The Broken Tower (2011)

A biography of American poet Hart Crane who committed suicide at the age of 32 by jumping off the steamship SS Orizaba.

Director:

James Franco

Writers:

James Franco, Paul Mariani (book)

Stars:

James Franco, Michael Shannon, Dave Franco

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Franco	...	Hart Crane
Michael Shannon	...	Emile
Dave Franco	...	Young Hart
Richard Abate	...	Father Crane
Betsy Franco	...	Mother Crane
Paul Mariani	...	Alfred Stieglitz
Shandor Garrison	...	Gorham Munson
Stacey Miller	...	Mrs. Cowley
Dylan Goodwin	...	Young Truck Driver
John Morrow	...	Young Sailor
Ivo Juhani	...	French Man in Library
Vince Jolivette	...	American Man in Paris
Fallon Goodsen	...	American Woman in Paris
Caroline Aragon	...	French Cafe Owner
Sebastian Celis	...	Deckhand

Storyline

A look at the dreams, unapologetic love of men , manic highs and depressive, death-haunted lows of early 20th century rebellious, self-destructive visionary poet Hart Crane from his early years as the son of a wealthy Cleveland businessman through his sojourns in New York, Cuba and Paris.

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Plot Keywords:

poet | suicide | male male kiss | anal sex | bisexual | 

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Taglines:

The Truth is Indecent.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | War

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 June 2011 (USA)

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

RabbitBandini Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Color:

Color Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

After the movie was screened at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival, multiple sources reported that it contains a scene in which Hart Crane (played by James Franco) performs oral sex on another man--a scene for which a prosthetic penis was used during filming.

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Connections

Referenced in Hart Crane: An Exegesis (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Voyage to New York:
Written and Performed by Neil Benezra
Smoking Pigeons Publishing, ASCAP

User Reviews

Certainly nothing usual.

Even though this movie certainly is not entirely my cup of tea, I'm still able to see and recognize it as a good and original movie, that doesn't always makes things easy for itself.

You could definitely say that this movie is being a bit too artistic for my taste. It's shot entirely in black & white and doesn't necessarily follow a main plot line. It just follows its main character, without making it apparent what direction the movie will be heading at. It also makes it often hard to see what the point of certain sequences in this movie are. It makes the movie at times feel like a bit of a pointless and overlong one.

The movie definitely starts to become a bit of an endurance test after a while. I was perfectly able to take and follow the movie for its first 90 minutes or so but after that point it starts to become much harder to stay interested, also since the movie too often isn't providing you with anything interesting or provoking enough.

It's definitely not an usual biopic, that goes deep into things. You still feel that you really get to know its main subject though, through its slow and subtle storytelling. He doesn't even say all that much but he lets his poetry and actions speak for him. In that regard I really have to compliment the movie and this also was the foremost reason why I still really liked it. You might not fully get to know the real Hart Crane through this movie but it might still get you interested in him and his work.

James Franco is excellent as the movie its main character, even though he looks absolutely nothing like the real Hart Crane. It was not an easy role to play but Franco is luckily not afraid to make things hard on himself at times, which results in an interesting character and performance, that is solid enough to carry the entire movie. Since it really foremost is Franco who has most of the movie its screen time and the movie isn't focusing ever on any other characters.

But that's not all Franco did. He also directed, wrote, produced and edited it. In other words, this was a real passion project for James Franco and this luckily does show in the movie. It's a skillfully made movie, with eye for detail, that handles its main subject subtly and with real respect.

I liked it good enough and respect it but I of course do realize that this movie is not for just everyone.

7/10

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