Movie Review of “HOWL”
HOWL was written by Allen Ginsberg in 1955 and published in 1956 along with various other works under the title of Howl and Other Poems. Known to be one of the greatest poetic works of the 20th Century, as well as the forefront augmentation of the Beat Generation’s literary movement, Howl is written in four parts with the fourth piece serving as a footnote to Part II.
Nationally released on September 24, 2010, the feature film HOWL is a three-way structured narrative regarding the famous literary work. It involves the 1957 obscenity trial as the underlying narrative drive, a fictional interview with Allen Ginsberg (played by James Franco), and portrayed background accounts of Ginsberg’s life, all used to transcend the famed literary work into a visual medium. The film also switches back and forth between an animation sequence, (supposedly invented by Ginsberg before his death in 1997), which serves to illustrate a visual interpretation of the poetry.
In terms of screenwriting and storytelling, the audience is jolted throughout the film between the different vices of shooting style and animation. There is not enough conflict to present a lasting narrative drive, however “not enough conflict” is perhaps not filmmakers’ main thread for the film. They sought to present the work as visually accommodating as possible, while still attempting to thread a narrative driven theme.
Somehow the audience is left with feeling nothing or at least anything satisfying. It almost feels like the movie is about nothing, which is completely contradictory to purpose of the actual work itself. Perhaps the way in which the film presented the poem is why the film falls short. Sadly, one walks away feeling non-invigorated from the movie; instead of feeling uplifted, greatly moved by its analysis, and most importantly, an extenuating respect for the famed work.
Indeed it was very difficult to translate and transcend this literary work into a filmic medium. It demonstrates an example of a work that should be left alone and not formatted into a motion picture.