Jerry Aronson’s 1993 documentary on the poet Allen Ginsberg offers a solid if uninspired consideration of one of the most intriguing literary figures of the post-World War II counterculture.
A member of the Beat Generation of writers, Ginsberg achieved notoriety for his poem “Howl,” which was published in 1956. While the film offers an excerpt of Ginsberg’s recitation of the poem, it oddly skips over the legal challenges that surrounded its publication. This is typical of the film’s basic problem – it touches on aspects of Ginsberg’s life but never plumbs the fullest aspects that shaped his world. This is particularly blatant in detailing his long relationship Peter Orlovsky, who is barely mentioned in the course of the film.
Some segments of the film compensate for its flaws, particularly Ginsberg’s appearance on “Firing Line” where his poetry reading delighted host William F. Buckley Jr. Also worth noting is the footage from Chicago in 1968 where he tried in vain to bring a sense of Buddhist-inspired nonviolence to the crowds gathered to protest the Democratic National Convention.
Perhaps the best part of this DVD release are six hours of extras, which include interviews regarding Ginsberg with the likes of Andy Warhol, Joan Baez, William Burrough, Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono – the latter two are not on camera together, in case you’re wondering.