WILLIAM S BURROUGHS: THE MAN WITHIN
USA 2010
Running Length: 87
minutes
Cast: Wiliam S
Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Patti Smith, John Waters, Peter Weller
Director: Yony Leyser
Cinematography: Eric
Burton
Many people see Burroughs as one
of the darkest and greatest satirists of the 20th century. His work is twisted, comic in the
blackest possible way, and a damning condemnation of American culture in the
mid 20th century. This
film explores the man behind such iconic volumes as Junky and Naked Lunch.
Born into a wealthy Midwestern
family, Burroughs exemplifies the American outlaw tradition. He was a homosexual at a time when
homosexuality was both illegal and unspoken. He was a junkie for most of his adult life and unrepentant
about it. His fascination with
firearms led to the accidental shooting of his wife, but this did not dissuade
him from owning and using guns for the rest of his life.
He was a poster boy for many
movements, from the beat generation to punk, and remains an idol to a diverse
range of people from all walks of life.
This film, compact at 87 minutes, wastes no time in painting the man as
a kind of mad genius, someone so ahead of his time he could never hope to fit
in. I came away with an
overwhelming sense of sadness.
While many admire him, it appears that Burroughs never managed to get
close enough to anyone to forge a significant and loving relationship, and it
was not until near his death that he even acknowledged the importance of having
love in his life.
Honestly, he sounds like a monster. It's awfully easy to criticize society (which sucks in countless ways no matter what the decade), but it's a lot harder to try to come up with ways to change it for the better, or at least to be a compassionate, admirable person and set a good example.
ReplyDeleteI was JUST discussing naked Lunch with a fellow blogger.never heard of this flick, glad I saw this post! :-)
ReplyDeleteI wasn't all that impressed with Naked Lunch.
ReplyDeleteI really want to see this film. I don't know a lot about him.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read Naked Truth or seen the movie. The books seems a little sound too. Interesting post.
ReplyDeleteI met Burroughs in 1995 and interviewed him at his home in Lawrence, Kansas. It was a scary experience, as we had no idea what would happen. Read about it here: http://www.amazon.com/Burroughs-And-Blizzard-Carl-Franke-ebook/dp/B00K2X7PBM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399158028&sr=8-1&keywords=carl+franke
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