hollywoodstreams | July 16, 2010 | 486 likes, 32 dislikes
Plot
Howl explores the life and works of 20th century American poet, Allen Ginsberg. Constructed in a nonlinear fashion, the film juxtaposes historical events with a variety of cinematic techniques. It reconstructs the early life of Ginsberg during the 1940s and 1950s (as portrayed by James Franco) in black-and-white. It also reenacts Ginsberg's debut performance of "Howl" at the Six Gallery Reading on October 7, 1955. The reading (which also included performances by Philip Lamantia, Michael McClure, Gary Snyder, and Philip Whalen that are not recreated in the film) was the first important public manifestation of the Beat Generation and helped to herald the West Coast literary revolution that became known as the San Francisco Renaissance. In addition, parts of the poem are interpreted through animated sequences. Finally, these events are juxtaposed with color images of the 1957 obscenity trial of San Francisco poet and City Lights Bookstore co-founder, Lawrence Ferlinghetti who was the first person to publish "Howl" in Howl and Other Poems.
Cast
* James Franco as Allen Ginsberg, a central figure of the Beat Generation * Aaron Tveit as Peter Orlovsky, fellow poet and Ginsberg's life partner for over forty years * Jon Hamm as Jake Ehrlich, Ginsberg's prominent defense attorney, whose slogan was "Never plead guilty" and whose life inspired the TV series Perry Mason * David Strathairn as Ralph McIntosh, prosecuting attorney * Alessandro Nivola as Luther Nichols, literary critic/book editor of the San Francisco Chronicle and defense witness * Mary-Louise Parker as Gail Potter, radio personality and prosecution witness * Bob Balaban as Judge Clayton W. Horn * Jeff Daniels as Professor David Kirk * Jon Prescott as Neal Cassady * Treat Williams as Mark Schorer * Todd Rotondi as Jack Kerouac
* Andrew Rogers as Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Howl explores the life and works of 20th century American poet, Allen Ginsberg. Constructed in a nonlinear fashion, the film juxtaposes historical events with a variety of cinematic techniques. It reconstructs the early life of Ginsberg during the 1940s and 1950s (as portrayed by James Franco) in black-and-white. It also reenacts Ginsberg's debut performance of "Howl" at the Six Gallery Reading on October 7, 1955. The reading (which also included performances by Philip Lamantia, Michael McClure, Gary Snyder, and Philip Whalen that are not recreated in the film) was the first important public manifestation of the Beat Generation and helped to herald the West Coast literary revolution that became known as the San Francisco Renaissance. In addition, parts of the poem are interpreted through animated sequences. Finally, these events are juxtaposed with color images of the 1957 obscenity trial of San Francisco poet and City Lights Bookstore co-founder, Lawrence Ferlinghetti who was the first person to publish "Howl" in Howl and Other Poems.
Cast
* James Franco as Allen Ginsberg, a central figure of the Beat Generation * Aaron Tveit as Peter Orlovsky, fellow poet and Ginsberg's life partner for over forty years * Jon Hamm as Jake Ehrlich, Ginsberg's prominent defense attorney, whose slogan was "Never plead guilty" and whose life inspired the TV series Perry Mason * David Strathairn as Ralph McIntosh, prosecuting attorney * Alessandro Nivola as Luther Nichols, literary critic/book editor of the San Francisco Chronicle and defense witness * Mary-Louise Parker as Gail Potter, radio personality and prosecution witness * Bob Balaban as Judge Clayton W. Horn * Jeff Daniels as Professor David Kirk * Jon Prescott as Neal Cassady * Treat Williams as Mark Schorer * Todd Rotondi as Jack Kerouac
* Andrew Rogers as Lawrence Ferlinghetti
