Barry Lyndon: Why Does No One Ever Have Fun Playing Cards?

I recently was able to see Barry Lyndon (1975, Stanley Kubrick) through the Emory Cinematheque. Riddled with powdered wigs, layers and layers of makeup, paintings that fill entire walls, and shots that actually resemble real paintings from the era, Barry Lyndon’s use of mise en scène transports us directly into the late 1700’s. However, that is not what I want to talk about in this blog post. Instead, I was intrigued by a certain recurring motif in the film: Playing Cards.

The film as a whole is an argument between fate and self-determination, with Redmond Barry’s life-altering adventure seemingly starting from one lustful, impulsive decision. Playing Cards and Barry’s cheating habits act as a miniature representation of his own life, representing how one often has little control over their own destiny, yet must risk it all anyway. What confused me however is that every time anyone is seen playing cards in the film (which is quite a few times), they seem absolutely miserable. While it is not the happiest film of all time, there are many moments of comedy and smiles. None of these ever occur during a game of cards. I believe that this is probably to communicate how even though Barry tends to win at cards, they are a marker of inevitable doom and demonstrate the futility of trying to climb the social ladder of life. I would be curious to whether this is entirely purposeful by Kubrick or if it just shook out to be that way.

I mean look how miserable they are.