| |  | Directors: Derek Jarman, Paul Humfress
Actors: Barney James, Neil Kennedy, Leonardo Treviglio, Richard Warwick, Donald Dunham
Studio: Cinevista Inc.
Buy New: $49.95
New (1) Used (6) from $5.99
Rating:  24 reviews
Sales Rank: 23958
Format: Color, Ntsc
Languages: Latin (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: X (Mature Audiences Only)
Media: VHS Tape
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 6303464491
UPC: 097113395017
EAN: 9786303464497
ASIN: 6303464491
Release Date: July 12, 1995
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: ***PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS THE EARLIER 1991 AXON VHS #1916AVC WITH CLAMSHELL CASE! READY TO SHIP! 25 YEAR VIDEO DEALER!
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 24
 Deliciously obscene April 24, 2006
Stalwart Kreinblaster (Xanadu)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
After my initial dissapointment with Jarman's second film 'Jubilee', I was a bit hesitant to watch 'Sebastiane' but I'm glad I did because it shed some light on the nature and capabilities of this stage of Jarman's career - he was ambitious, bold, and very resourcefull - this is one of the finest low budget productions I have seen. This is the story of Sebastiane the man who died for his christian beliefs - but in this adaptation the focus is more on the homosexual tendencies of Roman military - it is almost a study in contrast the repression and solitiude of Sebastiane against the indulgences and vulgarity of Rome. There is also a beautiful soundtrack by Brian Eno.
 Feast for the eyes............ July 26, 2006
(Mr.) N. Sean Wright (Whiteville, NC USA)
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
.............but not, so much, for the mind.
DON'T MISUNDERSTAND,
this is a great film, but honestly speaking, I think this film is most notable simply as being a single product of
Derek Jarman's genius; not as being a distinctive masterwork, in itself. If you want to speak in terms
of advancement/positive representation in homosexually themed art,
this is the gold star winner. Otherwise, the visuals are the only thing that makes this movie noteworthy.
Jarman's Sebastiane is a genuine visual delight. Within this film lies a
remarkable portrait of the masculine condition (strength, weakness, beauty, intimidation, domination). The brute masculinity of the soldiers is smartly juxtaposed with the arid harshess of the desert in which they are exiled. As men void of females, they are like any other lifeform that is subjected
to the extremes of the desert: survive on what is provided or perish therein.
This lofty theme, however, is undermined by poor acting,
questionable historical references, and latin pronunciation (OH MY GOD, THE LATIN!!) that sounds like a Pig Latin translation
of a Shakespeare manuscript (my latin professor would have
gone into cardiac arrest after 2 minutes).
HOWEVER (!!!!)............................
NONE OF THIS takes away from the brilliance of this film. I actually believe this is one of the most beautiful films
ever made. There is surgical dilligence applied to the cinematography. Panoramic sweeps and simple elements like
close-ups of insects are used to give this movie a smooth, lyrical, and almost hallucinagenic effect.
But be aware,
this film is strictly for visual pleasure: the bodies, the desert panorama, etc. Any desire you may have for anything more profound will certainly go disappointed. A zealous attempt
was made to produce an intelligent film, but it failed in
delivery.This movie is a brilliant example of Jarman's sense of art.
It is not his best work, but at the same time, it is pleasing to watch.
Highly recommendable.
A unique, marvelous film! March 29, 2000
8 out of 11 found this review helpful
There really is no other film quite like Sebastiane. It's a tragic, yet hauntingly beautiful, film about love and desire and jealousy. As to the latin dialogue, I believe the point of that was to not detract from the homoeroticism and the gorgeous men and the nonverbal give-and-take which goes on between the actors. It's probably true that this film is appreciated more by gay men than other groups of people; it's a relatively unknown work, yet whenever I pull it out and show it to my friends, they're always just blown away by the film's erotic power, despite the passage of nearly 30 years. A masterpiece.
sebastiane August 1, 2003
8 out of 13 found this review helpful
My copy of the Kino DVD is full screen and not letterboxed as advertised. Several seconds have been deleted from the perhaps too long slow motion sequence with frolicking bathers - but these seconds are important and Jarman captured a natural and realistic event knowing full well what he was doing . I acquired the DVD to replace my old VHS version and while it is superior in many ways, I will keep the video as the true version and the one I saw originally on the movie screen.
 A dim light January 10, 2005
Terran (Sunny CA USA)
8 out of 13 found this review helpful
I would feel better about this film if it hadn't been supposedly based on the life of St. Sebastiane as the details in the film are so off. It is pretense to assume it is any bio of the saint. Instead of seeing the Sebastiane performing acts of kindness for imprisoned christians in Rome, we're off at the seashore, an outpost, where nothing deserving of sainthood happens (there are no miracles accorded Sebastiane anyway, but he was martyred in Rome). Presumably the location shoot was to save on the budget, in terms of sets, actors and costumes. But the film presumably wouldn't have been financed if it hadn't been for the "saint" angle. But film maker Jarman seems to be exploring his own agenda, as contrary to Roman military discipline, the soldiers at the outpost are barely clad, and often nude. Though visually stunning, the nudity and hot sun fall short of an erotic film, too. And if you're expecting anything graphic, this isn't the place to find it. What you do have is a hunky blond "captain" who is in lust with Sebastiane and makes the poor man miserable. Or does he? Because Sebastiane - and this is the S/M element - seems less than genuine in his expressed christianity (and was Sebastiane even a Christian or merely someone who helped Christians?) and more about taunting Captain Severus. It's like the two of them are in some inevitable duel to the finish, with Severus being teased and Sebastiane doing the teasing because he's incapable of anything more substantial. Instead of a rape, which would occur in most films at this point, there is the inevitable result, the sainted martyrdom, but it seems more about Sebastiane (who speaks as if he is "in love" with God rather than loving God) being cool and Severus having tried everything else and giving up in despair. Two minor points, one being the soldiers at one time hunting down and killing a pig, talking about pork as if they haven't had any for a long time, yet we've already seen they care for their own occupied pig pen, so that's a contradiction. Also, the more interesting couple might have been Anthony & Adrian but their burgeoning love affair is more background. So, I had high hopes for the film based upon the reviews here, but found it a disappointment for a variety of reasons.
|
|
|
We'll be adding even more exciting features to assist you in the coming year.
Thank you for shopping at the Depot.com online shopping depot.
©2008 Depot.com | |
