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Barry Lyndon

 

A

 

Screenplay

 

by

 

Stanley Kubrick

 

 

 

Based on the novel by

 

William Makepeace Thackeray

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 18, 1973

FADE IN:

 

EXT.  PARK - DAY

 

Brief shot of duel.

 

                         RODERICK (V.O.)

          My father, who was well-known to the

          best circles in this kingdom under

          the name of roaring Harry James, was

          killed in a duel, when I was fifteen

          years old.

 

EXT.  GARDEN - DAY

 

Mrs. James, talking with a suitor; Roderick, at a

distance.

 

                         RODERICK (V.O.)

          My mother, after her husband's

          death, and her retirement, lived in

          such a way as to defy slander.  She

          refused all offers of marriage,

          declaring that she lived now for her

          son only, and for the memory of her

          departed saint.

 

EXT.  STREET - DAY

 

Mother and son walking together.

 

                         RODERICK (V.O.)

          My mother was the most beautiful

          women of her day.  But if she was

          proud of her beauty, to do her

          justice, she was still more proud of

          her son, and has said a thousand

          times to me that I was the

          handsomest fellow in the world.

 

EXT.  CHURCH - DAY

 

Mother and son entering church.

 

                         RODERICK (V.O.)

          The good soul's pleasure was to

          dress me; and on Sundays and

          Holidays, I turned out in a velvet

          coat with a silver-hilted sword by

          my side, and a gold garter at my

          knee as fine as any lord in the

          land.  As we walked to church on

          Sundays, even the most envious souls

          would allow that there was not a

          prettier pair in the kingdom.

 

EXT.  FIELD - DAY

 

A picnic.  The Dugan family.  Roderick.

 

                         RODERICK (V.O.)

          My uncle's family consisted of ten

          children, and one of them was the

          cause of all my early troubles; this

          was the belle of the family, my

          cousin, Miss Dorothy Dugan, by name.

 

EXT.  DUGAN MANOR HOUSE - DAY

 

A sprawling run-down Irish manor house with large garden,

stables, barn and farm.

 

Idealized images of Dorothy.

 

                         RODERICK (V.O.)

          Ah!  That first affair, how well one

          remembers it!  What a noble

          discovery it is that the boy makes

          when he finds himself actually and

          truly in love with some one!  A lady

          who is skilled in dancing or singing

          never can perfect herself without a

          deal of study in private.  So it is

          with the dear creatures who are

          skilled in coquetting.  Dorothy, for

          instance, was always practicing, and

          she would take poor me to rehearse

          her accomplishments upon...

 

Dorothy talking with the exciseman.

 

                         RODERICK (V.O.)

          ... or the exciseman, when he came

          his rounds.

 

Dorothy talking to the steward.

 

                         RODERICK (V.O.)

          ... or the steward.

 

Dorothy sitting under a tree with the curate, reading a

book.

 

                         RODERICK (V.O.)

          ... or the poor curate.

 

Dorothy talking to the apothecary's lad.

 

                         RODERICK (V.O.)

          ... or the young apothecary's lad

          from Dugan's Town whom I recollect

          beating once for that very reason.

 

Roderick, fighting with apothecary's lad.

 

                         RODERICK (V.O.)

          The torments of jealousy she made me

          endure were horrible.

 

EXT.  FIELD - DAY

 

Dorothy, like a greyhound released from days of

confinement, and given the freedom of the fields at last,

runs at top-speed, left and right, back and forth,

returning every moment to Roderick.

 

She runs and runs until she is out of breath, and then

laughs at the astonishment which keeps Roderick motionless

and staring at her.

 

After catching her breath, and wiping her forehead, she

challenges Roderick to a race.

 

                         RODERICK

          I accept, but I insist on a wager.

          The loser must do whatever the

          winner pleases.

 

                         DOROTHY

          Agreed.

 

                         RODERICK

          Do you see the gate at the end of

          the field?  The first to touch it

          will be the winner.

 

They line up together and start on a count of three.

Dorothy uses all her strength, but Roderick holds back,

and Dorothy touches the gate five or six paces ahead of

him.

 

                         RODERICK (V.O.)

          I was certain to win, but I meant to

          lose to see what she would order me

          to do.

 

Dorothy catches her breath, thinking of the penalty.  Then

she goes behind the trees and, a few second later, comes

out and says:

 

                         DOROTHY

          Your penalty is to find a cherry-

          colored ribbon which I have hidden

          somewhere on my person.  You are

          free to look for it anywhere you

          will, and I will think very little

          of you if you do not find it.

 

They sit down on the grass.  Roderick searches her

pockets, the fold of her short bodice and her skirt, then

her shoes; then he turns up her skirt, slowly and

circumspectly, as high as her garters, which she wears

upon the knee.  He unfastens them and finds nothing; he

draws down her skirt and gropes under her armpits.  The

tickling makes her laugh.

 

                         RODERICK

          I feel the ribbon.

 

                         DOROTHY

          Then you must get it.

 

Roderick has to unlace her bodice and touch her pretty

breasts, over which his hand must pass to reach it.

 

                         DOROTHY

          Why are you shaking?

 

                         RODERICK

          With pleasure at finding the ribbon.

 

EXT.  FIELD - DAY

 

Military review.  One hundred English troops, a few

mounted officers, a small military band, fifty local

people.

 

The Dugan family, Roderick and his mother, Captains Best

and Grogan.

 

Roderick admires the troops in their splendid uniforms.

 

                         RODERICK (V.O.)

          About this time, the United Kingdom

          was in a state of great excitement

          from the threat generally credited

          of a French invasion.  The noblemen

          and people of condition in that and

          all other parts of the kingdom

          showed their loyalty by raising

          regiments of horse and foot to

          resist the invaders.  How I envied

          them.  The whole country was alive

          with war's alarums; the three

          kingdoms ringing with military

          music, while poor I was obliged to

          stay at home in my fustian jacket

          and sigh for fame in secret.

 

INT.  BALLROOM AT FENCIBLES - NIGHT

 

Dorothy and Roderick entering.

 

                         RODERICK (V.O.)

          Once, the officers of the Kilwangen

          regiment gave a grand ball to which

          Dorothy persuaded my to take her.

 

Several cuts depicting the evening.

 

Dorothy ignores Roderick; dances, chats, laughs, drinks

punch, and finally, strolls outside with Captain Best.

 

Roderick makes a half-hearted try at dancing with Miss

Clancy.

 

                         RODERICK (V.O.)

          I have endured torments in my life,

          but none like that.  Some of the

          prettiest girls there offered to

          console me, for I was the best

          dancer in the room, but I was too

          wretched, and so remained alone all

          night in a state of agony.  I did

          not care for drink, or know the

          dreadful comfort of it in those

          days; but I thought of killing

          myself and Dorothy, and most

          certainly of making away with

          Captain Best.

 

EXT.  FENCIBLES BALLROOM - DAWN

 

The guests leaving and saying their goodbyes.

 

                         RODERICK (V.O.)

          At last, and at morning, the ball

          was over.

 

 

N.B.: CLICCA QUI PER SCARICARE L'INTERA SCENEGGIATURA IN FORMATO .PDF 

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