Howl

Posted on: 4th March 2011  |

Director: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
Starring: James Franco, Jon Hamm, David Strathairn, Bob Balaban, Jeff Daniels
UK Release date: 25 February 2011
Certificate: 15 (85 mins)

In 1955 at the age of 29, Allen Ginsberg, famed poet of the Beat Generation, wrote his first and most famous published poem: Howl. This film by the same name is an exploration of the poem, its creation and the controversy surrounding it.

The story is told in a series of black-and-white and colour layers which weave together in an attempt to breathe life into the poem. The first layer is a portrayal of Ginsberg in his first public reading of Howl. The poem itself is made up of a series of images which are revealed in an animated interpretation. Throughout the film we are also treated to Ginsberg giving an interview about Howl, about his poetry and about his life and the influences surrounding the creation of Howl. The interview is peppered with old photographs and portrayals of episodes of Ginsberg’s life. The final layer is the obscenity trial regarding the poem’s publication.

All these layers come together in an exegesis of the poem. Howl is an intensely personal work, one which Ginsberg had not expected to publish and which, as he says, he would definitely not want his father to read. It is saturated with images of and references to events in his own life: his friends, his homosexuality, his mother’s mental illness and his own time in an asylum. And it is written in such a way that it can be difficult for the casual reader to access. It can be difficult, while being inundated with images, to pick out the meaning behind them. What this film does very well is to give the poem context and to enable the viewer to find a greater appreciation for the poem.

Context is given predominantly by the trial and by Ginsberg himself. The poem is replete with disturbing imagery, sexuality and crude language. Because there were those who considered such aspects unnecessary and therefore obscene, the publisher was prosecuted, and the ensuing trial focussed on determining the literary merit of the poem. The depiction of the trial comes dangerously close to a polemic on free speech and the hypocrisy of liberal societies which nevertheless feel it their duty to silence those who disagree or express themselves in a different way. Because of this, the film loses some of the force it might otherwise have had. The trial is very helpful, however, in aiding our understanding of the poem. 1950s America is not a place of which many of us have personal experience or one that is well enough known in popular culture for us to easily identify with. The trial consoles us, first of all, because we see that even at the time of its publication, Howl was an enigma to many people, and even those who are meant to understand poetry as a profession had difficulty appreciating its meaning and style. But then, gradually, through the testimonies of those who did understand and appreciate the poem and the message it tries to convey, the poem begins to take shape and become more tangible. Some of the lines are explained outright, but the significance of the testimonies, above all, is that they show us the great meaning behind what appeared to be nonsense and give us the confidence and courage to take a second, deeper look at the poem.

Greater context is also given to Howl through an interview with Ginsberg set at the time of the trial. Rather than being fed information documentary-style, we have a conversation with Ginsberg, who opens up to us and tells us about his poetry and his life.

James Franco is excellent as Ginsberg. Between the reading of the poem and the interview, Franco spends a large proportion of the film on screen by himself. The role is a huge responsibility and one which he handles well. He plays a likeable, charismatic Ginsberg, and his open and engaging manner during the interview draws us in and holds us. The weight of the film rests on his shoulders, and he carries it with ease.

As an exegetical work, the film is successful as it gives one a better understanding and appreciation of the poem which is its focus. The artistry of the film and its unique approach make it worth watching, but it does fail to engage in a way which we might expect. We are drawn into Ginsberg’s world but only so far, and the trial would be more absorbing if it were not for the overpowering sense of triteness which hangs over it. The film engages the intellect, but in reaching its audience on a more emotional level, Howl falls short.



Kristina Glicksman



 Visit this film's official web site




 

'Howl' Trailer HD

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