Bent (film)
Encyclopedia
Bent is a 1997 British/Japanese drama film
directed by Sean Mathias
, based on the 1979 play of the same name
by Martin Sherman
, who also wrote the screenplay. It revolves around the persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany
after the murder of Sturmabteilung
leader Ernst Röhm
on the Night of the Long Knives
.
) is a promiscuous gay
man living in 1930s Berlin
. He is at odds with his wealthy family because of his homosexuality
. One evening, much to the resentment of his boyfriend, Rudy (Brian Webber II), Max brings home a handsome Sturmabteilung
man (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). Unfortunately, he does so on the Night of the long knives
, in that Hitler ordered to assasinate the upper echelon of the Sturmabteilung corps. The Sturmabteilung man is discovered and killed by SS
men in Max and Rudy's apartment, and the two have to flee Berlin.
Max's Uncle Freddie (Ian McKellen
) has organized new papers for Max, but Max refuses to leave his boyfriend behind. As a result, Max and Rudy are found and arrested by the Gestapo
and put on a train headed for Dachau. On the train, Rudy is brutally beaten to death by the guards. As Rudy calls out to Max when he is taken away, Max lies to the guards, denying he is gay. He believes his chances for survival in the camp will be better if he is not assigned the pink triangle
. Instead he accepts the yellow star
, indicating he is Jewish.
In the camp, Max falls in love with Horst (Lothaire Bluteau
), who shows him the dignity that lies in acknowledging one's beliefs. After Horst is killed when a guard orders him to the electric fence, Max is ordered to bury him. When the guards have left, Max puts on Horst's jacket with the pink triangle and kills himself
by grabbing the electric fence.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Sean Mathias
Sean Mathias
Sean Gerard Mathias is a British theatre director, film director, writer and actor.Mathias was born in Swansea, south Wales. He is known for directing the film, Bent, and for directing highly acclaimed theatre productions in London, New York, Cape Town, Los Angeles and Sydney...
, based on the 1979 play of the same name
Bent (play)
Bent is a 1979 play by Martin Sherman. It revolves around the persecution of gays in Nazi Germany, and takes place during and after the Night of the Long Knives....
by Martin Sherman
Martin Sherman
Martin Sherman is an American dramatist and screenwriter, best known for his Pulitzer Prize-nominated play Bent , which explores the persecution of homosexuals during the Holocaust...
, who also wrote the screenplay. It revolves around the persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
after the murder of Sturmabteilung
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
leader Ernst Röhm
Ernst Röhm
Ernst Julius Röhm, was a German officer in the Bavarian Army and later an early Nazi leader. He was a co-founder of the Sturmabteilung , the Nazi Party militia, and later was its commander...
on the Night of the Long Knives
Night of the Long Knives
The Night of the Long Knives , sometimes called "Operation Hummingbird " or in Germany the "Röhm-Putsch," was a purge that took place in Nazi Germany between June 30 and July 2, 1934, when the Nazi regime carried out a series of political murders...
.
Plot
Max (Clive OwenClive Owen
Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991...
) is a promiscuous gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
man living in 1930s Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. He is at odds with his wealthy family because of his homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. One evening, much to the resentment of his boyfriend, Rudy (Brian Webber II), Max brings home a handsome Sturmabteilung
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
man (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). Unfortunately, he does so on the Night of the long knives
Night of the Long Knives
The Night of the Long Knives , sometimes called "Operation Hummingbird " or in Germany the "Röhm-Putsch," was a purge that took place in Nazi Germany between June 30 and July 2, 1934, when the Nazi regime carried out a series of political murders...
, in that Hitler ordered to assasinate the upper echelon of the Sturmabteilung corps. The Sturmabteilung man is discovered and killed by SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
men in Max and Rudy's apartment, and the two have to flee Berlin.
Max's Uncle Freddie (Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
) has organized new papers for Max, but Max refuses to leave his boyfriend behind. As a result, Max and Rudy are found and arrested by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
and put on a train headed for Dachau. On the train, Rudy is brutally beaten to death by the guards. As Rudy calls out to Max when he is taken away, Max lies to the guards, denying he is gay. He believes his chances for survival in the camp will be better if he is not assigned the pink triangle
Pink triangle
The pink triangle was one of the Nazi concentration camp badges, used to identify male prisoners who were sent there because of their homosexuality. Every prisoner had to wear a downward-pointing triangle on his or her jacket, the colour of which was to categorise him or her by "kind"...
. Instead he accepts the yellow star
Yellow badge
The yellow badge , also referred to as a Jewish badge, was a cloth patch that Jews were ordered to sew on their outer garments in order to mark them as Jews in public. It is intended to be a badge of shame associated with antisemitism...
, indicating he is Jewish.
In the camp, Max falls in love with Horst (Lothaire Bluteau
Lothaire Bluteau
Lothaire Bluteau is a French-Canadian actor. He was born in Montreal, Quebec and performs in both French and English. He had a recurring role in the third season of the television series 24 as the character Marcus Alvers.-Biography:...
), who shows him the dignity that lies in acknowledging one's beliefs. After Horst is killed when a guard orders him to the electric fence, Max is ordered to bury him. When the guards have left, Max puts on Horst's jacket with the pink triangle and kills himself
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by grabbing the electric fence.
Cast
- Clive OwenClive OwenClive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991...
as Max - Lothaire BluteauLothaire BluteauLothaire Bluteau is a French-Canadian actor. He was born in Montreal, Quebec and performs in both French and English. He had a recurring role in the third season of the television series 24 as the character Marcus Alvers.-Biography:...
as Horst - Ian McKellenIan McKellenSir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
as Uncle Freddie - Brian Webber II as Rudy
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Wolf
- Mick JaggerMick JaggerSir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
as Greta - Jude LawJude LawDavid Jude Heyworth Law , known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989...
as Stormtrooper - Paul BettanyPaul BettanyPaul Bettany is an English actor. He has appeared in a wide variety of films, including A Knight's Tale, A Beautiful Mind, and The Da Vinci Code...
as Captain - Rachel WeiszRachel WeiszRachel Hannah Weisz born 7 March 1970)is an English-American film and theatre actress and former fashion model. She started her acting career at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where she co-founded the theatrical group Cambridge Talking Tongues...
as Prostitute
Awards
- 1997: Won Award of the Youth at the Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film FestivalThe Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
- 1998: Won Best Feature Film in the Torino International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival