The Broken Tower is a 2011 American black-and-white docudrama directed by James Franco. The film is about gay American poet Hart Crane, who committed suicide in April 1932 at the age of 32 by jumping off the steamship SS Orizaba. Franco appears in the starring role and edited, co-produced, and wrote the screenplay. Michael Shannon also stars in the 90-minute film. The Broken Tower made its world premiere in April 2011 at Boston College. It will be shown at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival (LAFF) in June and theatrically released sometime in 2012.