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We have also included relevant events from Arts and Politics. The film is a time-capsule of a particular moment in British queer history, capturing a kind of limbo that followed decriminalisation, but preceded the ravaging effects of the AIDs crisis. This moment has often been portrayed as a high point of sexual freedom and hedonism: a rare time when queer sex would not result in death or imprisonment. Jeopardy is one thing totally lacking in Nighthawks.
This makes it an odd watch in hindsight, so conditioned is the twenty-first century viewer to tales of queer love that end in death or dramatic upset. Lovers and pupils come and go, but his side of the interaction remains the same; unable to form any lasting connection, Jim is frustrated both in the club and the classroom. This frustration is encoded in the form of the film itself: the same shots reappear time and again, and the music that pulses through the clubs and bars even following Jim to his work party is a fatigued repetition of a synthetic beat.
This dourness appears honest. Peck drew on his own experiences as a queer man in London, as well as canvassing the gay press for collaborators and tips. Derek Jarman provided the locations, and appears loitering in one of the bars. However, whilst non-actors can be refreshing in their truthful portrayals, this naivety can be lost beneath clumsy performances. The camerawork too teeters on the obvious. This can make for an awkward watching experience, particularly for audiences used to the slick professionalism of high-budget Hollywood.
In the twilight of prejudice, he is tolerated by his headmaster, but no more. Forced to lead a double life, he exists in a kind of limbo from which his retreat into the Soho bars and clubs provide no respite; never able to move into a steady relationship Jim is romantically hamstrung too.
