The deliberately episodic nature of The Broken Tower, providing brief snapshots of Hart Crane, really does nothing to define the man. Though Franco would surely be annoyed to hear it, this is style with little substance. To his credit, his aesthetic is at least well-developed and confident; it's rare that a contemporary black-and-white film looks this good.
Franco's recent work make him appear determined to announce himself as a voice in New Queer Cinema. There's a fearlessness in the gay content, like in an early scene where he graphically gives a blowjob. The best scene here by far has Franco picking up a sailor from a bar. In an alley, he lights both of their cigarettes and stares longing in a way that's too electric to really fit the film's tone. Romance and that sense of longing are really where he has a strength in creating atmosphere.
Though The Broken Tower moves briskly and Franco photographs well, it's willfully dull. A lengthy poetry reading, for instance, underscores Franco's limitations as a performer. It's punishing watching him try to hold attention, thinking he's magnetic when he's plainly not.
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