Poetic Viewing with "Howl"

One of most interesting debates that I present to my students in my 12th Grade Government and Economics is the idea of censorship when studying the first Amendment and what words are protected and not protected within different forums such as public places and private institutions. Such rules and legal interpretations, set by our courts and legal scholars, are often new and confusing to students as they struggle to understand one of the basic ideals of our democratic society and when and where it can be property enjoyed. It was this interest that drew me to the next film in my journey of understanding history in the movies, the 2010 American experimental film Howl. Directed by Academy Award-winning documentary film team Rob Epstein (The Times of Harvey Milk and Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt) and Jeffrey Friedman (Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt), Howl tells the story of American poet Allen Gingsburg's early life and his inspirations for his seminal work Howl and Other Poems, which was published in 1956. The film also looks at the first presentation of Howl by Ginsburg at a poetry reading in San Fransisco in 1955 and the 1957 obscenity trial of Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gingsburg's publisher, who was charged with breaking state obscenity laws by publishing and selling the poem which contained many references to illicit drugs and sexual practices, both heterosexual and homosexual.

The movie stares acclaimed actor James Franco (The Spider-Man trilogy, Pineapple Express, Milk, and 127 Hours) as Gingsburg and also features Jon Hamm (Mad Men and The Town), David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck), Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds), and Jeff Daniels (Arachnophobia, Gettysburg, Pleasentville, and Dumb and Dumber).

The History

Allen Ginsburg in the fall of 1953

Gingsburg was born into a Jewish family in New Jersey in 1926. His father was a high school English teacher and published poet and his mother was a housewife, who suffered from a psychological illness that was never properly diagnosed. Her illness coupled with her active membership in the local chapter of the Communist Party became major influences behind Gingsburg's writings and his imagery in Howl. As a teenager, Gingsburg attended Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey where he was first introduced to the writings of the poet Walt Whitman by a teacher. In 1943, Ginsberg graduated from high school and briefly attended Montclair State College before entering Columbia University on a scholarship. It was during his freshman year at Columbia that Gingsburg met fellow writer and poet Lucien Carr, who would introduced him to the world of Beat poetry, a new expression of American youth literature that saw great potential outside of the tradition borders of post-World War II, McCarthy-era America. Ginsberg and Carr talked excitedly about a "New Vision" and their new ideas for American poetry. In 1954, Gingsburg left Columbia for San Francisco where he met Peter Orlovsky, with whom he fell in love and who remained his lifelong partner. Gingsburg had struggled throughout his life with issues of homosexuality, but it wasn't until he got to San Francisco and its brewing artistic scene that he embraced his true sexuality.

Gingsburg with Bob Dylan cir. 1975

While in San Francisco, Gingsburg met and works with many future artists of the San Francisco Renaissance, who would become important parts of the 1950's Beat generation and the later counter-culture of the 1960's. One such figure Wally Hedrick, a painter and co-founder of the popular Six Art Gallery, approached Ginsberg in mid-1955 and asked him to organize a poetry reading at the Six Gallery. At first, Ginsberg refused, but later changed his mind and agreed to help. This event would become one of the most important events in the Beat movement known as "The Six Gallery Reading". It was here, on the night of October 7, 1955 that Gingsburg unveiled his poem Howl. While the poem became an instant hit among followers of Beat poetry, Gingsburg revealed in later interviews that Howl was not only a biography of his experiences before 1955, but also a history of the Beat Generation itself with the core of  the poem speaks to his own unresolved emotions about his mother and her death. The poem became a huge hit after its publication, but was criticized for its strong language regarding sex and drug use. In 1957, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gingsburg's publisher, was arrested by undercover police for printing and selling copies of Howl in violation of California's anti-obscenity laws. At his trial, nine literary experts testified on the poem's behalf. Supported by the American Civil Liberties Union, Ferlinghetti won the case when California State Superior Court Judge Clayton Horn decided that the poem was of "redeeming social importance". Widely publicized across the country, the trial made Gingsburg a household name and brought fame to Ferlinghetti's defense attorney, Jake W. Ehrlich, who later was used as the inspiration for the fictional TV defense attorney Perry Mason.

Gingsburg in 1994

While he continued to write, Gingsburg and Orlovsky began to live an increasingly eccentric lifestyle. They left the US in 1957 living throughout India, Morocco, Paris, and London. He became good friends with many aspiring poet across the globe and acted almost as a bridge between the beat members of the 1950's and the hippies of the 1960's, including a close friendship with folk legend Bob Dylan. In the 1960's, he continued to give poetry readings which were generally standing room only for most of his career, no matter where in the world he appeared. His interest in Buddhism and Near-East religions influenced the Sixties counter-culture almost as much as his writings and prescribed LSD use did. Despite unsuccessful treatments from liver cancer in the 1980's, Gingsburg continued an active lifestyle to the very end. He died in 1997, surrounded by friends and family, widely considered one of the greatest poets of the 20th Century.

The Movie

Gingsburg (portrayed by Franco)
 in 1957

Constructed in a nonlinear fashion, the film attempts to tell the story of Gingsburg's early life through his own words to a reporter conducting an interview, the "Six Gallery reading", and the trial of Gingsburg's publisher, Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Each story is denoted by a different cinematic viewing technique such as color or black and white and is intermixed with readings from Howl with animated sequences reminiscent of the Israeli movie Waltz with Bashir that were created by Eric Drooker, a former street artist who had collaborated with Ginsberg on his final book of poetry, Illuminated Poems. The scenes of Gingsburg's life (portrayed by Franco) at times touch on issues of his sexuality, his mental state, his relationship with his parents, and his feelings of hopelessness and desire to be loves. The scenes of the "Six Gallery reading" are presented with animating flare and shots of the drunk college students and Beat poets wishing to hear Gingsburg work. Franco himself does an amazing job of getting into Gingsburg character and was widely praised by critics for his portrayal of the great poet as the film's greatest accomplishment, while differing opinions exist on the rest of the film's work.

Ehrlich (Hamm) and McIntosh
 (Strathairn) spare in the courtroom

While the animation is not really my cup of tea, the trial scenes between  Ferlinghetti's defense attorney, Jake W. Ehrlich (played by Hamm), and the prosecuting attorney, Ralph McIntosh (played by Strathairn), are in my opinion the second best part of the movie. Though historically, bookstore clerk Shigeyoshi "Shig" Murao was the real defendant in the obscenity trial (he had sold a copy of Howl directly to an undercover police officer), his image is left out of the film. Regardless, Stranthairn and Hamm are perfectly suited for these scenes of philosophical debate due not just to their past period works, but their smooth styles of delivery that bring these characters to life. Another great scene for me was the courtroom sparing of Ehrlich with Professor David Kirk (played by Daniels), an English professor brought in by the prosecution. Aside from the fact that Jeff Daniels is one of my favorite actors of all time, he shines alongside Hamm as they spare over poetry, literary significance, and the historical impact of Gingsburg's work.

Overall, the movie is a different feel then past biopics I have seen, but is relatively historically accurate and does a great job of showing the pain and confusion Gingsburg and the other poets of the Beat Generation struggled with in post-World War II America. The idea of a poetic James Dean (another role Franco has played) comes to mind when viewing this movie. If you want to find out more on the root of the counter-culture of the 1960's and appreciate great acting, check out this film.

[To see the trailer for Howl, click below]