I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness…
The Beat Generation brought forth the first counterculture literary movement in America when Allen Ginbserg, William S. Burroughs, and Jack Kerouac made waves with their new take on literature and writing. While Ginsberg went on to become a celebrated poet, Burroughs a champion for alternative writing methods, and Kerouac as the angel of desolation for every single teenager and young 20-something that picked up On the Road, one key figure that shied away from the spotlight was Lucien Carr.
It was Carr who introduced Ginsberg, Burroughs, and Kerouac to one another; it was Carr who was the glue that held everybody together through many nights of manic hysteria; it was Carr who even suggested flipping the literary social norms. Yet, it was also Carr who threatened to ruin the lives of those around him before their spectacular lives even had a chance to truly begin. Kill Your Darlings tells that story.
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Kill Your Darlings
Director: John Krokidas
Rating: R
Release Date: October 16, 2013
Early in his educational career at Columbia University, Allen Ginsberg (Daniel Radcliffe) befriends the enigmatic Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan), an upperclassman with a captivating aura and a penchant for rebellion. As Carr introduces Ginsberg to a lifestyle he never before witnessed, he draws the ire of David Kammerer (Michael C. Hall), a former teacher obsessed with Carr. Together, Carr and Ginsberg share a new vision for literature, propelled by the help of Carr’s other friend (and old friend of Kammerer’s), William S. Burroughs (Ben Foster), and fellow Columbia student, Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston). However, the overbearing presence of Kammerer begins to create tension amongst the group as Ginsberg’s attraction to Carr grows. It isn’t long before the dark secret Carr holds begins to slowly pervade the group, coming to a head one fateful night that’ll change the lives of everybody involved forever.
I’ll be blunt: There have been a handful of films detailing the Beat Generation released over the past three years (On the Road and Howl), yet Kill Your Darlings is leaps and bounds better than the other films. Anybody worried about Radcliffe’s career can rest assured that he will be able to overcome any lingering doubts post-Harry Potter. His portrayal of Ginsberg is played with nuance and subtlety – you can see the longing in his eyes, hear the devotion and desperation in his words (including a great American accent, to boot!), and feel the discomfort through his body language.
Radcliffe’s performance is equally matched by DeHaan. Whereas Radcliffe plays Ginsberg with subtlety, DeHaan’s Carr is the complete opposite, full of flamboyancy and charisma. Whether it’s his naturally icy gaze or the aura of commandment he’s exuding, DeHaan’s take on Lucien Carr is one of the best performances I’ve seen all year. Every scene he’s in, eyes naturally gravitate to him and ears perk towards his words. In these instances, the audience becomes Radcliffe’s Ginsberg. Chemistry plays a huge role in films, and the chemistry between Radcliffe and DeHaan is sublime. You long for DeHaan/Carr through Radcliffe’s/Ginsberg’s longing.
While playing a minor role, Ben Foster is just as likely to steal a scene as DeHaan and Ginsberg are likely to pull audiences in towards them. His robotic monotone is almost an exact mirror of Burroughs’ vocal delivery; I suggest comparing clips of Burroughs speaking to Foster’s lines in Kill Your Darlings, and you might not catch who is who. I feel that Foster has been unfortunately overlooked over his career, but hope that Kill Your Darlings attracts the right people to give him the due he deserves.
However, one complaint is Jack Kerouac’s depiction in the film. This may be my complete and total bias towards Kerouac, but his characterization in Kill Your Darlings painted him not as the introspective voice of the Beat Generation, but as a bumbling oaf (with a New York accent) who just happened to write. The accent could be because of Huston’s natural British accent seeping over his American accent, but the characterization could be due to the script or direction. After all, in a film full of literary visionaries, the line had to be drawn somewhere, right?
Despite my complaint of Kerouac’s characterization, first-time director John Krokidas made a remarkable debut. His confidence in his vision and actors’ performances help make Kill Your Darlings so enthralling. You don’t have to know Kerouac’s sad poetry, Ginsberg’s honesty, Burroughs’ unfortunate descent into drugs to enjoy Kill Your Darlings, and when that interest can be made without previous knowledge/awareness of characters in biopics, you know you’ve exceeded many expectations.
The names of both the actors and the people they portray may be what attract you to Kill Your Darlings, but it’ll be the film’s direction, performances, and story that will keep you talking about it.
Score: 
8.5 out of 10