You all folks know the Epilogue, "It was in the reign of George III that the aforesaid personages lived and quarrelled; good or bad, handsome or ugly, rich or poor, they are all equal now." But what does it mean, exactly? How are they all equal now? Dead? Forgotten?
Could the freak be any more vague?-David Mills
Stop everything we got a genius over here...yes you all, they are all equal because they are dead. Jesus Christ.
shareThat was exactly what I thought the first time around, but then I read this question from a Kubrick interview and I thought 'oh maybe it means something else, who knows':
The last sentence which says that all the characters are now equal can be taken as a nihilistic or religious statement. From your films, one has the feeling that you are a nihilist who would like to believe.
I think you'll find that it is merely an ironic postscript taken from the novel. Its meaning seems quite clear to me and, as far as I'm concerned, it has nothing to do with nihilism or religion.
The quote reminded me of something that Charles de Gaulle once said after the death of his Down syndrome daughter Anne. General De Gaulle, who loved his daughter very much, stood next to his wife at her grave and intoned, "Now she is like all of the other children."
I suppose the quote means that we shouldn't place so much emphasis on class, money, beauty and power, because after death none of it means a whit.
The funny quote at the end is rich in meaning and points to a central theme of the film.
Of course they are equal now because they are dead,
but the more interesting observation would be: Why were they unequal in life ?
"Barry Lyndon" is about class and social stratification in societies then and now.
Exactly... People get so caught up in it being a "Period Piece" that they miss out on the Core Principles of the Film. What has, or in many cases, HASN'T changed.
shareI also don't know why people have to be so sarcastic here. Yours was a good question and I was also interested in the confirmation. His wife must be giving him grief at home.
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They are all dead by now, and everybody is equal when 6' under.
shareDeath is the great equalizer.
We all end with the same fate, eventually.
Yes, once they are dead, they are all equal. All the stratified social strictures don't mean squat once you're under six feet of dirt.
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