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Kill Your Darlings Movie Review Summary

Actors: Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan, Michael C. Hall

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Kill Your Darlings


Kill your darlings follows Allen Ginsberg's first year on Columbia University where he meets Lucien Carr and through him, various members of the Beat generation.
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The film starts with showing Allen's family background. His emotionally unstable mother, who eventually winds up in a mental hospital, and his famous poet father Louis Ginsberg.
Allen receives a letter from Columbia University that he is accepted, so he can study literature. While he is shown around on campus, when in the library, they run into Lucien Carr reciting from Henry Miller's book.

Later while listening to a lecture on the main features of poetry, Allen brings up Walt Whitman. This captures the attention of Lucien Carr.
Later Allen wanders into Lucien's room, following music, and they get to finally officially meet each other. Lucien invites Allen to his friends, while Allen's mother is having a nervous breakdown.

At Lucien's friend's party Allen meets William Burroughs and David Kammerer. It becomes apparent that Lucien and David do have some weird relationship. David writes Lucien's 'homework' for him.

After the party they go to a bar, listening to a singer, when Lucien steals Ogden Nash's drink because he called him 'kid'. They mock him for a while, then an idea of killing what he stands for comes up. To Lucien the rules in writing are like fascism. So he calls for a revolution against it. They choose the New Vision for their name.

When morning comes Allen realizes that his mother called, and goes to visit his parents. Drama ensues, and Allen decides that before anything new can begin, things have to die, so he and Lucien attempt a mock suicide. After this there is a montage of the New Vision's birth, and the exploration of Allen's mind using drugs, and destuction of David's books and flat.

When David arrives to this madness, he throws them out. Again there is a subtle hint of the dubious nature of David's and Lucien's relationship. He helps Lucien get his coat on. Blinded by jelausy and realisation, Allen goes back to the university, where he confronts with Professor Stevens about the New Vision.

Then, he clashes with Lucien about their plan whith the New Vision, and about David. As it turns out David is a homosexual, who just cannot let Lucien go, follows him everywhere, working as a janitor instead of being a professor that he is. Allen suggests that they should get rid of him. Lucien tells him to write something beautiful. 'First thought, best thought.'
Some interesting drug use ensues, followed by intense masturbation, but then the Vision is born. When Allen wants to show Lucien he finds David instead. Lucien's gone out with a writer called Jack (Kerouac).
When Allan meets him, he does not like him. Pretty much by this point it's obvious that Allen has feelings for Lucien too. Together they steal a boat, and talk about joining the merchant navy, the stupidity of the movements, and the poem Allen wrote. Then the coast-guards arrest them.
Lucien is confronted by the Dean, and Allen learns that his father divorced his mother, and found a new woman. So he tells the Dean and the police, that he stole the boat. Lucien decides to leave, but Allen persuades him to stay.
So their next move is to cause scandal in the library. This happens.
Then they celebrate, but David crashes the party. Finally Lucien splits up with him. They go out into the park, where Allen kisses Lucien. 'First thought, best thought.'
As soon as this happens, Lucien makes him do his homework, while he takes off with Jack. While he is at Jack's place they decide to really join the merchant navy but Lucien is visited by David at night.
After this, Lucien tells Allen, that he joins the navy with Jack,and he is leaving. Then Allen talks to David and tells him, where Lucien is. So David goes to the merchant navy to talk to Lucien. This ends up with him being killed by Lucien.
During this time Allen has revenge sex with a stranger (very graphic).
Lucien is taken to prison and he asks Allen to write his defence saying that it was an honest killing. And while Allen stuggles with it, he learns a lot about the unfortunate events in Chicago, where Lucien tried to kill himself.
After writing the defence he hands it to Lucien, who forbids him to submit it. So, instead of handing it over to the court, Allen hands his writing in as a final assignment paper to Professor Stevens class.
He is expelled from the school for it, but the professor urges him to carry on.
Best part of story, including ending: Certainly an interesting origin story. But not more then interesting to me. No love or hate. A biopic. However the most annoying bits are the constant rewinds. They are kind of out of place for my taste.

Best scene in story: When Allen reads his poem in the boat. He gets truly emotional.

Opinion about the main character: He has a wide-eyed wonder in his eyes. The world for him has just opened. His best feature is his innocence.

The review of this Movie prepared by Angela Szilagyi a Level 1 Blue Jay scholar

Script Analysis of Kill Your Darlings

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Plot & Themes

Time/era of movie:    -   1930's-1950's Ethnic/Regional/Gender story?    -   Yes Woman/class/friends story?    -   hippie/bum lifestyle

Main Character

Identity:    -   Male Profession/status:    -   artist Age:    -   a teen Ethnicity/Nationality    -   General European

Setting

City?    -   Yes Misc setting    -   school

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   moderately detailed references to deaths Sex/nudity in movie?    -   Yes What kind of sex:    -   kissing    -   actual description of sex    -   seeing nude male butt Any profanity?    -   Occasional swearing

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