Any minority craves images of itself, and this compilation
of clips from Britain's post-war cinema archives is a testament
to the closeted appearances of gay characters and sentiments
from filmmaking's earliest days.
Following gay characters as they go from being the butt
of jokes to full-blown leading characters, Weiss has captured
a playful, occasionally melodramatic, insight into on-screen
homosexual characterizations.
With Ian McKellen as narrator and witty graphics to bridge
the thematic sections, "A Bit of Scarlet" reveals
to what lengths the film industry went to include and yet
ridicule gay characters. Both well-known portraits - like
John Hurt's performance as Quentin Crisp in the groundbreaking
BBC biography - and more obscure finds, make for a telling
look at British cinema's postmodern queer soap opera.
Selected Festivals, Awards, and TV Broadcasts
- Chosen for "Best of the Fest"
at Edinburgh International Film Festival
- Selected for best documentary, Festival
de Films de Femmes Paris 1998
- Berlin International Film Festival
- Melbourne and Brisbane International Film Festivals
- TV Broadcast: Channel Four, UK
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