Sebastiane (1976)

Sebastiane: Directed by Paul Humfress, Derek Jarman. With Leonardo Treviglio, Barney James, Neil Kennedy, Richard Warwick. Reassigned to a lowly outpost, a Roman guard’s Christian beliefs clash with his gay commander’s desire for closeness. Being tortured becomes pleasurable.

“u0026quot;Sebastianeu0026quot; is fairly unique in film history, at least prior to Gibsonu0026#39;s u0026quot;The Passion,u0026quot; for its exclusive (and historically correct) use of Latin. That said, it was also a ground-breaker for its sensitive and frank depiction of homosexual desire in a film intended for the non-pornographic market. Potential viewers should be aware that the same-sex sexual content is quite explicit, and that the film would have an NC-17 rating if released in the US today. The film was shot entirely on location in (if I recall correctly) North Africa, and the arid, nearly tree-less landscape lends itself to the storyline quite well. Costuming is minimal, limited to loincloths, helmets, greaves, and gauntlets. The acting is somewhat stiff, probably the result of speaking a u0026quot;deadu0026quot; language. But without question, if you are a fan of Derek Jarman and his work, this is a film that should not be missed, if you can find it. I have never seen it on any selleru0026#39;s lists in the US. My own tape of it was obtained in Europe.”