The Naked Civil Servant (1975)

Too much of everything

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

This is not me gaybashing. This film is pure filth. It tells the story of Quentin Crisp, one of the most outrageous homosexuals that has ever lived. He wore make up, nail polish, dyed his hair and was totally effeminate in every way. At a time when gays are trying to gain acceptance a character like this did no service back then and certainly does no service now to gays wanting to be seen as normal. The nauseating accent which John Huer put on for this film really set the tone for what followed. It was a portrayal of a real social misfit who made no attempt whatsoever to live properly in decent society. He may be a hero to some people in the gay community but to me he was little more than a show off extrovert who dressed and acted the way he did purely to try and make a statement. Tasteless.

This film is the autobiography of Quentin Crisp, a gay man living in the conservative times of 1920's to 1970's.The story is simple but deep. It portrays It also portrays how people lived in fear and loneliness during those days. A particularly remarkable moment is that, after Quentin's friend is released from he mental institution, his friend pronounced his love for him. Quentin says something to the effect of "This is how lonely he is, and how low I can get". This little sentence means so much. Acting by John Hurt is excellent. This film is really quite remarkable, as homosexuality was still considered as a mental illness back in 1975.

I had a copy of this film back in the early 80s, it's long gone, but I'll never forget its power. I'm not a homosexual, nor had I ever heard of Quentin Crisp before, but watching the film, I was very impressed by his determination to stand up for his God-given right to be himself, whatever that "self" might be. I didn't see it so much as a proclamation of his homosexuality, but rather, an individual determined to live life on his own terms, rather than kowtow to the wants of society. To this fact I strongly relate. Crisp was a man who faced the ostracism of society head-on, and soldiered on through in spite of it. And for that I admire him strongly. After watching the film, I quietly said "Thank You" to Crisp for his forthrightness and honesty.John Hurt's portrayal of Crisp was absolutely magnificent, and I've been a fan of his ever since. He's the most versatile actor of his generation, having played everyone from Jesus Christ in "History of the World part 1" to the guy in "Alien" who has the little monster jump out of his body to the inimitable Quentin Crisp in this film! However, some of his films are hard to find, given that he's not a household word name as an actor. Too Bad, He's among the best!

In 1976, at 24 I thought I knew enough about gay men, but I was not aware of flamboyant male homosexuality. It can be difficult to watch the beginning of the film if you're like I was and never saw such behavior, but if you stay with it, it pays off big in very touching ways--and not only with regard to homosexuality but to living life in general. This film teaches you about yourself as good art always does. Note: Quentin Crisp (the main character) plays the part of Queen Elizabeth I in a film called "Orlando." And another movie that might be good to introduce someone to male homosexuality is "The Sum of Us" with Russell Crowe, though that film is more lighthearted and sweet than "The Naked Civil Servant."