Broken Tower

The Broken Tower (2011)

  • 20% of critics liked it
    (10 reviews)

  • 17% of users liked it
    (2,917 ratings)

From Focus World and director/star James Franco, a film about visionary poet Hart Crane, who lived a life of beauty, passion, and tragedy. Hart Crane was one of the most important voices in American poetry - but lived a life with as much turmoil as passion. From his early life to his journeys from… More

Unrated,
Directed By
Written By
James Franco, Paul L. Mariani
Genres
Art House & International, Drama
In Theaters
Apr 27, 2012 Limited
Independant Films

Critic Reviews

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

    It's a pensive and heartfelt movie, assuming that you let yourself get caught up in its moody-minimalist, more-visual-than-verbal style.

  • Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out New York

    The Broken Tower feels unique as a young man's tribute to an adventuresome, doomed soul.

Read all 8 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Chris W


    This look at the brief life of troubled American poet Hart Crane is a real one-man show as its star James Franco also serves as writer, director, producer, and editor. While this isn't his debut as a director, it is probably his most well-known effort behind the camera.… More

  • William D


    I'm always amazed when films made about intellectuals have little to no intellectual content. The starkness of that contrast startles and befuddles me every time. It also stuns me how often this happens. The latest example is James Franco's "The Broken Tower,"… More

  • Pedro H


    <i>The Truth is Indecent.</i> <b>Fail</b> This is James Franco's failed attempt in directing, producing and acting. In this slow endless film, Franco tries to highlight the melancholic life of American poet Hart Crane. Franco tries his best to make… More

  • Matt G


    Hart Crane: We all know life is a dance of death, but we can still make something of it. The Broken Tower had a noble premise surrounding the short life of American poet Hart Crane, who is played by James Franco. Not only that, the film was written and directed by Franco, and while… More

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