for life. If they choose to stay in England they will do jail time for the estate’s outstanding debts. 

Barry and his mother climb into carriage which is weighed down with bags and suitcases. They return to Ireland where Barry resumes his gambling career but his luck is not as good as it was before.

Bullingdon and his mother are at a table with Mr. Graham signing checks and other documents. For a long time, she looks at the contract to pay Barry 500 guineas a year for life. She finally signs it.