From the Equal Justice Initiative

Not a question of never forget. The imperative is to know and remember.

Equal Justice Initiative @eji_org

On this day in 1922, more than 1,000 white people lynched Arthur Young in Perry, Florida. No one was ever held accountable for the lynching. The mob also turned on the black community of Perry, burning several black-owned homes, a church, the Masonic hall, and a school.

For Sama - Devastating Syrian Documentary

Frontline Season 2019 Episode 19 | 1h 24m 18s

In a time of conflict and darkness in her home in Aleppo, Syria, one young woman kept her camera rolling — while falling in love, getting married, having a baby and saying goodbye as her city crumbled. The award-winning documentary unfolds as a love letter from filmmaker and young mother Waad al-Kateab to her daughter — Sama.

Tiananmen Redux

The end seems inevitable.  How will the world respond? 

The Eyes of Van Gogh

We are proud to have been included in this book -

The Encyclopedia of Best Films: A Century of All the Finest Movies - https://books.google.com › books

Jay Robert Nash - 2019 - ‎Performing Arts - Van Gogh, Theo (1857-1891; Theodorus Van Gogh; art dealer and younger brother ... 1990 (Martin Scorsese); The Eyes of Van Gogh, 2005 (Alexander Barnett; ...

Director's Notes King Lear Film Episode 13 Act 4, Scene 7

Watch the reconciliation scene on YouTube.

             Since arriving at the French camp Kent has told Cordelia of all the events that led to Lear’s madness.  She is amazed and horrified by his story.  Finally, as he finishes, Cordelia, overwhelmed with gratitude and awe for Kent’s heroism, devotion and loyalty, tries to find the words to convey her appreciation.

            The reconciliation scene is intensely personal.  Cordelia approaches the tent fraught with apprehension, reluctance and uncertainty. How will he respond to her?  Forgiving?  Vengeful? She has not seen him since he banished her. 

Need a Physical Therapist?

Recommending an outstanding physical therapist-Lisa Fisher-Little River Physical Therapy Alexandria, VA. Totally hands-on, caring, inventive, tireless and professional. You couldn't do better. #PhysicalTherapy

New Film Production Stills

There are new stills throughout the website for the film The Eyes of Van Gogh.  I hope you'll take a look.  www.theeyesofvangogh.com  Here are three of them.

Van Gogh (Alexander Barnett) listens as the people of Arles begin to taunt him

In a nightmare Vincent pleads with Theo (Gordon Joseph Weiss).

Dr. Peyron (Roy Thinnes) admits Vincent to the asylum.

Rescued baby rhino

YouTube Channel

There are some additions to my YouTube channel.  It includes videos and playlists from classical and contemporary films and plays.  

 I hope you'll take a look.

As Da Vinci

Some stills from a recent shoot as Leonardo Da Vinci.

 

Death Penalty Horror

Both the photos and the story are unspeakably horrifying.  This child's face will never leave my mind.

Pictures In History

September 23 at 10:00 AM ·

At age 14, George Stinney Jr. is the youngest person that has ever been sentenced to death in the United States. He was accused of killing two white girls back in 1944. Their bodies were found near the house where the teenager resided with his parents. 70 years later, his innocence was finally proven by a judge in South Carolina.

Contemporary Stage Clips

I have created a playlist from selected European and NY productions and rehearsals including Glengarry Glen Ross, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Stranger on the Earth.

 

Film Trailers Playlist

This is a playlist of trailers for The Eyes of Van Gogh, King Lear, and I Did Her Wrong.

Stills from Ira Wolf's Sunscreen

From the Ira Wolfe music video Sunscreen:

King Lear Film on YouTube

I have posted Episode 13 of my film of King Lear on YouTube as a teaser. http://bit.ly/Ep13KingLear

In this scene Lear is brought to Cordelia's tent. After a short respite, he is awakened. Though at first lost in confusion and shame, he finally recognizes Cordelia and they are reunited. To Kent's grief, Lear still does not recognize him fully.

King Lear in Episodes

The episodic version of my film King Lear is now streaming on Amazon US and Amazon UK.

                                                King Lear in Episodes

 

Watch Episode 1     

After 60 years as King, Lear commits the most fatal, consequential and disastrous act of his life.  

Watch Episode 2       

Failing to secure his fortune on the road, Edmund intends to steal his brother Edgar's inheritance and usurp his father Gloucester's authority, killing both if necessary.

Watch Episode 3       

Goneril decides the time is ripe to destroy her father's remaining power.  Lear reacts violently, precipitating the battle she wants.  Storming out to take refuge with Regan, he begins to understand how he wronged Cordelia, his youngest daughter.

