Howl

Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (2010)

Film Review

Prior to watching this biopic, I had virtually no knowledge of the life or poetry of US poet Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997). The film revolves around the obscenity trial for his 1955 book Howl and Other Poetry. A San Francisco prosecutor brought obscenity charges against the book’s publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti, rather than Ginsberg himself.

The film intersperses scenes from the obscenity trial with coffee house scenes in which Ginsberg reads excerpts from Howl, with scenes from a interview in which Ginsberg talks about his life, and surreal animations based on passages from the book.

I was previously unaware that Ginsbeg was with friends with Jack Kerouac (Ginsberg had a crush on him even though Kerouac was straight). Nor that Ginsberg found a publisher for Kerouac’s book On the Road after the obscenity trial made Ginsberg and Howl world famous.

Much of Howl relates to the new perspective Ginsberg gained on US society after being locked up in a mental hospital for eight months (he agreed to the admission after being arrested for riding in an unknowingly stolen car – the hospital released him after he promised to become heterosexual).

For me the most moving scene was the closing argument Ferlingetti’s lawyer gives at the obscenity hearing. He states we all have an innate desire to censor things we disagree with or that make uncomfortable – “it takes all the force of reason and the legal system to resist it.”

The film can be viewed free on Beamafilm