Jarman, Derek (1942-1994), was a British motion-picture director, painter, and writer. He used experimental forms of filmmaking. Jarman’s movies were controversial because of their homoerotic imagery—that is, imagery involving sexual activity or desire between people of the same sex. Jarman was an outspoken social critic. Many of his movies attacked the harshness of modern society and the commercialization of filmmaking. These movies were noted for their lush imagery and adventurous style.
Jarman was born on Jan. 31, 1942, in Northwood, Middlesex, England. He studied painting at the Slade School, in London, England, from 1963 to 1967 and continued to paint for the rest of his life. After leaving the Slade School, Jarman worked on costume and set design for the Royal Ballet, based in London. In 1970, he was a production designer for the British director Ken Russell on Russell’s film The Devils. Jarman started making short films at this time.
Jarman made his first feature film, Sebastiane, in 1975. It used homoerotic imagery and dialogue in Latin to portray the martyrdom (death for a cause) of Saint Sebastian, a Roman Christian of the 200’s. Jarman’s later movies included Jubilee (1977), Caravaggio (1986), and The Last of England (1987). The Last of England is a silent film about the modern decline of the United Kingdom. It shows the country as a desolate urban wasteland. Jarman also made some pop videos and designed opera and ballet sets.
In 1987, Jarman learned that he had HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. He became a supporter of causes related to AIDS. In the last seven years of his life, Jarman made several films about his own experience of AIDS and its effects. His last film, Blue (1993), made when he was almost blind, is radically experimental. During the 76-minute film, the screen remains an unvarying blue color while viewers hear music and voices describing Jarman’s illness. Jarman kept a journal throughout his life. He also wrote a number of autobiographical books, including Dancing Ledge (1984), The Last of England (1987), Modern Nature (1991), and At Your Own Risk (1992). Jarman died on Feb. 19, 1994.
