Review: “Kill Your Darlings” Fails to Capture Beat Generation

By Vanessa Chen

Rating: 2/5 Stars

“First thought, best thought.”

This is a phrase repeated unremittingly in John Krokidas’s debut feature on the early days of Ginsberg, Carr, Burroughs and Kerouac. “Kill Your Darlings” is based on a little-known true story of the 1944 murder of David Kammerer and how the event changed the lives of everyone involved, as well as providing inspiration for future works.

It wasn’t until recently that Kerouac and Burroughs’ autobiographical rendition, “And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks,” was retrieved from obscurity and published to the masses only after Carr’s death.

Centered on Allen Ginsberg (Harry Potter—I mean, Daniel Radcliffe), Krokidas traces Ginsberg’s origin—from his first heartbreak to his introduction to transgressive poetry. When he enters Columbia, he meets Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan), a radical thinker who isn’t able to bring his thoughts to paper; Carr exchanges sexual favors with Kammerer—and later, Ginsberg—as a way of getting his college papers written. Under the influence of his new group, Ginsberg quickly becomes initiated into a world conditioned by drugs, jazz and libertine rationales.

Ginsberg, Carr, and William S. Burroughs (a fantastic Ben Foster) aspire to bring life to W. B. Yeats “A Vision” by creating a “New Vision” in which they rebel against the established artistic and cultural undertakings by skipping class, talking back to professors and replacing the library’s display cases with erotica from the likes of Henry Miller, James Joyce, and D. H. Lawrence.

In the end, their actions lead to devastating loss, which brings the movie down a suddenly dark path. Throughout the film, Krokidas has infused the narrative with energy and vivacity; he has a playful and lyrical style that complements the narrative. The visuals are dazzling and lavishly saturated. However, many scenes were overplayed to dramatic effect.

In examining the dialogue closely, it’s axiomatic that there’s a lack of truly intellectual thought for the experienced literati. The film is too heavy handed in terms of the narrative, visual motifs, editing, and dialogue. It is simply too commonplace for a tale about the most radical writers of modern times. Although it’s a laudable attempt, it ultimately lacks the originality necessary to shed new light on an already famed generation.

Recommended for young Beat Generation enthusiasts.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxGgkEHmHHg

Directed by John Krokidas; written by Mr. Krokidas and Austin Bunn; director of photography, Reed Morano; edited by Brian Kates; production design by Stephen Carter; costumes by Christopher Peterson; produced by Mr. Krokidas, Michael Benaroya, Christine Vachon and Rose Ganguzza; released by Sony Pictures Classics. Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes.

WITH: Daniel Radcliffe (Allen Ginsberg), Dane DeHaan (Lucien Carr), Michael C. Hall (David Kammerer), Jack Huston (Jack Kerouac), Ben Foster (William Burroughs), David Cross (Louis Ginsberg), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Naomi Ginsberg), Elizabeth Olsen (Edie Parker), Kyra Sedgwick (Marian Carr), John Cullum (Professor Stevens) and David Rasche (Dean).