Review of The Naked Civil Servant (1975) by William S — 16 Sep 2007

The Naked Civil Servant is a TV film from 1975, based on famous gay wit Quentin Crisp?s autobiography. John Hurt gives a characteristically committed, outstanding performance. His Crisp is both a bon vivant and a serious, determined man who, underneath his outrageously camp exterior, is anything but frivolous, flamboyantly using his wit and dress like weapons as a defence to the repressive, smug and specious attacks from the mainstream English establishment and society, which regards his sexuality as criminal and deviant.

What makes Hurt?s unlikely crusader so appealing is not only his inspiring moral force in facing prejudice, abuse and rejection with honesty, courage and an uproarious sense of humour, but that he never loses his belief in humanity, living his life undaunted and surrounded by friends who he treats with warmth and compassion.

Jack Gold?s direction is wonderfully theatrical and so suited to Crisp?s eccentric world, and the dialogue is incandescent. Nevertheless, the film?s narrative, as it ranges over Crisp?s long life, is episodic and at times sketchy. Also unnecessarily, Quentin Crisp himself appears in a sort of preface at the beginning of the film.