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Amos Lassen wrote on 04/02/2011:

Last night I figured it was time to drop in on Quentin Crisp again as I hadn’t seen “The Naked Civil Servant” in about 12 years. The film was first broadcast on Public Television in about 1975 and caused quite a sensation. Quentin Crisp was a British gay man who came out in the 1920’s and he, himself, introduces the film about his life but with John Hurt playing him. The film follows his life as he found his place in the gay community of the time as well as his quest for fame and fortune. There is no sugarcoating; we see Crisp as he was—flamboyant and arrogant. The movie is as powerful now as it was when it was first shown. We see a man’s determination to stand up for his right to be himself and this is what the film is about—an individual who would not give into the standards of society. He was ostracized by many but he did not stop being himself.
John Hurt gives an amazing performance and took the role to heart, Crisp, like Oscar Wilde, was the brunt of many jokes and nasty gossip, all because he wanted to be himself. Hurt gives us the spirit of the man who did not grovel to the conventions of society. In this way, Crisp gave the world a free spirited soul. Hurt’s Crisp is a bon vivant and a serious determined man, who beneath his camp trappings is certainly not frivolous. He uses his wit and his dress as weapons against society and the smugs and stabs of the mainstream British establishment and society. Hurt shows him as a crusader who is appealing because of his own moral force in the way he faces prejudice. He has a wonderful sense of humor and he never loses his belief in humanity and lives his life undaunted and surrounds himself with friends. His world is eccentric and he speaks with authority. He busted out of the closet long before it was the fashionable thing to do and he was, quite simply, the most remarkable man. The film too is quite remarkable.

Oliver Penn wrote on 02/27/2007:

Quentin Crisp lived a few blocks from me in the East Village for years. We stood in line at the bank many times and waved to one another from across streets and when he saw me from a cafe window. He'd passed my apt. bldg. and smiled, tipped his velvet hat and nodded "morning" and went on his way.

I was always amused when I saw him scurrying down Second Avenue, with his blue hair and theatrical gait. I always remembered this wonderful movie and thought to myself, "that's Quentin Crisp - the Naked Civil Servant"!

If you've never seen this movie, you must. It's incredible and John Hurt does a remarkable job. Why he was not up for "best actor" Oscar in 1980, I cannot understand. What a magnificent performance!

Dinosaur wrote on 02/19/2007:

Finally, a DVD of this marvelous movie. I have an old VHS tape I recorded years ago that's pretty burnt up. I have watched this tape many, many times. It is so very funny--and so well portrays the life of Quentin Crisp. If you are gay--you will see humor with some drama too. If you are straight--it shows you a part of life you have probably never known. John Hurt's performance is what makes this movie unforgetable. I rate this performance in the league of Elizabeth Taylor in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". The others in the cast are amazing as well. I could go on forever about this movie. There is one thing more--you come away after watching this with an unexpected appreciation how BRAVE he was living life as he saw fit.