Barry Lyndon works entirely like a classical novel, with a certain storytelling techniques, with a gentle, sometimes ironic and a voice which predicts the future of its characters throughout, intentionally killing all the suspense. Watching Barry Lyndon feels like reading kind of classic British book. And importantly most of the humor and insight comes from the narrator, not that the film itself is not humorous in some parts or other and not entertaining as well, but what narrator does in the film enhances that quality of humour when he comments on characters with certain sense of irony and humour, albeit very subtly.

The narration is a major part of lustrous Barry Lyndon, so much so that, there are around 40 commentaries by the narrator in the film. And the narrator himself can safely be called as an essential character of the film. Not just it was enhancing but was it was impossible to make this film without the narrator. In Kubrick’s words, ‘There is too much story to tell. A voice-over spares you the cumbersome business of telling the necessary facts of the story through expositional dialogue scenes which can become very tiresome and frequently unconvincing’.

The voice is judging voice, often in contrast with the visceral beauty of the film. It judges the characters harshly though not with any apparent passion, which makes it an interesting case. It shows how superficial the world of Barry Lyndon is, and maybe its Kubrick’s own interpretation of events. There is certain detachment, lack of emotion throughout his the film, which is majorly portrayed by the narrator(voiced brilliantly by Michael Hordern)- through his calm, ironic and voice which kills all the suspense there might be, and quite intentionally too. Its not a film manipulating us to build suspense but to kill any suspense there is and to show exactly what is happening and how it is happening. And the voice over of Micheal Hordern is masterfully adept in its attempt to do exactly that.