NAKED

UK, 1993, 131 minutes, Colour.

David Thewlis, Leslie Sharp, Katrin Cartlige, Greg Crutwell, Claire Skinner, Peter Wight, Ewen Bremner, Susan Vidler, Deborah McLaren, Gina McKee.

Directed by Mike Leigh.

While Mike Leigh had made many films during the 80s and into the 90s, strong domestic dramas, for television and cinema, as well as his portrait of Gilbert and Sullivan, Topsy Turvey, the success of Naked at the Cannes Film Festival in 1993, winning David Thewlis best actor and Leigh best director, definitely put Leigh on the cinema map. This was confirmed by further success in 1996 with Secrets and Lies. For 25 years Lee made a succession of striking films, more generally about family and interactions but also venturing out to a portrait of the artist, Turner. Leigh was also involved in writing and producing plays.

Naked is particularly grim. It is, so to speak, and naked portrait of its central character, Johnny (although he never appears naked himself). Johnny is from Manchester, seen initially sexually abusing a woman who runs away, then driving to London, to meet up with his former girlfriend, Louise (Leslie Sharp). Johnny is an angry man, a bitter man, self-absorbed, bursting out in rage, bursting out with central passion, violent. He is a kind of 20^th century Everyman – or a 20^th century anti-Everyman.

Johnny quotes the Bible, Nostradamus, talk about the end of the world – he seems to live in a kind of pre-apocalyptic world.

The screenplay of the film is a series of episodes, Johnny landing at the flat and imposing on Louise, flirtation and sexual behaviour with her rather high flatmate, Sophie (Katrin Cartlige). He encounters a young Scotsman in the city looking for his girlfriend (Ewan Bremner in an early role, Susan Vidler), meets up with a security guard at a fashionable but empty building, Brian (Peter Wight) who allows Johnny in, they talk a lot, Brian revealing something of his lonely life. Brian also looks out a window across to a building with a sensual woman, Johnny eventually going to her, a touch of sadomasochism in his encounter with her. He also encounters a young woman at a cafe, Gina McKee, going home with her, but alienating her and her ousting him. And then he is bashed in the street after an encounter with a man putting up posters who ousts him from his truck and kicks him.

After the bashing, Johnny returns to Louise, alienating Sophie and her escaping, Sandra the owner of the flat coming home suddenly, her boyfriend having imposed himself (Sebastian, Graham Cruttwell) and exploited Sophie. He is the arrogant, self-centred upper-class presumptuous male.

Leigh has tended to be very pessimistic – and, while Louise gives up her job with plans to return to Manchester, hoping to go with Johnny, he packs up and leaves. To where…?

Masterpieces like Secrets and Lies, Vera Drake, Another Year, were still in the future.

1. Mike Leigh’s work, Awards?
2. The opening in Manchester, dark alleys, night? Travelling to London? London, streets, flats, interiors, the empty building, the woman in the flat, the cafe? Seedy atmosphere? The musical score?
3. David Thewlis, his award-winning performance? Johnny, his age, background, Manchester, the relationship with Louise? The opening, the savage sexual attack, the woman running away, denouncing him? Taking the car, the intense drive to London? His purpose?
4. Johnny as a morose, raging Everyman or anti-Everyman? The source of his rage? His personality, his intellect and reading, his philosophical reflections? His savage sensuality?
5. The encounter with Louise, leaving Manchester, hoping to marry, her job, boring, boarding with Sandra, with Sophie? Her attitudes towards Johnny? Anger, compassion? Looking after Johnny, care for him? Yet his walking out on her?
6. The encounter with Sophie, drugs, high-tension, the encounters with Johnny? Friendship with Louise? Sebastian, his arrival, the sexual behaviour, the nurse’s outfit? His callow behaviour, staying in the house? Her growing desperation, Johnnie returning, helping, walking out?
7. Sandra, her flat, absent in Zimbabwe, the relationship with Sebastian, returning early, her shock, the three in the bed, Sebastian present, a nursing background, wanting everything tidy?
8. Johnny’s succession of encounters? The young Scotsman in the street, his language, searching for his girlfriend, the tick of jerking his head? Searching for his girlfriend? Waiting for Johnny? Johnny finding the girlfriend, her being abusive, staying with him? Their ultimately coming together, angers, leaving? The impact on Johnny? Johnny’s influence?
9. The building, standing outside, Brian, eventually letting him in, the conversations, Brian revealing his life, his tedious job, the to-ing and fro-ing of the conversation? Johnny outside, the going for something to eat, Brian and his regrets?
10. Looking at woman through the window, Johnny going over, the talk, her attitude, sadomasochism, the sexual encounter, Johnny and his cruel attitudes?
11. The encounter with the chauffeur, getting in the car, the chauffeur discovering his error, ousting Johnny?
12. The man putting up the posters, the topics, Johnny’s conversation, the van, out of the van, the post and kicking Johnny?
13. The alley, the group attacking Johnny, his injuries, struggling back to Louise, the effect, the care, the encounter with Sebastian, Sandra returning?
14. The girl at the cafe, forlorn, going home with her, his having the bath, the drink, her talking, getting maudlin, ousting him?
15. Johnny, his background, philosophy, Bible and Nostradamus, apocalyptic, his rage, relating with people, savage sensuality, absorbed in himself, abandoning everyone?