Howl

Howl is a 2010 American film which explores both the 1955 Six Gallery debut and the 1957 obscenity trial of 20th-century American poet Allen Ginsberg's noted poem "Howl". The film is written and directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman and stars James Franco as Ginsberg. 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. It also re-enacts Ginsberg's debut performance of "Howl" at the Six Gallery Reading on October 7, 1955 in black-and-white. The reading 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 Production Principal photography of the film took place in New York City. Animation was provided by Eric Drooker, a former street artist who had collaborated with Ginsberg on his final book of poetry, Illuminated Poems.