Product Details

• Actors: Roy Thinnes, Lee Godart, Keith Perry, Gordon Joseph Weiss, Alexander Barnett
• Directors: Alexander Barnett
• Writers: Alexander Barnett
• Producers: Ashley March, Marcia Mohuiddin
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: All Regions
• Studio: CreateSpace
• DVD Release Date: September 4, 2007
• Run Time: 111 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000VPR7FA
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #108,436 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Eyes of Van Gogh" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful portrait of Van Gogh, May 25, 2008

By 

Jennifer Rowland "ICANREAD!" (Ogden,Utah) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Eyes of Van Gogh (DVD)

I have been obsessed with Van Gogh, since I first laid eyes on his originals in L.A.. Prints of his work just don't show the awe inspiring life force that emanates from his paintings.

" Through the Eyes of Van Gogh" is a sensitive and intense work of art in itself. It achieves an externalization of Van Gogh's internal struggles of trying to make a living, trying to relate to others, trying to hold on to his unique vision of art and his brave battle with mental illness, all of which he felt he failed at, at the time of his suicide.

I feel this film brilliantly achieves looking through the eyes of Van Gogh, by focusing on his time in the mental hospital with the addition of flashbacks to pivotal points in his life. The writer, who is also the actor who portrays Vincent, has created a portrait of Van Gogh that is as palpable as his paintings.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nine opinions from Imdb.com ratings., January 31, 2008

By 

Ashley March - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Eyes of Van Gogh (Amazon Instant Video)

Author: sayitwithmusic from United States

History tells us that Van Gogh, like many artists, was a very intense and troubled personality. Barnett takes us into the heart and mind of the man in a way that causes us to empathize afresh with his feelings and struggles. Barnett the film-maker deliberately refrains from any cutting from one camera to another, enhancing the viewer's being drawn into the world as viewed from Van Gogh's perspective. The score is also effective in painting an aural picture of what is going on inside the artist's mind. In this film we see Van Gogh, not just as a troubled soul, but as a sensitive and caring person who never quite found the way to break free of the demons from his past that haunted him up to the end of his life. Barnett's portrayal of Van Gogh is both believable and engaging. Despite the film's length of almost two hours, it holds the viewer's attention and moves the heart.

A haunting and emotionally draining experience, but a must see., 6 March 2007

Author: jstachelek from United States

Having seen some of Barnett's earlier work on stage in N.Y., I was more than familiar with the depth and breadth of his ability as an actor and director; how seemingly effortlessly he brings each of his characters to life. I was fully prepared to be equally moved by his interpretation and portrayal of Vincent van Gogh. I knew that Barnett could be electrifying on stage and I was curious to see how his energy would translate on film.

Nothing, however, prepared me for the emotional shock I experienced by his haunting rendering of the most tortured months in the life of van Gogh. The intensity that Barnett brought to this role can only be described as "insane." One can but imagine the years of research and total immersion into the life of van Gogh it must have required to be able to portray with such shocking clarity what was in van Gogh's heart and mind during this brief period of time. Another commenter describes Barnett's performance as, "as close to insanity as you will ever get." I agree.

The film is not highly polished in the typical sense. The lighting is poor at times, the sets and scenery drab, and while I know nothing about film editing, I found some of the flashbacks unnecessarily confusing. These perceived flaws could be due to budget constraints, but knowing something of Barnett's work, I tend to think there is some intention on his part. The overall effect is that the viewer experiences the bleakness that is Vincent's life at the time. At times in the film, what is reality and what is only in van Gogh's tortured and clouded mind is as indistinguishable to the viewer as it is to Vincent, making the viewing experience all the more haunting and disquieting. An amazing feat, whether intentional or not.

The essence of van Gogh, 27 February 2007

Author: paulhodgson-1 from United States

The viewer who has not encountered Mr. Barnett's work before may at first feel some disorientation, even shock, at the style and emotional intensity of this award-winning movie. The realization may grow, moving into it minute by minute, that what Barnett has done in his own artistic venue is in many ways comparable to what Vincent did in his -- transforming the artist's own clear perception of reality and life (in this case, Vincent's) into forms strikingly different from any seen in that venue before. This is not the kind of commercialized, mundanely Hollywood-slick film making that we are used to, which I find so often boring, in the end. I'd say to those who would be disappointed by that: look elsewhere.

Having had the pleasure of seeing some of Barnett's early work in NY on stage -- Miller and Shakespeare at their best, in my book -- I did not require a period of readjustment of expectation and perception. (At age 33, he did the best King Lear I have ever seen.) What challenged me, in a very positive way, was the complexity and nuance of compressing Vincent's life story, spirit, and values into the remarkably short format of a 111-minute run time. Having known Vincent's story as of decades ago, but not having read the letters of Vincent and Theo, I found it difficult to approach this work with a pristine eye or ear. Would the naive viewer quite understand the context of this or that event (say, the Borinage time), etc? And would the unavoidable constraints of a low budget production detract from the essential experience and value of the work? Impossible for me to know, and anyway, I'm no film critic.

