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Howl

The beat of the countercultureBy John DeSando, WCBE's "It's Movie Time," "Cinema Classics," and "On the Marquee"

"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn." Allen Ginsberg, "Howl"

Starting with his readings in 1955 and publication of the game-changing poem, Howl, in 1957, Allen Ginsberg was one of the best minds of his generation. His frankness about his homosexuality and muscular, free-associational diction made him a poetic icon and ripe for the trial of his publisher, Lawrence Ferlinghetti (Andrew Rogers), on charges of obscenity.

Directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, helped no doubt by producer, director himself, and gay avatar Gus Van Sant, capture through the restrained performance of James Franco, the energy and vision of the most famous beat poet of all time, one of the "angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night." That we never really see Ginsberg forming his ideas (it opens with him reading his already formed poetry) is always disappointing, but I have grown to accept the difficulty of portraying inspiration, especially this complicated emblem of the enduring counterculture.

The alternating arguments of the trial serve as background music to the recitations of his poetry and friendships with artistic luminaries such as Jack Kerouac and the elusive, Neal Cassidy, who inspired Kerouac's On the road and remained Ginsberg's lover. Eric Drooker's animated interpretation of the poem, also providing artistic background, is a unique approach that reinforces Ginsberg's monumental imagination. That Drooker had collaborated with Ginsberg on his Illuminated poems is another subtle touch of a film with several such fine moments.

The docudrama is also helped by heavy-weight actors impersonating major players in the trial: Bob Balaban as the monochromatic but ultimately inspired and inspiring judge, Jon Hamm as the eloquent defense attorney, David Strathairn as the clueless prosecuting attorney, and surprisingly effective Mary-Louise Parker as a prudish prosecution witness. While each role is only a piece of the larger mosaic, each contributes smartly to the growing feeling that the fate of liberal expression, indeed the democratic right to free speech, is on trial.

Howl introduces a seminal poet and his work to a new generation while it also shows how mid-twentieth century America was caught in movements such as civil rights and red-scaring that changed the world forever. Fortunately for us all, Howl's obscenity trial made sure we could enjoy this film more than half a century later.

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

John DeSando co-hosts WCBE 90.5's It's Movie Time, Cinema Classics, and On the Marquee, which can be heard streaming at http://publicbroadcasting.net/wcbe/ppr/index.shtml and on demand at http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wcbe/arts.artsmain