Young Irishman Redmond Barry leaves his home after shaming the family name, and survives the Seven Year's War only to become entangled in one high society mess after another. His rise and fall...

Young Irishman Redmond Barry leaves his home after shaming the family name, and survives the Seven Year's War only to become entangled in one high society mess after another. His rise and fall leads to the question that never seems answered to any human's satisfaction--It wasn't my fault, was it? Based on William Makepeace Thackery's novel about opportunism and luck, the film is noted for it's photography and Kubrick's keen eye for historical minutia.