The Naked Civil Servant
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: John HurtBrand: WHV
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 1.0; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 77 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-05-29
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: E2908
Studio: BBC Worldwide
Product features:
- The Naked Civil Servant created a furor in 1975 when it premiered on PBS in North America with viewers threatening to yank their support of their local stations. It was a film ahead of its time about a man even more ahead of his time. The Naked Civi Servant is based on the autobiography of Quentin Crisp, a man struggling to live an openly flamboyant, gay lifestyle during a time when homosexuality
Movie Reviews of The Naked Civil Servant
Movie Review: fine, intriguing biopic--with excellent acting, too
Summary: 5 Stars
The Naked Civil Servant is a fascinating biopic by the BBC about the life and times of Quentin Crisp, although because it was filmed in 1975 it does not cover his life in the United States after he moved here from Great Britain. However, the movie is still quite good and very engaging; I was not bored in the least. The acting is impeccable: John Hurt turns out a superlative performance as Quentin Crisp; and the rest of the casting was very well done. We truly get the sense of what Quentin Crisp was about and what he experienced; and that's the hallmark of a fine biopic. The quality of the print could have been a bit better in spots but overall it's still quite good.
We see how Quentin's preference for romance with men quickly caused discord between him and his parents from an early age. Mr. and Mrs. Crisp (Lloyd Lamble and Joan Ryan) call in a doctor (Frank Forsyth) to see if Quentin can be "cured" but the doctor disappoints his two parents; Quentin's father was particularly nasty toward him. It's no wonder Quentin left home for good as soon as he was able to! In addition, we see Quentin's countless ups and downs as well as his coping strategies, most of which are the result of his insistence of dressing in a rather flamboyant way, dying his very long hair red and essentially simply being openly gay in a place and time when being gay was completely unacceptable. Unfortunately, Quentin gets beaten up quite a bit; but he also experiences some happiness at parties with friends who accept him for the human being that he is and that's a plus.
We also see some of Quentin's interpersonal relationships with other men. There's the fellow who goes by the nickname "Thumbnails" (Colin Higgins); "Thumbnails" is Quentin's roommate early on after Quentin leaves his childhood home. Some of the men Quentin meets are for brief encounters; one man whom Quentin refers to as "Barndoor" (John Rhys-Davies) stays in his life for almost three years.
Quentin eventually enters modeling; and this is the point at which he begins to refer to himself as a "Naked Civil Servant." No, John Hurt who plays Quentin is not literally naked in these scenes; but John Hurt's costume is scant to say the least.
The DVD comes with a few nice extras: we get a featurette with Quentin Crisp himself; an optional audio commentary and scene selection. There are optional English subtitles for those of us who need them.
I could tell you more of Quentin's life and experiences that you'll see on this DVD; but I don't want to spoil it for you. Suffice it to say that this is a very well done biopic; and the opening brief introduction by Quentin Crisp himself is done in good taste. I highly recommend this film for anyone who is interested in the life and times of Quentin Crisp; and people who are interested in gay life in England when being gay was still considered a mental illness would do well to get this film.
Summary of The Naked Civil Servant
Synopsis:Item Type: Unknown Type
Item Rating: NR
Street Date: 05/29/07
Wide Screen: no
Director Cut: no
Special Edition: no
LanguageENGLISH
Foreign Film: no
Subtitlesno
Dubbed: no
Full Frame: no
Re-Release: no
Packaging: Sleeve Please note: This supplier will be closed on 11/24, 11/25, 12/26, 1/2 for the holidays. The shipping cut off is 12/10 to try and have the products delivered by Christmas.
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