Watch Episode 4        

Edgar, in disbelief, flees in terror when Edmund tells him their father, Gloucester, wants to have him killed.  Regan and Cornwall arrive at Gloucester's where Regan plans to meet her sister Goneril to plot Lear's total destruction.

Watch Episode 5       

Kent, serving Lear in disguise, arrives at Gloucester's.  Seeing Oswald, he is enraged and tries to kill him.  Stopped by Cornwall and protesting vehemently, he is put in the stocks.  Edgar, fleeing for his life, decides to become a beggar in disguise.

Watch Episode 6      

Arriving at Gloucester's Lear is enraged to find Kent stocked.  When Regan and Cornwall appear the confrontation builds as he attacks Cornwall.  It reaches its zenith after Goneril arrives. Lear rails against his daughters and is forced out into a wild storm, followed by Kent and Fool.

Watch Episode 7        

Kent, having lost Lear in the storm, searches desperately for him.  Lear, halfway to insanity, rails against nature, himself and all of mankind.  Kent finally convinces Lear to seek shelter against the fiercest storm he has ever seen.

Watch Episode 8       

Gloucester mistakenly confides to Edmund his support for Lear. In the storm Lear, Kent and Fool find Edgar disguised as a madman.  Lear's mind finally cracks and he befriends Edgar as a soul brother.  Amidst their ranting and raving Gloucester arrives to give them shelter. 

Watch Episode 9      

Edmund betrays Gloucester.  Lear, in his madness, puts Regan and Goneril on trial for their brutal behavior.  Gloucester is captured and endures Cornwall's revenge.

Watch Episode 10      

Edgar, in disguise, comes upon his blind father, who wants to die.  Now intimate, Goneril and Edmund plot Albany's demise.  During a brutal confrontation between Goneril and Albany a messenger tells of Gloucester's blinding and Cornwall's death.

Watch Episode 11     

Kent hears Cordelia has arrived with an army.  Learning Lear is at Dover in a state of madness, she orders a search for him.  Oswald defies Regan's demand to read Goneril's letter to Edmund.  She orders her guard to kill him but he escapes.

Watch Episode 12      

Staged by Edgar, Gloucester survives a suicide attempt.  Lear appears, totally mad.  After a grotesque, frightening scene he runs off pursued by Cordelia's search party.  Oswald tries to kill Gloucester, Edgar kills him and then finds Goneril's note to Edmund.

Watch Episode 13       

Lear is brought to Cordelia's tent.  After a short respite, he is awakened.  Though at first lost in confusion and shame, he finally recognizes Cordelia and they are reunited.  To Kent's grief, Lear still does not recognize him fully.

Watch Episode 14      

After assuring Regan he loves her, Edmund and Goneril plot to kill Albany and marry.  The British army defeats the French in battle.  Edgar takes Gloucester to a safe haven.  Lear and Cordelia are taken prisoner.  Edmund tells his captain to murder them. 

Watch Episode 15       

The evildoers fight among themselves.  Edgar appears and challenges Edmund to mortal combat.  Goneril poisons Regan and after Edmund is wounded fatally kills herself.  Kent wants to bid Lear good night.  Suddenly they see him in the distance carrying the dead Cordelia, utterly heartbroken.

The Rot of Corruption

 What is the best way to root out endemic, massive corruption. Is there any way? 

https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/07/12/africa-everyday-corruption-bribes-police-healthcare-education-identification/

The Rare Sighting of a Hero

 Janine di Giovanni is a great reporter with several books to her credit.  http://bit.ly/SierraLeone2000

Director’s Notes – Episode 2 of the film King Lear

Watch the scene.

            Failing to secure his fortune on the road, Edmund intends to steal his brother's inheritance and his father's authority, killing both if necessary. 

            Shakespeare presents problems in performing this scene.  In general, it needs editing, especially for Gloucester.  The point is made and made and made.  Edmund’s speech is too pat.  Everything in the scene is so convenient, so set-up.  Edmund finishes his speech just before Gloucester’s entrance.  Edgar enters after Edmund’s next long speech.

