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.

King Lear on Set

Some behind the scenes shots.

                                 TRAILER

Death of a Salesman: Director’s Notes

Alexander Barnett on Death of a Salesman

Thematic Content and Structure

This is not the story of a salesman; it is the story of Willy Loman, who just happened to be a salesman. This is not the story of Everyman. Willy’s passion, love and drive go way beyond the norm. Perhaps most people will relate to Willy, be moved by him and, most important, think, contemplate and learn from his life and his mistakes.

Willy, like Eddie Carbone in Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge, demands to be “totally known”. Like Eddie, he could never settle for half. He must attempt everything even if it means ending up with nothing. He will risk his very life to achieve his “due”, what he considers his rightful status. As Arthur Miller says, “The commonest of men may take on that [tragic stature] to the extent of his willingness to throw all he has into the contest, the battle to secure his rightful place in the world.” Of course, this willingness automatically removes him from being the commonest of men.

Introducing King Lear on Facebook

I thought you might be interested in taking a look at this page: https://www.facebook.com/KingLearFilm/?ref=settings

Director’s Notes – Episode 5 King Lear

Watch the Scene

There’s tension, intrigue, distrust and anticipation throughout the country.  An imminent civil war is brewing. 

Oswald left Goneril’s at 4:30 in the morning and Kent (Caius) left 15 mins later.  They’ve traveled many hours and they’ve traveled hard.  They’re exhausted. They’ve gone sleepless this past night.  They arrive at 5:00 am.  It’s late Nov so it’s cold and dark.  Regan and Cornwall have just retired.  We know from the opening scene that Kent is a close friend of Gloucester’s so obviously he’s been to Gloucester’s castle before and knows his way around.  

Since Oswald doesn’t know where to set his horses he obviously hasn’t been here before and there’s no reason why he should have. 

Since Oswald never would have gotten a good look at Caius (Kent in disguise) in the third scene and since it’s dark, there’s no reason he’d recognize him now.  Kent, though, would certainly recognize Oswald, simply by his voice.  In his pursuit of Oswald he has unwittingly worked himself into a rage.  What creates even greater outrage is that he thinks Oswald does know who he is.

Still Life with Booze

I've written a new one-act comedy.

Cast of Characters for  Still Life with Booze

Paris - 1887

Paul Gauguin:  Intelligent, virile, domineering and sarcastic, a born leader with an outrageous sense of humor.

Toulouse Lautrec:  A man of remarkable psychological insight and abundant goodwill toward his devoted friend.  He is understanding, witty, gay, lively and outstandingly original.

Camille Pissarro:  Warm, intelligent, emotional and virtually ageless.  Generous to a fault, he has no regard for material things.

Shakespeare Magazine Issue 15

Links are live here

Lear and His Daughters - Character Notes

Some director's thoughts on the characters of Lear, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia.

Lear is a man of massive emotions, uncontrollable passions, dictatorial, uncompromising, magnificently charismatic, a brilliant politician, an iron-fisted leader, totally opinionated, egotistical, dogmatic, and overbearing.  He inspires in some enormous love, devotion, respect and loyalty; in others, loathing and contempt.

Goneril is utterly ruthless, totally compulsive, paranoid, devious, vitriolic.  She is never at peace, never satisfied,

Another terrible nomination.

 William Barr helped establish mass incarceration. Now Trump wants him as attorney general.

Judge Says Federal Law Against Female Genital Mutilation Violates U.S. Constitution

The Federal government should protect the inherent right of individuals to control what is done with/to their own bodies.  Including children who should not be forced into something that will affect the rest of their lives.  That goes beyond which government entity has jurisdiction over crimes.  The remaining 26 states who have not yet criminalized this disgusting practice need to do so NOW. 

It is estimated that more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation in the countries where the practice is concentrated.  There are an estimated 3 million girls at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation every year.  We should not be part of this.

 https://www.npr.org/2018/11/21/669945997/judge-says-federal-law-against-female-genital-mutilation-violates-u-s-constituti

Greatly recommend Radley Balko's blog and books.

This one is an excellent indictment of both the moral hazard and perverse incentives of privatizing the criminal justice system - an area of governance that is a true responsibility of government.

