The Broken Tower

Released Apr 27, 2012

1h 48m

Biography

History

Drama

LGBTQ+

List

20%

10 Reviews

Tomatometer

18%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Hart Crane (James Franco) leaves home at 17 and becomes a renowned poet in New York City, but he drinks to excess, conceals his sexuality and becomes increasingly self-destructive toward the end of his short life.

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Audience Member

I give this movie credit for trying to be different, but it ended up being a mess.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

walter m

With the pretentious drivel of a biopic of poet Hart Crane(James Franco), "The Broken Tower," Franco, as writer and director, confirms what everybody who hates poetry thinks they know and why poetry slams were invented. And somehow also manages to make self-destructive behavior just as dull. Specifically, we find out that Crane had parents(Richard Abate & Betsy Franco). Otherwise, it may just seem like James Franco is about the only actor in the movie which is either a sign of an extremely low budget or extreme narcissism.(Admittedly, Michael Shannon is around here somewhere but I'm also not sure who he was supposed to be.) As I am reminded that no man is an island, I was also wondering who might have influenced Crane's poetry, not just that his advertising job made him miserable. But Franco does get points for the blow job.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Defying the all too common biopic recipe, Franco's Broken Tower examines the life of a poet through the eyes of a poet.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I don't know what the hell I watched but I liked it.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Hope you like scenes of someone walking, because you'll see a lot of it if you watch this movie. Self-indulgent, trying to be art but failing miserably, I actually cheered when he finally offed himself.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This was painful to watch. I wanted to like it, but I just couldn't.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

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James Franco

Director

James Franco

Hart Crane

Michael Shannon

Emile

Stacey Miller

Peggy Cowley

Betsy Franco

Grace Crane

Dave Franco

Young Hart Crane

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Elizabeth Weitzman

New York Daily News

You should be prepared for some high-minded pretension, lots of self-consciously arty shots, and long stretches of apparently profound nothingness.

Rated: 2/5

Apr 28, 2012

Full Review

Farran Smith Nehme

New York Post

The technique - and this movie is about nothing if not technique, both Crane's and the filmmaker's - isn't particularly successful.

Rated: 2/4

Apr 27, 2012

Full Review

Stephen Holden

New York Times

Despite earnest attempts, Mr. Franco can't bring the fervency of Crane's poetry to life in the extensive recitations.

Rated: 2/5

Apr 26, 2012

Full Review

David Noh

Film Journal International

Ah, James Franco: actor, director, writer, conceptual artist, soap opera star! What can't he do? Answer: Make a cohesive, coherent film about a great American writer.

Apr 27, 2012

Full Review

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Synopsis

Hart Crane (James Franco) leaves home at 17 and becomes a renowned poet in New York City, but he drinks to excess, conceals his sexuality and becomes increasingly self-destructive toward the end of his short life.

Director: James Franco
Screenwriter: James Franco
Genre: Biography, History, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 27, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2015
Runtime: 1h 48m