Howl
The Obscenity Trial That Started a Revolution. The Poem That Rocked a Generation.
The Obscenity Trial That Started a Revolution. The Poem That Rocked a...
Drama
-
2010
Available on
Country
It's San Francisco in 1957, and an American masterpiece is put on trial. Howl, the film, recounts this dark moment using three interwoven threads: the tumultuous life events that led a young Allen Ginsberg to find his true voice as an artist, society's reaction (the obscenity trial), and mind-expanding animation that echoes the startling originality of the poem itself. All three coalesce in a genre-bending hybrid that brilliantly captures a pivotal moment-the birth of a counterculture.
Director:
Cast:
Similar
Details
Rated:
R
Runtime:
84 min
Release date:
26 Aug 2010
Country:
US
Languages:
English
Budget:
$5,000,000
Revenue:
$1,183,258
Awards:
2 wins & 8 nominations total
Top Critics Reviews
fresh:
This is a bold, inspiring piece of work, putting experimental techniques in the service of a heartfelt, insightful and surprisingly audience-friendly work of art.
– Tom Huddleston,
Time Out,
23 Feb 2011
fresh:
It's sweet stuff, a portrait of an artist in turmoil, under fire and laying himself bare. Howl captures Howl beautifully.
– Tom Long,
Detroit News,
28 Jan 2011
rotten:
Admirable if fundamentally academic.
– Todd McCarthy,
Variety,
3 Jan 2011
fresh:
What could have been a trivial exercise in nostalgia instead becomes a powerful case for the cathartic power of art.
– Ann Hornaday,
Washington Post,
29 Oct 2010
fresh:
Epstein and Friedman didn't write the film as much as assemble it, using actual interview quotes and court transcripts. And while the loose structure takes some getting used to, it's ultimately effective and at times thrilling.
– Moira MacDonald,
Seattle Times,
28 Oct 2010