did Reverend Runt not stop Brian from going out to the horse in the morning hoping something would happen
he and Barry have a conversation like this
Barry: didn’t you see him?
Runt: he must have gone through my room while I was asleep
so iunno maybe I am seeing things that aren’t there. never thought anything of it before now
also Runt seemed pleased on the carriage ride with Bullington after the duel so he certainly wants things back as they were without Barry or Brian
I watched the movie again and had the same question.
You’ve reminded me that it’s time that I watched this great movie again.
My take on Runt here - there’s no specific scheme at work, other than his general desire to be as unobtrusively obstructive to Barry as he can get away with. And while Brian’s death wasn’t Runt’s goal he’s pretty content with that outcome. He’s a thoroughly unlikeable character but never actually does anything overt (probably due to sheer cowardice).
I last watched Barry Lyndon back when it came out in the theater, in 1977 or 1978. It’s one of only two movies that I’ve seen as an adult that I bawled like a baby at.
Remember the scene where the boy lays dying, and he asks his parents to stop their quarreling? Then the scene cuts to his funeral procession, with his little coffin borne along in the goat cart he used to drive. The music swells up loud.
I turned my head to my husband and lay my head on his shoulder, crying my eyes out. It just got to me big time.
Yeah this is like the 4th or 5th time watching it and I still cried when his son died.
Runt seemed to be mostly worried about losing his cushy job as the Lyndon family’s personal chaplain/tutor. He even says they don’t have to pay him so long as he gets to keep his free room and board. It’s only when he gets sacked that he decides to go and fetch Bullington. I don’t think he intentionally meant Brian to come to harm, not that he seems particularly torn up that he did. Barry was looking for someone to blame, and Runt was the one who was supposed to be watching his son. I feel like Runt was being more lazy than malicious. But a spoiled and strong willed boy like Brian probably ran off unsupervised all the time.
Runt was an interesting character, intelligent and dangerous, but also lazy and soft. He’s the one who leads directly to Barry’s downfall, and Barry could have bought him off with a spare bedroom and kitchen access. Slighting one’s employees can come back to bite one in the ass.