Howlis a 2010 American film which explores both the 1955Six Gallery debutandthe 1957 obscenity trialof 20th-century American poetAllen Ginsberg's noted poem "Howl".The film is written and directed byRob EpsteinandJeffrey Friedmanand starsJames Francoas Ginsberg.
| Howl | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Rob Epstein Jeffrey Friedman |
| Written by | Rob Epstein Jeffrey Friedman |
| Produced by | Rob Epstein Jeffrey Friedman Elizabeth Redleaf Christine Walker Gus Van Sant Jawal Nga |
| Starring | James Franco David Strathairn Jon Hamm Bob Balaban Alessandro Nivola Treat Williams Jon Prescott Aaron Tveit Mary-Louise Parker Jeff Daniels |
| Cinematography | Edward Lachman |
| Edited by | Jake Pushinsky Stan Webb (animation) |
| Music by | Carter Burwell |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Oscilloscope Laboratories |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,183,258[1] |
Plot
editHowlexplores the life and works of 20th-century American poet,Allen Ginsberg.Constructed in anonlinearfashion, the film juxtaposes historical events with a variety ofcinematic techniques.It reconstructs theearly life of Ginsberg during the 1940s and 1950s.It also re-enacts Ginsberg's debut performance of "Howl"at theSix Gallery Readingon October 7, 1955 in black-and-white.[2]The reading was the first important public manifestation of theBeat Generationand helped to herald the West Coast literary revolution that became known as theSan Francisco Renaissance.[3]In addition, parts of the poem are interpreted through animated sequences. Finally, these events are juxtaposed with color images of the1957 obscenity trialof San Francisco poet andCity Lights Bookstoreco-founder,Lawrence Ferlinghetti,who was the first person to publish "Howl" inHowl and Other Poems.
Cast
edit- James FrancoasAllen Ginsberg,a central figure of theBeat Generation[4]
- Aaron TveitasPeter Orlovsky,fellow poet and Ginsberg's life partner for over forty years[5]
- Jon HammasJake Ehrlich,Ginsberg's prominent defense attorney, whose slogan was "Never plead guilty" and whose life inspired the TV seriesPerry Mason[6]
- David Strathairnas Ralph McIntosh, prosecuting attorney[7]
- Alessandro Nivolaas Luther Nichols, literary critic/book editor of theSan Francisco Chronicleand defense witness
- Mary-Louise Parkeras Gail Potter, radio personality and prosecution witness[8]
- Bob Balabanas Judge Clayton W. Horn[9]
- Jeff Danielsas Professor David Kirk[10]
- Jon PrescottasNeal Cassady[11]
- Treat WilliamsasMark Schorer[12]
- Todd Rotondi asJack Kerouac
- Andrew Rogers asLawrence Ferlinghetti[13]
Production
editPrincipal photography of the film took place inNew York City.[14]Animation was produced by John Hays, Monk Studios, and designed byEric Drooker,a former street artist who had collaborated with Ginsberg on his final book of poetry,Illuminated Poems.[15]
Reception
editCritical response
editHowlreceived an overall approval rating of 63% from critics atRotten Tomatoes,based on 105 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "James Franco gives it his all as beat poet Allen Ginsberg, butHowlnever develops enough of a focus to do his performance justice. "[16]OnMetacritic,the film had an average score of 63 out of 100, based on 24 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[17]
Roger Ebertgave the film three stars and stated that actor James Franco portraysAllen Ginsbergwith "restraint and care."[18]David Edelstein ofNew Yorkmagazine noted that "Since theSundanceopening of James Franco's take on Allen Ginsberg inHowl,I'd heard the movie was howlingly bad — which makes me think that some of the best critical minds of my generation have been destroyed by cynicism. The film... is an exhilarating tribute from one form (cinema) to another (poetry). It takes Ginsberg's momentous, paradigm-changing poem as its launching pad and landing place; its beginning, middle, and end. You could call it a deconstruction except that sounds too formal. It's a celebration, an analysis, a critical essay, an ode. "[19]A.O. Scott of theNew York Timesnoted that"'Howl' is an exemplary work of literary criticism on film, explaining and contextualizing its source without deadening it. "[20]Damien Magee of702 ABC Sydneygave the film three and a half stars out of five and argued that "James Franco is, in a word, perfect" in the role of Ginsberg. Whilst Magee expressed misgivings about the film's tone, he insists that "there is more than enough that is truly great aboutHowlfor me to recommend it highly ".[21]Mick LaSalleof theSan Francisco Chroniclefound it to be a film of "passion and ambition" but also suggested that its "success is intermittent at best."[22]
Criticism
editDismay has been expressed that a characterization ofShig Muraowas left out of the film. According to his biographer, Patricia Wakida, Murao was "the one who was actually arrested by the San Francisco police for sellingHowland actually goes to jail. Ginsberg was inTangierand Ferlinghetti was inBig Sur.Shig was the one who took the fall ".[23][24]
Accolades
edit- Won:Central Ohio Film Critics Association - Actor of the Year, James Franco (2011)
- Won:National Board of Review, USA- Freedom of Expression Award (2010)
- Nominated: International Cinephile Society Awards - Best Animated Film (2011)
- Nominated:GLAAD Media Awards- Outstanding Film - Limited Release (2011)
- Nominated:Berlin International Film Festival- Golden Berlin Bear (2010)
- Nominated:Sundance Film Festival- Grand Jury Prize (2010)
- Nominated:World Soundtrack Awards- Soundtrack Composer of the Year (2010)
- Nominated:Dorian Awards- Performance of the Year, James Franco (2010)[25]
See also
edit- Walter Van T. Clark,author prominently featured in newspaper clipping
- The Source-The 1999 documentary aboutthe Beat Generation
- United States in the 1950s
References
edit- ^"Howl".Box Office Mojo.Retrieved6 September2012.
