A comparison of a Genre

Today i will do something a little different, i recently attempted to compare two cult classics, an attempt that failed with the knowledge that the only cult films i knew were camp classics, and wholly unsuitable for comparison with dark masterpiece fight club, so i will take up the sword once more, this time a comparison of two great tv movies, and not of the lifetime kind, and both are adaptations of the life stories of famous writers, the first is The Naked Civil Servant, a film which was shown to me by my wife, and which recounts the early years of Quentin Crisp, played by William Hurt, the film recounts his years in London before his move to New York, and his many jobs, including being a prostitute and a nude model, hence the title, Quentin works for the government as a model for art schools, so Quentin concludes that he is simply, a naked civil servant.

The other film to which I will compare this opus is Christopher and His Kind, an adaptation of the memoir by Christopher Isherwood, the film tells of Isherwood himself, and his embroils in Berlin during the 1930's, in the period during which he went on to write what would become to be known as Cabaret, and stars Matt Smith (Aka Dr Who) as Isherwood himself. Both films are set around the same time, and both portray characters who are fiercely proud of who they are, and are unafraid to be despite the times or places they live in being unforgiving to people of their ilk. The Naked Civil Servant is unusual in it being presented in a series of vignettes, each as a different lesson, this narrative voice is important in the way that it translates the spirit of the novel without it feeling forced.

Imogen Poots as Jean Ross in Christopher and His Kind

Christopher and his Kind is presented in a less radical way, yet is impressive nonetheless, the film is juxtaposed with a series of cabaret performances, by Imogen Poots, playing Jean Ross, herself the inspiration for Sally Bowles. This interspersing of song is appropriate, as the majority of the songs used have a certain relevance, which gives the whole picture a musical theater like quality, and  lends comparison to Cabaret the film himself, in which the songs used are used in performance, yet have a significance in the storytelling.

William Hurt in The Naked Civil Servant

Performances in both films are strong, and William Hurt is particularly impressive in his entertaining yet grounded portrayal of Quentin Crisp, and is every bit as quirky as the man himself. Despite Matt Smith's portrayal being a little less memorable, the film makes up for it by being visually stunning, and with very strong performances by the supporting cast, an particular Toby Jones and Douglas Booth. The film also succedes in that it's source material is much stronger, however being a huge fan of Christopher Isherwood's work, perhaps I'm simply biased, the film also manages to provide more of a sense of the time in which it was set, and of the impending political revolution.

Matt Smith in Christopher and His Kind

All i can say to conclude is that these films are both equally excellent, they are simply different, The Naked Civil Servant is more of a cautionary tale, and is about a fairly long period of time, and revolves around one single memorable performance, which holds up the film. Christopher and his Kind spreads the weight over a number of performances, and indeed a number of years, and like many Isherwood novels, makes one nostalgic for the time in which it is set, and has some great musical moments. There is no simple way to distinguish the ratings for these two films, and i feel i simply must rate them equally, as they are equally as delightful as the other, and are a tribute to the lives of the great men that they portray. Rating: A-/A-