Howl: movie review
by Kristina Glicksm, speroforum.com
March 4th 2011
Howl
Director: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
Starring: James Franco, Jon Hamm, David Strathairn, Bob Balaban, Jeff Daniels
Length: 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.
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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 writes for ThinkingFaith.org
Visit this film's official web site: http://howlthemovie.com/
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