Sebastiane

Sebastiane
Sebastiane
	Promotional poster
Directed by	Derek Jarman; Paul Humfress
Written by	Derek Jarman; Paul Humfress; James Whaley
Produced by	Howard Malin; James Whaley
Starring	Leonardo Treviglio [it]; Barney James; Richard Warwick; Neil Kennedy
Cinematography	Peter Middleton
Edited by	Paul Humfress
Music by	Brian Eno; Andrew Thomas Wilson
Distributed by	Cinegate
Release date	15 December 1976;
Running time	85 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	Latin

Sebastiane is a 1976 Latin-language British historical film directed by Derek Jarman and Paul Humfress and written by Jarman, Humfress and James Whaley. It portrays the events of the life of Saint Sebastian, including his iconic martyrdom by arrows. The film, which was aimed at a gay audience, was controversial for the homoeroticism portrayed between the soldiers and for having dialogue entirely in Latin.

Plot

In the third century AD, Sebastian is a member of the Emperor Diocletian's personal guard. When he tries to intervene to stop one of the Emperor's catamites from being strangled by one of his bodyguards, Sebastian is exiled to a remote coastal garrison and reduced in rank to private. Sebastian is an early Christian and sublimates his desire for his male companions into worship of his deity and pacifism. Both incense Severus, the commanding officer of the garrison, who becomes increasingly obsessed with Sebastian, tries to assault him, and ultimately presides over his summary execution for refusing to take up arms in defence of the Roman Empire. Justin, one of his comrades in arms, is also in love with Sebastian, albeit necessarily unrequited, but he forms a friendship with the stubborn celibate pacifist. Adrian and Anthony, two of Sebastian's fellow soldiers, are gay and obviously in love with one another.

Cast

Barney James as Severus
Neil Kennedy as Maximus
Leonardo Treviglio as Sebastian
Richard Warwick as Justin
Donald Dunham as Claudius
Daevid Finbar as Julian
Ken Hicks as Adrian
Lindsay Kemp as Dancer
Steffano Massari as Marius
Janusz Romanov as Anthony
Gerald Incandela as Leopard Boy
Robert Medley as Emperor Diocletian

The emperor's guests included such notables as Peter Hinwood, Nell Campbell, and Patricia Quinn (all of Rocky Horror fame), Jordan, Philip Sayer, Charlotte Barnes, Nicholas de Jongh, Duggie Fields, Christopher Hobbs, Andrew Logan, and Johnny Rozsa.

Reception

Margaret Walters, author of The Nude Male, commented that Sebastiane, "where male nudes in various stages of ecstasy positively littered the screen", was "successfully aimed at a very specialized homosexual audience."^[2]

Home media

The film was released on DVD in the UK and the U.S. A Blu-ray disc was released in the U.S. on August 7, 2012.^[3]

References

^ "SEBASTIANE (X)". British Board of Film Classification. 13 September 1976. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
^ Walters, Margaret (1978). The Nude Male: A New Perspective. London: Paddington Press. p. 299. ISBN 0-7092-0871-5.
^ "Sebastiane Blu-ray". blu-ray.com. Retrieved 11 December 2020. Filmed entirely in vulgar Latin, this experimental film recounts the life of Sebastiane, a puritanical but beautiful Christian soldier in the Roman Imperial troops who is martyred when he refuses the homosexual advances of his pagan captain. When this film was released, it was the only English-made film to have required English subtitles, and it is an early film by the noted experimental and outspokenly homosexual director Derek Jarman, who died in 1994.

Audio recording of Derek Jarman interviewed by Ken Campbell at the ICA, London, 7 February 1984

External links

Quotations related to Sebastiane at Wikiquote
Sebastiane at IMDb

[1] "SEBASTIANE (X)". British Board of Film Classification. 13 September 1976. Retrieved 27 December 2014.

[Walters-2] Walters, Margaret (1978). The Nude Male: A New Perspective. London: Paddington Press. p. 299. ISBN 0-7092-0871-5.

[3] "Sebastiane Blu-ray". blu-ray.com. Retrieved 11 December 2020. Filmed entirely in vulgar Latin, this experimental film recounts the life of Sebastiane, a puritanical but beautiful Christian soldier in the Roman Imperial troops who is martyred when he refuses the homosexual advances of his pagan captain. When this film was released, it was the only English-made film to have required English subtitles, and it is an early film by the noted experimental and outspokenly homosexual director Derek Jarman, who died in 1994.

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v t e Films directed by Derek Jarman
Feature Films	Sebastiane (1976) Jubilee (1978) The Tempest (1979) The Angelic Conversation (1985) Caravaggio (1986) Aria (segment "Depuis le Jour") (1987) The Last of England (1988) War Requiem (1989) The Garden (1990) Edward II (1991) Wittgenstein (1993) Blue (1993)
Short film collages	In the Shadow of the Sun (1981) Glitterbug (1994)