Barry Levinson on ‘The Survivor’

Larry weighs in on Dave Chappelle and Roe v. Wade. He’s then joined by Academy Award winning director Barry Levinson to discuss his new HBO biopic The Survivor and they begin by talking about how the film deals with and depicts the post-traumatic stress syndrome of a Holocaust survivor. (15:00) They then pivot to Ben Foster’s preparation for the title role of Jewish boxer Harry Haft and the incredible mental and physical conditioning he undertook to get the most out of his performance. (22:06) Next, Barry explains the importance of maintaining credibility and authenticity as a filmmaker when making a movie of such a serious and historic nature.(27:12) They then discuss the importance of the theatre in today’s streaming culture and why movies about the Holocaust still hold so much relevance.(45:43) Barry ends the pod with an amazing story about how a chance encounter with a soon-to-be infamous criminal and a small acting group in Los Angeles kick-started his prolific career in show business.(1:01:24)

Host: Larry Wilmore
Guest: Barry Levinson
Producer: Chris Sutton

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