Derek Jarman's debut feature film created a firestorm of controversy over its frank portrayal of homosexuality, violence, and the ultimate martyrdom of the Catholic saint Sebastiane in 303 A.D. A visually striking fantasy, SEBASTIANE begins at the court of Emperor Diocletian in an unforgettable sequence of Roman excess and Bacchanalian sexuality. Similar in tone to the opening sequence to Ken Russell's THE DEVILS, which Jarman designed in 1971, the film is also reminiscent of the orgiastic fantasies of Federico Fellini's SATYRICON and Cecil B. DeMille's THE SIGN OF THE CROSS. (Jarman was conscious of these similarities--a Roman soldier in the film, dreaming of the golden era of Rome, mentions "Cecilli Mille" and "Phillistini's Satyricon.") Accused of standing up for a Christian, Sebastiane (Leonardo Treviglio), friend of the emperor and captain of his guard, is demoted to mere soldier and banished from Rome to a coastal outpost. This remote place proves to be both a barren wasteland and an oasis of freedom where the men are free to act out homosexual fantasies and explore their hidden desires. However, Sebastiane angers outpost captain Severus by ignoring his sexual advances and devoting himself to God. Their ongoing battle erupts in a violent and stunningly homoerotic execution. Jarman's striking work is acted in Latin with English subtitles and features music by Brian Eno.
Derek Jarman biography and filmography.
Three early Jarman shorts: Journey to Avebury (1971), Garden of Luxor (1972), Art of Mirrors (1973).