- ^Shen, Lorrayne (September 24, 2010)."'Howl' filmmakers talk youth culture, James Franco ".The Tufts Daily.Epstein, Bob; Friedman, Jeffrey. Archived fromthe originalon Apr 29, 2014.
- ^The readings by the other four Six Gallery poets are not recreated in the film.
- ^"Indie studio Werc Werk Works to produce 'Howl' with James Franco".MonstersAndCritics.com. Archived fromthe originalon October 2, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 20,2009.
- ^"Catch him if you can: These are busy times for actor Aaron Tveit".PaperMag.com.RetrievedApril 24,2009.
- ^"Jon Hamm puts on legal briefs for 'Howl'".Cinematical.com.RetrievedMarch 25,2009.
- ^"David Strathairn Interview".MovieBlog.Ugo.com.RetrievedMay 5,2009.
- ^"Mary-Louise Parker joins the exceptional cast of 'Howl'".FilmSchoolRejects.com. Archived fromthe originalon September 11, 2008.RetrievedSeptember 10,2008.
- ^"Jon Hamm rounds out final all-star cast of 'Howl'".WercWerkWorks.com.RetrievedMarch 24,2009.
- ^"Allen Ginsberg biopic, 'Howl', gets stellar cast and crew".BuzzSugar.com. Archived fromthe originalon October 3, 2009.RetrievedSeptember 9,2008.
- ^"Howl In Postproduction".werkwerkwerks.com.RetrievedOctober 10,2009.
- ^"James Franco's Allen Ginsberg @ 'Howl'--1st look".ReserveResult.com. 9 June 2009.RetrievedJune 9,2009.
- ^"Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet and activist, dies at 101".Politico.23 February 2021.
- ^McNary, Dave (February 19, 2009)."Werk Works to produce 'Howl'".Variety.Reed Business Information.Archivedfrom the original on Apr 29, 2009.RetrievedJune 19,2010.
- ^D'Andrade, Hugh (Feb 1, 2011)."Eric Drooker – The Art of Animating HOWL".Laughing Squid.
- ^"Howl".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango Media.RetrievedMarch 20,2018.
- ^"Howl".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.RetrievedOctober 4,2010.
- ^"Howl Movie Review & Film Summary".Roger Ebert.September 29, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon Feb 22, 2014.
- ^Edelstein, David (2010-09-27)."Movie Review:HowlIs an Exhilarating Trip Back in Time ".Vulture.
- ^Scott, A. O. (23 September 2010)."Leaping Off the Page, a Beatnik's Poetic Rant (Published 2010)".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-06-16.
- ^"'Howl'(ing) at the SFF ".Blogs.ABC.net.au. Archived fromthe originalon March 25, 2012.RetrievedApril 6,2010.
- ^San Francisco Chronicle Film Review
- ^"Murao Is Missing: Bookseller Left Out of 'Howl' Movie".Archived fromthe originalon 2010-10-09.Retrieved2011-03-04.
- ^Not forgetting Shig
- ^HOWL Awards
Further reading
edit- Fish, Stanley."Literary Criticism Comes to the Movies."New York Times,October 4, 2010.
- Kellogg, Carolyn. "Reading 'Howl' at 'Howl'."Los Angeles Times,October 2, 2010.
- McCracken, Kristin. "Film & Literature: HOWL."Huffington Post,September 30, 2010.
- Seltzer, Sarah. "Howls of Anger, and of Liberation."The Nation,September 29, 2010.