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CS Weekly Archive > DVD > 06/08/07
Out on DVD
by jason davis
The Naked Civil Servant
Screenplay by Philip Mackie
Based on the autobiography of Quentin Crisp
 
 
Born in 1908, Quentin Crisp (John Hurt) flaunted his homosexuality at a time when the United Kingdom still deemed it criminal sexual perversion. The Naked Civil Servant, adapted by Philip Mackie from Crisp's 1968 autobiography, offers up an unflinching portrait of a man coming to grips with himself and determined to face the world with unvarnished honesty, no matter the consequences. Crisp's outré lifestyle is colored by his own witty commentary in the form of a voiceover commenting on the action as the screenplay dances through the gay icon's life at a pace that is positively manic by '70s TV standards. The supporting cast of Crisp acquaintances paint a comprehensive picture of mid-20th-century England's attitudes and ideas about sexuality, with the film's stalwart protagonist being himself whether the world accepts him or not. Widely regarded as a high-water mark in UK drama, the production secured the fourth slot on the British Film Institute's 100 Greatest British Television Programs and began a hitherto taboo dialogue on sexuality within British culture. The DVD features a televised interview with Crisp from the early '80s and an insightful commentary on the program's production from Hurt, director Jack Gold, and executive producer Verity Lambert.
The Naked Civil Servant
BBC Video
Not rated; 77 min.
$19.98
Buy it now
Jason Davis is the DVD Manager for CS Weekly , a contributing editor for Creative Screenwriting Magazine, and has written for Cinescape.com, MSN.com, and created the TV series Studio 13, which ran on Lorne Michaels' Burly TV network. He lives in the small space left over by his ever-expanding library of books, movies, and music.
The Naked Civil Servant courtesy BBC Video
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