HOWL

"The Obscenity Trial That Started a Revolution. The Poem That Rocked a Generation."

One thing missing from this equation? paper

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked...

I love the poetry of Allen Ginsberg for numerous reasons, but the top 3 are:

1. His frank, stark honesty liberated an entire generation of writers.
2. Poems like Howl are written, as the name would suggest, to be exclaimed passionately and vigorously against "the man" (inner angel-headed hipster breaking out there...)
3. The poem America gave me license to use the word FUCK in a final Honours exam. UP YOURS SQA!

Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's Howl suggests an insightful study of the court case that shook up the boundaries of American literature for generations to follow. And it does so, neatly, concisely and, at times, humorously. 

The 1957 obscenity trial held against Ginsberg's publisher, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, for publishing such "gross, vulgar and offensive" language, highlights precisley what the audience need to know about the trial and not a stitch more.

The reason being that this is without doubt an academic study of Ginsberg himself: his inspirations, anxieties and motivation to write. From the mental illness of his mother and close friend, Carl Solomon, to his unrequited love of fellow Beat writer, Jack Kerouac, and the difficulty he had embracing an openly homosexual life - this tells all. 

But this ain't no linear flashback depiction. The narrative skips between documentary style interviews, animation, courtroom transcriptions and archival footage...yet somehow, quite miraculously, it works creating an engaging insight into an intensely troubled, but open, mind. 

Trippy, dudddeeee

From the hallucinatory animations to the coffee house readings, the poem pulses steadily throughout the film, carrying the story with it, in an almost rhythmic way; moments of poetic darkness are subtley complimented by troubled insight into Ginsberg's motivation to write that particular stanza.

Smart-bespeckled park smuggery - the perfect Autumnal past-time

And who better to play a poet renowned for his frankness - why James Franco, of course! (sorry, that was painful) And he does not fail to impress - his performance is outstanding. Regardless as to your familiarity with Ginsberg's work, he clearly gives a moving and convincing portrayal of a conflicted young writer. For those of you familiar with Ginsberg's style and mannerisms, you will be suitably impressed with Franco's commitment to the role. He does not miss a beat (again, apologies!)

Any excuse for some unashamed Don Draper action

Jon Hamm makes a relatively small, but notable, appearance as Ferlinghetti's defence lawyer in the courtroom scenes, and Jeff Daniels, makes a similar small splash as an amusingly contradictory professor of English Literature.

To an audience with little interest in the "Beat generation" this may appear to be a somewhat self-indulgent ode to an ode, and to them I say perhaps sit this one out.

But to everyone else I say watch, enjoy and prepare to feel impassioned.




"Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness!" Allen Ginsberg