Lovers of modern writing will no doubt be drawn to this film as a means of gaining insight into the lives of some of America’s Beat Generation writers. It is based on the early interactions of Allen Ginsberg, Lucien Carr, William S Burroughs and Jack Kerouac during their time together at Colombia University.
By Keeva Stratton
Ginsberg, Burroughs and Kerouac would later become known as some of America’s most celebrated writers, defined by their willingness to bend literary rules and embrace hedonism in their work. Others would suggest they were less revolutionary, and their writing the result of rampant drug use. Either way, their work has played a key role in shaping post war American culture.
It is, however, the character of the lesser known Lucien Carr whose story dominates Kill Your Darlings. His ongoing relationship with an older man, David Kammerer (played by Dexter’s Michael C Hall), who he eventually kills, is the central thread.
This event would later shape many of the works that the group were known for. Their formation as a student collective of sorts, their shared experience of Kammerer’s death and their experimentation with drugs and sex, are the formative experiences that are retold time and time again in their writing.
If you’re interested in the Beat Generation, Kill Your Darlings offers an enjoyable entrée into their student days. It takes you back to a pre-digital era, when reading was the ultimate escapism and studying literature was a conservative (yet popular) choice.
While some books were destroyed in the making of the film, it reminds us all of the fervid passion that writing and reading can inspire. There are also several other good reasons to see this film, not least of all being Daniel Radcliffe’s powerful portrayal of Ginsberg as a young man discovering his sexuality and his self worth.
Ultimately (and perhaps ironically, given the subject matter) it is the tempo that lets Kill Your Darlings down. It seems to lack commitment to where it begins as a cleverly edited piece, and eventually reverts to traditional narrative form.
Nevertheless, it has some quality moments and offers its own collective of talented actors in better than average performances.
Directed by: John Krokidas
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Michael C Hall, Dane DeHaan
Rating: MA 15+
Runtime: 104mins
Release Date: December 5
Reviewer rating: 3.5/5
