Sebastiane (1976)

Reassigned to a lowly outpost, a Roman guard's Christian beliefs clash with his gay commander's desire for closeness. Being tortured becomes pleasurable.

Directors:

Paul Humfress, Derek Jarman

Writers:

Paul Humfress, Derek Jarman

Stars:

Leonardo Treviglio, Barney James, Neil Kennedy

Cast

Cast overview:
Leonardo Treviglio	...	Sebastian (as Leonard Treviglio)
Barney James	...	Severus
Neil Kennedy	...	Max
Richard Warwick	...	Justin
Donald Dunham	...	Claudius
Ken Hicks	...	Adrian
Janusz Romanov	...	Anthony
Steffano Massari	...	Marius
Daevid Finbar	...	Julian
Gerald Incandela	...	Leopard Boy
Robert Medley	...	Emperor Diocletian

Storyline

300 A.D. : the Roman Sebastianus is exiled to a remote outpost populated exclusively by men. Weakened by their desires, these men turn to homosexual activities to satisfy their needs. However, Sebastianus becomes the target of lust for a homosexual centurion, but he rejects the man's advances.

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Plot Keywords:

male full frontal nudity | penis | male rear nudity | gay love | whipping | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

X

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

Latin

Release Date:

28 October 1976 (UK)

Also Known As:

Sebastian

Filming Locations:

Cala Domestica, Sardinia, Italy

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,091

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinegate, Disctac, Megalovision

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title is the Latin vocative form of Sebastian's name, and means "O Sebastian!".

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Goofs

It takes a full minute for Sebastian to pour his jug of water onto himself, a seemingly long and impossibly protracted amount of time. He finally sets the jug down but then proceeds to continue his shower with water hitting him from somewhere overhead. (Presumably he had just trained the desert air how to accommodate him by demonstrating a desired effect, and the desert air obliges by squeezing copious amounts of water from itself to wash him.)

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Quotes

Sebastian: His beauty is enhanced by his anger. It is his anger which is devine. His punishments are like Christ's promise. He takes me in his arm and caresses my bleeding body. I want to be with him. I love him.

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Alternate Versions

When shown on British television in the 1980s, a shot of a naked man with the erection was cut out of the film.

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Connections

Referenced in Postcards from America (1994)

User Reviews

The "Gone With the Wind" of homoerotic fantasies

It's surprising more comments haven't been posted for this production which, at the time of its original release, created quite a stir. Perhaps the film's failure to create a continuing subgenre of imitators is to blame, but then, that makes it a one-of-a-kind effort and efforts of this sort deserve remembering as well.

Looking back on the film from more than a quarter of a century, it seems clear that normal criteria concerning story, dialog, and character simply don't apply here. Instead, one must simply view it as a feverish, almost hallucinogenic fantasy drenched with homoerotic, sadomasochistic imagery that is played out against a sun-drenched dreamscape on the Sardinian coast. Think of it as a high-class photo shoot for an avant-garde fashion magazine specializing in loincloths and Roman military paraphernalia.

Having the dialog spoken in Latin can be dismissed as a "gimmick" but actually it adds to the film's air of mystery and unreality. If only some of the anachronisms could have been avoided!

Considering the possibilities, there's surprisingly little sex here, though it's a subject often discussed and, indeed, the whole film is imbued with an air of desire and yearning. On the other hand, there's a plethora of bondage and torture. Leonardo Treviglio, who plays the title character and who spends most of the movie in no more than a loincloth, is hanged by his wrists and flogged, burned with a flame, staked out spreadeagle-style under the scorching sun, and finally shot full of arrows. Curiously, his most memorable torment is also the simplest. Barney James, playing the commanding officer who's torn by conflicting emotions, takes a handful of sand and grinds it into Treviglio's bare torso, blurring the lines between pleasure and pain, between lust and longing. It's a memorable moment in a movie that is now half-forgotten ... like one of those dreams which fade from the mind after you awaken, even though you try to recall the details.