KILL YOUR DARLINGS

US, 2013, 104 minutes, Colour.
Daniel Radcliffe, Dane de Haan, Ben Foster, Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kyra Sedgwick, David Rasche, John Callum.
Directed by John Krokidas.

In recent years there has been a greater interest, at least in films, with the members of the so-called Beat Generation: Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs. While there had been a film about Kerouac in 1980 with Nick Nolte and Sissy Spacek and there was a 90s version of William Burroughs’ The Naked Lunch, within a year we have had Kerouac again in On the Road, Ginsberg in Howl and the three named above now in Kill Your Darlings.

Younger audiences may not be aware of them and their influence in the 1950s and 1906s and the recent films may be something of a revelation, a discovery of a group who wanted to challenge conventional values. Some older audiences might resonate and see them as a precursor of the hippy generation, even though they lived beyond that period. Older audiences might see them as nuisances, full of themselves and their concerns, enjoying ideas and moments of anarchy and needing to grow up which, sometimes, they did.

The focus of Kill Your Darlings is the killing of a gay man, David Kammerer, by his young protégé, Lucian Carr in 1944. The prologue of the film shows something of the killing, Carr in gaol and his friendship and relationship with the young Allen Ginsberg. The film then goes back to offer a portrait of Ginsberg, his studies at Columbia, which ended in expulsion, his being introduced to the Carr, Burroughs’ word, his self-discoveries, including unconventionality, his poetic talent and his sexual orientation.

The film is aimed more at an arthouse audience than audiences in the multiplexes. The first twenty minutes or so with its emphasis on poetry and quotation from poets, the formulation of a New Vision (and anti-censorship stances), may be somewhat alienating. However, the screenplay is literate and has interesting lines, like that of the conservative professor of literature who announces ‘no creation without imitation’.

The story and the characters get tangled in protest stunts at Columbia, family difficulties, emotional dependence, and issues of World War II and the war in the Pacific. Then we are back at the killing of David Kammerer and the consequences.

The casting is certainly of interest. Daniel Radcliffe, looking considerably older, is Ginsberg. However, it is Dane de Haan as Lucian Carr who gives a more striking performance, sometimes a more dominant performance. Dexter’s Michael C. Hall is Kammerer, devoted, sometimes desperate, sometimes pathetic. The usually wildly sinister Ben Foster is surprisingly calm in an effective portrayal of the young William Burroughs. Jack Huston is an enigma (even to himself, sportsman, married, yet caught up with this Beat group leading to his subsequent career). Times move on and Jennifer Jason Leigh and Kyra Sedgwick portray Mrs Ginsberg and Mrs Carr.

The film brings to life these characters, their behaviour and their times.


1. The history of the Beat generation in the United States, poets and novelists? Audience interest in them? Background origins? The challenge? In their times? Later?

2. Audience knowledge of these writers? The range of films about them? The characters, background, lives?

3. The title, as explained in the poetry class, killing favoured stances to make new ones?

4. The prologue, Lucien, Lucien, holding David in the water, drowning him? In prison, Allen and his visit, the discussions, Allen bringing the document, his taking it away?

5. New Jersey, 1943? Suburbia? The atmosphere in the house? Allen, his age, at home, his mother and her madness, Louis and his writing, the significant poet, discussing the quote with his son? The application for Columbia, the letter, Allen going? The phone calls to home? His mother, her demands and his putting her off, her going to the institution? Louis and his new woman? The 1943 setting and atmosphere?

6. Allen at Columbia, meeting David, meeting William Burroughs, the classes? The Professor, Lucien watching him in class? The new friends?

7. Poetry, emphasis in the first 20 minutes of the film, the focus on Yeats, the New Vision, the phrase ‘kill your darlings’? The professor and his traditional approach? ‘No creation without imitation? The students and their attitudes of rebellion, wanting some revolution, rules and freedom, touches of anarchy? The tour guide and the manuscripts, the plan to steal the censored material, the group in the library, Kerouac and his charming the librarian, Allen and his attempt, the avid response of the girl, taking the key, making the impression, the return, the escapade, stealing the manuscripts, there being informed on, the security coming, blinding them with the light, the escape? Substituting the censored material for the classics?

8. The dean and the professor, interviewing Allen, his taking the blame, his father arriving with a new friend, Lucien’s mother, the discussions with the Dean, the background of Chicago? The disdain for Allen? later relying on him?

9. The introduction to Jack Kerouac, in the bar, the photos on the wall, his sportsmanship, meeting his wife, his mother-in-law, the clashes with his wife, the cooking, his wanting to go out? the comment about his Catholic background yet his permissive behaviour? His sexual behaviour, the relationship with Lucien? The importance of his friend, Sam, and his experience in the South Pacific, sending the disks, telling his story, the second disk and the indication that he was to die? Kerouac and his enjoying the anarchy, participating in the stealing of the documents? His friendship with Allen? The aftermath of David Kammerer’s death? The annulment of his marriage, his going on the road and his writing his classic?

10. Lucien as an 18-year-old, his mental states, moving around, the episode in Chicago, the suicide attempt? The friendship with David, David saving him, protecting him, the sexual relationship? His touch of anarchy? Allen, the relationship, best friend, Allen loving him? His wanting to escape, the relationship with Jack, sexual or not, the going to the Navy? David coming to the centre, protesting his love? Writing essays for Lucien? Lucien spurning him?

11. David, his background, his life, meeting Lucien, devoted to him, the sexual liaison, his desperation, leading to the confrontation, Lucien’s attack, the violence, in the river, his death?

12. Allen and his experiences, in relationships, with Lucien, indicating to David where Lucien was, the death, his decision to write the document, submitting it as his assignment, the discussion with the dean and the professor, his choosing to be expelled? The professor later sending the manuscript? His discussions with his father? Going to visit his mother, her being sane, her views on life and on Allen? The bar, picking up the man, the homosexual encounter, Allen and his sexual identity?

13. The place of William Burroughs in this group, silent and severe, controlling, participating in the stealing of the manuscripts? His drug deals? His wealthy father? His later career?

14.The recreation of the times, the 1940s, the mores, the war, the writers being ahead of their times? Their careers in the 1950s? The Beat generation? The 1960s and the greater freedoms, the hippy movement?

15. The men growing up, Kerouac and his career, Lucien and his time in the reformatory, his long life, marriages and children? Burroughs and his reputation? Writing the Kammerer story with Kerouac and the delay in its being released?

16. Allen Ginsberg and his life and career, the poem, Howl, the court case, his reputation, awards, causes?