About this website

washingtonpost.com|By Radley Balko

Opinion | Georgia’s privatized probation and parole system isn’t working

Stills from Ira Wolf's Sunscreen

From the Ira Wolfe music video Sunscreen:

New photo

Investigation Discovery

Here are some photos from A Doe in the Woods, an episode of the television series "Who Killed Jane Doe?"  I played real life murderer Ralph Penrod.

 

 

The Eyes of Van Gogh: Director's Statement

My film, The Eyes of Van Gogh, is a story, never told before, about the 12 months Vincent van Gogh spent in the insane asylum at St. Remy.  It is a film about his brother, Theo van Gogh (Gordon Joseph Weiss) and about Vincent and Paul Gauguin (Lee Godart) in the Yellow House in Arles.  It is a film about painters and artists, Impressionists and Post-Impressionists.  Most important, it is a film about madness; a film of obsession. 

After the disastrous months spent with Gauguin in the yellow house in Arles, Vincent van Gogh, in desperate search of a cure from attacks that increasingly plague him, voluntarily enters an insane asylum in the town of St. Remy 10 miles from the Yellow House. Van Gogh, portrayed by Alexander Barnett, entrusts himself to the care of Dr. Peyron, played by Roy Thinnes.   

On the anniversary of Van Gogh's death

Vincent van Gogh: "I want to paint action. I want to paint life. I want to show the soul in nature - - the nobility in man.  But no one will ever know.  It's all wasted. Wasted. Wasted."

Why would anyone question Shakespeare's relevance?

Poor naked wretches, whereso'er you are,
That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm,
How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides,
Your looped and windowed raggedness, defend you

Alexander Barnett as Lear and Eric Michael Smith as Edgar

Best Picture Nomination

I Did Her Wrong has been nominated for Best Picture by the Stockholm Independent Film Festival. 

I'm very pleased.   I Did Her Wrong (Filmscript Co-Screenwriter)  

Thoughts on Hunting

The Japanese call it cultural heritage. So, too, the Eskimos who hunt whales. I think anyone who claims to be a civilized human being should call it barbaric. And that includes sport hunting and the slaughter of animals so we can wear their skins or eat their flesh.

Considering Those in Desperate Need of Relief

Critical thinking and risk assessment needed urgently.  This country always overreacts.  https://www.statnews.com/2018/03/06/cms-rule-limits-opioid-prescriptions/

New Nomination for I Did Her Wrong

I Did Her Wrong is nominated for "Best Picture" at the Philadelphia Independent Film Awards.

 

I Did Her Wrong - Official International Trailer

Writing Credits

Racial Profiling

No one living in this country who is not a criminal should be living in fear of the police. It is disgusting. It won't stop without a torrent of public outrage.

THE WHY OF SHAKESPEARE?

Frequently I see posed the question: “Is Shakespeare important and relevant to our modern world?” followed by its concomitant: “If so, why?”

So long as human beings survive, Shakespeare’s importance and relevance is timeless because:

I DID HER WRONG at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival

My film (along with co-writer Francisco Campos-Lopez) had received three nominations.

Starring Catalina Lavalle and Alexander Barnett

" a muscularity of language and overwhelming emotionalism that is uncommon in Lear films".

This is a review of my film of King Lear from Kurt Daw at PlayShakespeare.com

Exposing Layer upon Layer of Moral Rot

Afghan Pedophiles Get Free Pass From U.S. Military, Report Says

Image

A former Special Forces officer, Capt. Dan Quinn, was relieved of his command and pulled from Afghanistan after fighting with an Afghan militia commander for keeping a boy as a sex slave.CreditKirsten Luce for The New York Times

By Rod Nordland

Jan. 23, 2018

On 5,753 occasions from 2010 to 2016, the United States military reported accusations of “gross human rights abuses” by the Afghan military, including many examples of child sexual abuse. If true, American law required military aid to be cut off to the offending unit.

Not once did that happen.

I urge anyone who cares about justice to read this. It was written 41 years ago but believe me, it's as timely as ever.

Perfect statement from Iris Murdoch

Shakespeare's people, enduring individuals known all over the world, are like icons, secure inhabitants of an art which comprehends human nature from its deepest evil to its highest good, together with its funniness, its happiness & its beauty.

 -Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals