Director: Sean Mathias
Year: 1997
Duration: 102 minutes
Language: English


Berlin 1934: Shortly before the so-called "Röhm Putsch", the young Briton Max and his friend Rudy celebrate a last intoxicating party in Greta's club. In the infamous "Night of the Long Knives", the attractive SA man Max conquered in the club is brutally murdered by the SS. Max and Rudy are able to flee Berlin, but are caught. On the train to Dachau, Max learns from fellow prisoner Horst to observe the "new order". In order to survive, he does what the Gestapo demands, he participates in the killing of his lover and denies his homosexuality. In the concentration camp, Max and Horst have to carry stones, they are tortured and humiliated. But despite the strict guarding and without being allowed to touch each other, they find a way to love each other.

The play "Bent" by Martin Sherman became a hit after its premiere in 1979. At the London premiere, Ian McKellen played the leading role, in the first Broadway production Richard Gere. For the 1997 film adaptation, Sherman and director Sean Mathias cast Clive Owen, who was largely unknown at the time. Other roles include Ian McKellen as Max's gay uncle, Mick Jagger as an aging drag queen and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau ("Game of Thrones") as a blond SA man.

"Bent" is a harrowing reminder of the horrors of Nazi persecution of homosexuals – and a deeply touching testimony to the fact that love and humanity cannot be broken even in the darkest hour. Now the classic of queer cinema returns in a digitally restored version