I just saw this movie on BFI and must sing its praises. How it ran under my radar, as a gay man, for all these years, both in Ireland and here in California—I am at a loss for words. But better late than never, right?
I was skeptical when it advertised itself as the first feature film to portray gay life in London with unflinching realism. But, having been released in 1978 when gay cinema – as you may have read in my series of essays on Queer Cinema – was still being painted in various shades of grey, it comes as a revelation.
Directed by Ron Peck and co-written with Paul Hallam, Nighthawks is indeed a landmark in British queer cinema. Influenced by Nicholas Ray’s films, particularly “Rebel Without a Cause” (see my essay on Queer Cinema under the Hays Code), Peck uses a relaxed cinema verité style, innovatively using a hand-held camera and strikingly using close-ups.
The story follows Jim (Ken Robertson, in a brave understated performance of great emotional depth) a secondary school geography teacher who leads a double life. By day, he’s a quiet, professional educator. By night, he frequents gay bars and discos, searching for connection but mostly encountering fleeting encounters. Jim is open about his sexuality, but the film explores the emotional toll of his isolation and the societal pressures he faces.
THE PAST IS A FOREIGN COUNTRY, THEY DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY THERE
– L.P. Hartley – “The Go-Between”
1978, you say. Not that long ago, you say. You had disco and Donna Summer. A gay couple was about to be on the cover of Time magazine, and London’s legendary gay dance club Heaven would open its doors within the year. Then it dawns on you that it was almost 50 years ago, and, to paraphrase L.P. Hartley, the past is a different country, and boy did they do things differently there. What you worry about for Jim is his vulnerability and almost complete lack of protection by or from society. Homosexuality had been decriminalized in Great Britain eleven years previously. Still, there was virtually no way for someone in Jim’s position to blend their daytime and nighttime personas into a healthy unifying whole. And how loneliness and the soul destruction that goes along with that eventually takes its toll.
A pivotal moment occurs when Jim’s students confront him directly about rumors of his sexuality. In a powerful classroom scene, he responds with honesty and composure, challenging their prejudices and ignorance. However, despite this moment of courage, the film ends on a sobering note: Jim is still alone, still searching, still navigating a world that offers little emotional refuge. “Nighthawks” doesn’t provide easy resolutions — instead, it captures the quiet resilience of a man living authentically in a society that barely tolerates his presence.
Cameo by queer British director Derek Jarman.
