Life Before the Road
Written by Chris Cooke | Posted by: Anonymous
When most of us think of Jack Kerouac, we think of life on the road, of the cry of a muted be-bop trumpet drifting through hazy smoke in a basement jazz bar, of crazy stoned nights in Mexican whorehouses. Its hard to believe that Jack Kerouac actually ever had a home other than a worn-out back seat overlooking the American landscape streaming by, or behind a battered typewriter in his aunts Long Island flat.
But Kerouac actually grew up a short drive from Boston, in the textile town of Lowell, Massachusetts. Henri Ferrinis half-hour film, "Lowell Blues: The Words of Jack Kerouac" shows us Lowell as Kerouac knew it and as potential Kerouacs of the future know it today. In the film, a host of writers and celebrities read snippets from Kerouacs writings, ranging from reminiscences of his childhood to musings on such topics as literature, religion, and the mighty Merrimack River. Images of Lowell stream past, providing visual accompaniment, and jazz veteran Lee Konitz punctuates each reading with swirling alto-sax eddies of sound.
Kerouac in Dr. Sax, wrote "Memory and Dream are intermixed in this mad universe," and the film seems constructed on this principal– haunting and hallucinatory, it flutters somewhere between waking reality and the unconscious. The effect is for the most part engaging, although a few clips of modern-day inhabitants seem out of place, even gratuitous. In theory, it might be possible to equate the kind of rebellion the Beats were all about to todays baggy-jeaned toughs sporting earrings, shooting hoops, and flashing peace signs. On film, though, it just feels awkward. And the film lacks propulsion; the quotes dont seem to build on one another or show any sort of progression. Even dreams, in order to be worth retelling, need a little narrative direction, even if its not apparent at first glance. At times in the film, its hard not to yearn for a little biographical documentary to get some context.
Still, "Lowell Blues" is a worthwhile addition to the wealth of homages to our nations favorite Beat. Often quite enchanting, it works well, at least, as a film-poem of sorts. It explores the way Lowell shaped a young artist and, in turn, how that artists sensibility shaped his perception of the town. It certainly will inspire you to pick up your ratty old copy of "On the Road" — or pick one up for the first time — and delve right in.
'Lowell Blues' will be showing at the Lowell National Historical Park, March 8-12. For more information about the film visit http://www.artsgloucester.com/ferriniproductions/