Howl - The Howl

The poem "Howl" not only made Allen Ginsberg famous in one fell swoop in the late 1950s and an idol of the so-called Beat generation. It also landed the poet squarely in court, because in prudish America, Ginsberg's words were considered nothing more than obscene. The poem's already not very large print run was confiscated and its publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti was put on trial. This trial sets the stage for "Howl - Das Geheul", a fascinating cinematic take on the poem that, in keeping with Ginsberg's spirit, eschews all convention and is thus likely to divide interested audiences.

There's no question that lead actor James Franco in particular delivers a great performance as Allen Ginsberg. Especially in the original English version, it's clear how well Franco has nailed the tone of this poem. He recites the poem, which consists of three parts and a footnote, interspersed with brief interview segments and scenes from the trial, in which "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm as defense attorney Jake Ehrlich and David Strathairn as prosecutor Ralph McIntosh engage in fascinating exchanges.

What ultimately makes "Howl - The Howl" so special, however, is the visual realization of the poem. Sometimes the viewer here sees Franco as Ginsberg reciting to an enthusiastic audience, then again various game scenes, image montages and even very original animations, in which the sometimes very confusing content of the poem, in which Ginsberg also used word creations of his own devising, to translate into a no less intelligent visual language. However, you have to get involved with the poem, let yourself be swept away by the waves of words, in order to be fascinated by this visual realization as well. Otherwise, the film can quickly come across as exhausting.

In the end, Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedmann's film makes it impressively clear that cinema can offer not only good entertainment, but also genuine art. Thus, "Howl - Das Geheul" has a hard time finding a broad audience, but interested arthouse lovers will definitely enjoy the film. My tip: read the poem in advance, then you can fully concentrate on the fascinating imagery and the great actors in the cinema!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp