The Videos

Just like the differences in their writing, the two videos show those differences in the styles and ideas portrayed in the videos. Firstly, the subject of religion and faith is brought up in both video clips. For the man in Burroughs’ film, God and faith is the path to the “immaculate fix” and a holy experience. But for the group of thinkers in Kerouac’s film, faith leaves them and the bishop denies any recognition of their ideas. Burroughs’ film is structured almost as a Christmas story from back in the day, similar to “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  With Christmas music playing in the background, it is implied that the Junky has learned a moral lesson by the uplifting music in the background. This affirmation of God that is presented in Burroughs’ film is reinforced with the strong religious language such as inserting Christ throughout the piece. With Kerouac’s film, Milo’s friends gather around the bishop, a symbol of God, and beg him to tell them if everything is holy. The Bishop skips around the subject never giving a definitive answer, and then finally excusing himself and his mother.  While Milo and his friends look for affirmation of faith from the man who is closest to God, the Junky finds affirmation from being truly selfless. The Junky’s tale being seen as one of personal spiritual transformation is also seen in the structure of the film. With the older gentlemen reading from the book, the clay figures, and then the final shot of the family celebrating Christmas together leads the audience to feel the moral heaviness of the piece. While in Kerouac’s film, it is simply people gathering in a room to discuss the holiness of their world. Even though the men in Kerouac’s film are more socially mobile than the junky in Burroughs’ piece, the Junky seems to have the spirituality and faith that Kerouac’s characters are after.

                Burroughs’ writing style is more upfront and explanatory while Kerouac tries unconventional methods to get his point across. The bluntness exhibited by Burroughs lends itself more to a moral tale than Kerouac’s since it reads with more fluidity. The original story by Burroughs’ for me was a tale of a man finding a more morally correct path in life. For Kerouac, I felt that he was simply writing to try to convey an idea.

                I also saw an interesting interaction when Milo’s child was being walked to school by his mother. The child asks his mother if he actually needs to go to school and the mother responds with all the subjects the child does need to go to school for. This interaction between mother and son seemed to suggest the influence of social forces on the members of society. The mother adds “ology” to every subject, showing her separation from society’s vein of thinking. The son shows his rebellion against society when he awakes late at night and starts to play his trumpet with his father. This interaction is critical in order to show the audience how ideas were passed down.

                Just as Professor Lennon mentioned in class, Bill Burroughs is an extreme of the Beat generation.  This extreme can be seen in his approach to the ideas presented by the Beat generation and the difference in how Kerouac presents these same ideals.