            The scene rarely works because Edmund is so certain of succeeding.  There is no sense of what is at stake here.  First, of course, is Edmund’s entire future-- either as the heir apparent or a wanderer with no prospects.  Second, we never get the sense that Edmund is putting his very life on the line.  If the scheme fails, if Gloucester doesn’t believe it, or insists on seeking Edgar out, or if Edgar is determined to seek out Gloucester, Edmund’s life is worth nil and he would have to abscond immediately – a pursued criminal.  Events must not unfold miraculously one after another.  Edmund must make things happen, but he assumes nothing.  He can’t possibly be certain how Gloucester, and then Edgar, will react.  Edgar finally flees in terror and disarray, but Edmund must sweat and earn Edgar’s flight.

Anthony Ray Hinton and The Sun Does Shine

This book is very difficult to read.   It is enraging, horrific, deeply depressing.  And yet, without having read it, I would have missed meeting this extraordinary individual.  So read it.  Be infuriated.  And get to know Anthony Ray Hinton.  And support the Equal Justice Initiative.

Driving Finish

A painting by my brother, the equine artist Robert Barnete, currently on display at Redmond Fine Art.

Driving Finish

Literary Rights

I'm pleased to announce that the Aura-Pont agency is handling the European rights for my work.  

Currently available: Still Life with Booze
For other titles visit http://www.alexanderbarnett.com/writingcredits.html

IMDb Update

Please visit to see new information on my film career.  http://bit.ly/AlexanderBarnettIMDb

Dear Southern States: Please secede from the Union.

A Supreme Court Reporter Defines the Threat to Abortion Rights

newyorker.com

Music video for Ira Wolf's "Sunscreen"

This is the only music video I've done and I enjoyed it very much.  With appreciation to Patrick Mason, Ian Reid and Paola Torres.

Article:Sunscreen

irawolfmusic.com

Producers: Ian Reid and Max Haben
Director: Patrick Mason
Cinematographer: Ian Reid

Starring:
Alexander Barnett
Paola Torres

Director’s Notes: The trial scene in the film King Lear.

Watch “the trial scene” – part of Episode 9.  

It has taken Lear and the others 20 minutes to travel through the storm to the hut.  Throughout that trek Lear’s mind is in constant flux.  More and more he is losing any sense of time and place.  However he always retains his awareness of being king and the terrible wrongs done him by Goneril and Regan.

Eric Michael Smith, Alexander Barnett

Invariably this scene is staged as three characters running amok, each in his own chaotic world, spewing nonsense and mindlessness for no real purpose but simply to be a chorus to Lear’s madness.  No.

Peter Holdway, Alexander Barnett

This scene marks the first time Lear hallucinates.  At the beginning of the scene his further mental decline is evident.  His fascination with Edgar is gone.  When Lear first sees Edgar in the storm his mind cracked and he was overwhelmed by guilt and empathy.  But here that is gone.  It is the second of three very different stages in his mental deterioration.  Now he is driven by vindictiveness and his focus is entirely on revenge.  In his mind everything he loved has turned against him, even his adoring dogs.  Betrayal overwhelms him.

Film Trailer: King Lear

The film, helmed by award-winning director Alexander Barnett, was released in the  United States , the  United Kingdom and Europe , Hong Kong, China (China Mobile Indie) and in  libraries  throughout the United States and Canada.  The 15 episode version of the film is also available worldwide.  Please visit the  FaceBook  page and the  IMDb  page.

Samurai Rebellion

To me, Masaki Kobayashi’s Samurai Rebellion is one of the three greatest films ever made; the others are Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai and Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal. 

Here’s why.  The story is superbly written and of profound importance.  Basically, it poses the question: how much injustice can a man of honor, integrity and courage withstand before he rebels?

There is neither a wasted word nor a wasted action.  It is beautifully directed.  The acting is uniformly excellent and Toshiro Mifune is truly astounding.  He was a consummate artist, easily the greatest film actor of the last century.  If this sounds like hyperbole, see his work in Rashomon, the Samurai Trilogy, Throne of Blood, The Rickshaw Man, Red Beard, as Cyrano, etc.  He had it all – imagination, charm, warmth, sensitivity, manliness, vitality, power, versatility, integrity, and most of all, passion and dignity.

One of the signal keys to great acting is the inner power and vitality that an actor emanates in his silent moments.  I call it intensity of repose.  It’s something you cannot fake.  Mifune had it to a far greater extent than any other actor I’ve ever seen.  Further, as Kurosawa said, “Mifune could show more variety and emotion in a shorter period of time than any actor I ever saw.”

I guarantee that if you are a basically a cynic, if you prefer naturalistic, everyday writing and acting, Samurai Rebellion is not for you.  But if you are an incurable romantic who believes that art should epitomize life and not simply copy it, if you long to see passionate steadfastness, complete moral honesty, an inability to compromise, and action based on principles, you will love this film.