| Me and My Brother | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Robert Frank |
| Produced by | Helen Silverstein |
| Written by | Robert Frank Allen Ginsberg Peter Orlovsky Sam Shepard |
| Starring | Julius Orlovsky Peter Orlovsky |
| Cinematography | Robert Frank |
| Editing by | Bob Easton Helen Silverstein |
| Release date(s) | February 2, 1969 |
| Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Me and My Brother is a 1969 independent film directed by Robert Frank. The film stars Julius Orlovsky, Peter Orlovsky, John Coe, Seth Allen and Christopher Walken. It is Sam Shepard's film debut. The film tells a story of Julius and Peter Orlovsky. Christopher Walken speaking with the dubbed voice of Robert Frank.
The "Me" and "My Brother" of the title are interchangeably Peter Orlovsky (poet and protege of Allen Ginsberg), and his schizophrenic brother Julius. Peter arranges for Julius' release from Bellevue and proceeds to drag him all over the Beat landscape with a film crew in tow. Robert Frank does yeoman work following the manic Peter and catatonic Julius from one situation to another until Julius wanders off camera and out of the picture. At this point the actor Joseph Chaiken takes Julius' place and fills in for a time. The overall effect is fascinating, and the film has a great deal to say about what we consider normal and acceptable behavior vs. what we consider "mad" behavior.