BOREY LYNDON

BARRY LYNDON (1975)
dir: Stanley Kubrick

MAD #185, September 1976
w: Stan Hart
a: Mort Drucker

This was the story of the life and death of 18th century Irish rogue Barry Lyndon (Ryan O'Neal) based on a novel by William Makepeace Thackeray.

Mad usually takes scenes out of its parodies for brevity, but this one's surprisingly inclusive considering it's a three hour film, something they keep alluding to.

(Barry Goldwater and Lyndon Johnson were Presidential candidates).

At the beginning, Barry's cousin flirts with him by hiding her hair ribbon in her cleavage. It is only a game to her but it makes him infatuated with her, and he becomes jealous when her engagement to Captain Quinn (Leonard Rossiter) is announced.

In his jealousy, he challenges Quin to a duel and wins. But having shot an army captain, he must leave town and flees to Dublin. On his way he is robbed.

When he gets there, he joins the British Army.

He meets an old friend, Captain Grogan (Godfrey Quigley), who tells him the duel was fixed, the ammunition was fake, and that Quin wasn't really killed. Quin faked his death so Barry would have to leave town.

Back in the parody, Grogan is killed during a Seven Years War battle. Later, Barry sees officers bathing in a creek, steals one of their uniforms, and leaves the army.

After a brief fling with a war widow who houses and feeds him, he runs into the Prussian army. They realize he is a deserter lying about his credentials but will not turn him back in if he enlists with them.

After saving the life of his commanding officer Potzdorf (Hardy Kruger, who they could have called Putzdorf), he is rewarded with new position, to spy on the Chevalier du Balibari (Patrick Magee).

Overcome with guilt, he is taken under the Chevalier's wing and for a while becomes a double agent.

(Drucker often put cameos by directors in his parodies. Note Stanley Kubrick in one panel.)

Barry, knowing of how the Prussians are going to expel the Chevalier from the country, flees with him and they become gamblers across Europe. On his travels he meets a Countess (Marisa Berenson) and has an affair with her. Her husband finds out and has a heart attack during a card game.

Then there's an intermission. They used to have those in movies

Borey marries the countess (Marisa Berenson) and inherits her stepson, who hates him. They have a child of their own but their marriage grows cold. He spends time carousing.

In order to secure his son's future, he must obtain a nobleman's title, so must socialize in order to get it. During a recital his stepson acts out and Barry retaliates by beating him. This causes a scandal and he is shunned by everyone he was cajoling, giving up hopes of ever earning a title.

After his real son dies in a horseback accident, he becomes an alcoholic and his wife becomes suicidal. The stepson, now fully grown, returns to town and angry that Barry has ruined the family, challenges him to a duel.

Barry can not shoot his stepson in good conscience, and shoots the ground. He is shot in the leg, which must be amputated. He's paid an annuity on the condition he leave England and never return.