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Howl

The Obscenity Trial That Started a Revolution. The Poem That Rocked a Generation.

2010 · 1h 24m · R Drama
Directed by Rob Epstein , Jeffrey Friedman

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Overview

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 and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
62%
Tomatometer
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
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
Rotten

Admirable if fundamentally academic.

Todd McCarthy, Variety
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
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

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