I can say that I have it on good authority that the script remains true to the van Gogh letters, and the portrayal certainly remains uniquely true to Vincent's spirit and work. As film making (his first feature work), it uses the full palette, visually and emotionally. My advice: do not view it casually. That would be a waste.

Nota Bene: Roy Thinnes is so very Peyron. (I really enjoyed his role in X Files, too.) All said and done -- 9 stars. It will sadden me if we don't see more of Barnett on film, as it does that we don't have some earlier work on film.

As close to insanity as you'll ever want to get, 24 February 2007

Author: AlwaysRomantic from United States

The legend of Van Gogh haunts the ages. What, we wonder, was behind those images. What did Vincent SEE??? The Eyes of Van Gogh will take you there - if you can learn to "paint the air".

Van Gogh wanted to push art beyond visual reality. He wanted to paint the air that we could sense but not see. He wanted to paint emotion. But his insanity stole reality from him. He couldn't tell what was real and what was a distortion of real. He fought the distortion with all his strength. He tried to capture reality by surrounding it with color. The distortions fought back, stealing his art equipment, surrounding him with darkness.

Alexander Barnett will take you into this fight - I said, take YOU INTO this fight. It's as close to insanity as you'll ever want to get.

An intense and haunting portrayal of Vincent Van Gogh as only Barnett can deliver., 11 May 2007

Author: p_pellecchia from United States

This movie will stir your soul. Barnett draws us in, leaving us emotionally drained, as he brings to life Vincent's struggles and what must have been his tortured state of mind during those dark years. We are immersed into Vincent's mind.

Also noteworthy, Roy Thinnes'performance as Dr. Peyron.

I thought the sets and costuming were too drab but that did not deter from the, at times, riveting performances on screen.

All in all, this is a noteworthy work. Hope to see more of Barnett on film. He comes across as well on film as he does on stage.

Would love to see some of his earlier work come alive on the screen.

An intimate, but explosive film., 17 November 2007

Author: salliejames from France

I was truly astonished to see what can be accomplished with a low budget combined with obvious passion and commitment. I have always been a great fan of Roy Thinnes and was delighted to be able to see him again. There have been a couple of films about van Gogh. This one, I believe, captures him more truly and believably than any other I have seen. His torment is palpable and fully understandable. This film is about what happens when extraordinary people are for whatever reason unable to fully realize all of their potential. And yet, despite all, they must persevere. An outstanding performance by Alexander Barnett, who also wrote the screenplay.

startling, unflinching, and profound, 30 October 2007

Author: graywing4 from United States

Mr. Barnett's ability to move us directly into the anguished reality of the genius who was Vincent Van Gogh is startling, unflinching, and profound.

He reflects to us the inexorable tragedy brought on by the deeply flawed relationship between the Van Gogh brothers, compounded by the confusion and bitter poverty of being unseen by his peers, misconstrued by the world at large. Yet no one was more in touch with the blazing pulse of creation than this tormented man, whose transcendent work has touched us all.

To be confronted with such a life, and such a film, is not for the faint of heart; like Van Gogh's restless and fiery art, Barnett's script is uncomproA superb character study, 29 October 2007

Author: klear-1 from United States

Before I saw this film, I read about the making of the film and what the director was trying to accomplish. I cannot recall another film about a real person that captured so totally what it might have felt like to be that person and to understand what drove him. I recommend this film to anyone interested in film as an incredible medium for character study. Perhaps this can best, if not only, be accomplished by writer/directors like Ingmar Bergman. In this instance, Alexander Barnett as writer/director/actor has also succeeded beautifully in reincarnating Vincent van Gogh as a being compelled to work, to express himself and his thoughts, to live fully - not as a victim, but heroic in his battle to survive.

mising -- and his acting powerful

Intense and enlightening, 14 June 2007

Author: jlasko from United States

Some movies are entertaining. Others are an experience. Alexander Barnett's Van Gogh biopic definitely falls into the latter category. Far from "guilty pleasure" fare, "The Eyes of Van Gogh" is a skillful and passionate portrayal of a talented yet tortured artist. This movie will educate you about the world of this struggling genius, even as it compels you to feel compassion for Van Gogh in his sad state. Competition, debt, insanity, rejection--all of these themes swirl Vincent's reality much like the colors in his paintings...you'll be relieved to view reality for yourself again at the end. But if you let it, the movie may remind you of all you have to be grateful for, and even challenge you to look at your own life through slightly different eyes.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Eyes of Van Gogh, October 15, 2010

By 

Nate F - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Eyes of Van Gogh (DVD)

A remarkably sincere, honest, HUMAN insight into the pain Van Gogh endured. There's something humble and heartfelt about Alexander Barnett's performance that seems to me to be the most realistic portrayal of Van Gogh I have yet seen.