"Howl" - The Film

This is sheerly brilliant film-making by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman.  They have taken the transcript of the obscenity trial of publisher-bookseller Lawrence Ferlinghetti for the publishing and sale of Allen Ginsberg's poem, "Howl," and interwoven it with excerpts from the poem and selections from Ginsberg's own autobiographical recollections.  That means every word in the film apparently is either by Ginsberg himself or from the transcript of the trial.  Interweaving these textual sources, they have presented scenes from the trial, Ginsberg reading the poem from manuscript in a nightclub setting prior to its publication, and Ginsberg being interviewed in his apartment, speaking his recollections into a tape recorder.  These are the sources for the words in the film.

From this description, it might sound boring or static, but it is exactly the opposite because of what you see on the screen as this is unfolding.  The trial scenes are staged as trial scenes, with excellent actors depicting the prosecutor, defense attorney, judge and witnesses, and spectators.  The staging of Ginsberg's reading of his poem in the nightclub, is absolutely gripping and absorbing.  The interview in Ginsberg's apartment is not static because he moves around from time to time as he speaks and the camera moves around when he is sitting, and from time to time what he is saying is illustrated with black & white staging of what he is describing.  In addition, and intercut with the readings of the poem, are brilliantly colorful animations of images from the poem itself.

The animations may be the most controversial part of the production, and have taken hits from some critics already.  Perhaps the critics are not understanding the vital function of these animations.  When one is reading a potentially difficult poem, one can read at one's own pace, stop and re-read, stop and think, and form images in one's mind generated by the words on the page.  But a viewer of the film does not have this luxury. The poem is being read to you aloud in real time - in sequential bits - by Ginsberg in the nightclub, with occasional quotes from it in the "interview", and of course bits are read and chewed over during the trial scenes.  But the filmmakers need to help those viewers who are unacquainted with the poem and who are having these words thrown at them for the first time -- and I think the animations really help the viewer in finding his or her way through Ginsberg's tangled verses.  Do the animations unduly simplify the verse and fix it with only one of many possible meanings?  Of course.  (And the point of multiple meanings is well made through some of the expert testimony in the trial scenes.)  But in the context it is necessary and effective for the film experience.

James Franco is at the center of all this, depicting Ginsberg over a period of several years, from his early 20s through to his early 30s, as the film cuts back and forth between the nightclub reading, the interview, and the scenes depicting earlier experiences that he is describing in the interview.  (There is no separate verbal soundtrack for these flashback scenes - one sees them like silent home movies with Ginsberg narrating them.)  Franco really inhabits the character, channels him totally, and has you believing in him fully.  It is at once a virtuoso performance and a selfless one, as he has transformed himself through appearance and gesture into the somewhat nerdy, very needy young Ginsberg.

Everybody else is terrific as well.  Jon Hamm as the defense attorney is absolutely first rate - the ad man can play a defense lawyer just fine, and he delivers his summation brilliantly.  David Strathairn projects just the right sense of determined moral outrage at the sexual imagery of Ginsberg's poem, and as well reflects towards the end of the trial the understanding that what he is doing is putting him on the wrong side of history.  Bob Balaban as the judge is appropriately poker-faced and does a fine job of reading the judge's verdict from the bench.  The witnesses are wonderful - I was especially taken with Jeff Daniels as a particularly slippery example of the species of literary expert witness.  In silent parts, various handsome young men wonderfully impersonate the important men in Ginsberg's life - Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady, and Peter Orlovsky, his life partner.

The cinematography, editing, music .... everything combines to really gripping effect.  And I can't imagine a better film to help explain to a general audience what First Amendment protection for artistic speech is all about.  This film should be shown in colleges and law schools as part of the curriculum once it's finished with its theatrical run.  (Perhaps the language is a bit sexually explicit for high schools, but these days.... who knows?)

Serious films of this nature tend not to have long theatrical runs, but I think it contributes to the experience to see it in a theater with other people, so I urge people in major cities where the thing is likely to be shown to see it without delay.  But it will also be an excellent experience on DVD or streaming when that becomes available.  The important thing is to see it.  Anybody who cares about artistic expression, or the gay experience -- especially the "coming out to oneself" experience -- of the 1950s, or just great acting and filmmaking, owes it to themself to see this film.  And if there is justice in the world, there should be some Oscar nominations for this film, in a variety of categories - not least, Mr. Franco.

Comments

[Alan Masters]

I completely agree with your enthusiastic review of this exceptional movie. We saw it in a packed cinema at the NZ film festival back in July. It was the highlight of the festival, although I also adored " I love you Philip Morris'

[Art Leonard]

Unfortunately, "I Love You, Philip Morris" hasn't opened in the US yet. It took them some time to find a distributor. I understand it is to open soon, and it is certainly on my list.

[Ali Zeminsky]

This film was absolutely one of the most fabulous films I've seen to date. Without the animation I would have had trouble understanding Allen's poetry. With it I understood his pain and felt it with him.