Rating: 
Summary: "Don't love me...they don't want us to."
Review: What an amazing film! Every bit as good as "Schindler's List" (if not better!) Stark and haunting in it's portrayal of gay persecution at the hands of the Nazis. Clive Owen is wonderful as the all-too-human Max who must deny himself and even kill his lovers in order to survive. Lothaire Bluteau is absolutely heroic as Horst. Inspiring and heartwrenching, it is a shame it is not a more widely known and regarded film. The real shame, however, lies in the continued silence and little lies that many gay men and women must live with even today in order to survive. One hopes that a film such as this would open both our minds and hearts so that one would not have to sacrifice truth for freedom (or mere survival) or freedom for truth as Max had to do and many STILL feel they must. "Queers aren't supposed to love" but they do. And that love is not supposed to speak it's name but it must so that the atrocities depicted in "Bent" will not happen again. We must remember. We must NEVER forget. We must speak the truth. For Silence is Death.
Rating:
Summary: "Don't love me...they don't want us to."
Review: What an amazing film! Every bit as good as "Schindler's List" (if not better!) Stark and haunting in it's portrayal of gay persecution at the hands of the Nazis. Clive Owen is wonderful as the all-too-human Max who must deny himself and even kill his lovers in order to survive. Lothaire Bluteau is absolutely heroic as Horst. Inspiring and heartwrenching, it is a shame it is not a more widely known and regarded film. The real shame, however, lies in the continued silence and little lies that many gay men and women must live with even today in order to survive. One hopes that a film such as this would open both our minds and hearts so that one would not have to sacrifice truth for freedom (or mere survival) or freedom for truth as Max had to do and many STILL feel they must. "Queers aren't supposed to love" but they do. And that love is not supposed to speak it's name but it must so that the atrocities depicted in "Bent" will not happen again. We must remember. We must NEVER forget. We must speak the truth. For Silence is Death.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: What an incredible film this is! Every bit as good as "Schindler's List." The raw intensity of this film is at once horrendous and heartwrenching. Owen's character is both dispicable and wholly human; Bluteau's Horst is justifiably angry, yet tender in his love of Max. Though predictable, Max's redemption is completely believable and the end, though bitter, is strangely satisfying. It makes one question one's own strength and the dailly struggle for truth and the white lies we all live with in order to survive comfortably. Absolutely incredible!
Rating:
Summary: See It!!!
Review: What can I possibly say about this movie that would not bring me to tears. This movie was very powerful and thought provoking. I just could not understand the hatred for human beings, just because of what religion, sexual orientation, or whether they had a big nose. I just can't for the life of me figured that out. I guess I will never figure it out.There were some very strong scenes in this movie that tugged at my heart. The ridiculous killing of men and women for no apparent reason other than what I said above. The never ending work the prisoners did was just unspeakable. The conditions, and also the ever popular "no touching each other". The latter is the most difficult to endure for two gay men captured and put to work in the concentration camps. In one powerful scene, that I have to admit I watched over and over about five times, during one of Max and Horst's (main stars) rock moving extravaganza's, they are allowed a three minute rest period while working a twelve hour shift. They are not allowed to look at each other, they must stand up straight looking ahead (some rest period huh). Well without giving away the scene. They have what we would call very graphic and arousing phone sex. And I have to tell you, I was right there with them. This scene really brought these two prisoners much closer together and very much in love. It was beautiful. I have a couple of things that bothered me in this movie. I really hated the way the SS men spoke to the prisoners. I mean, one word sentences like "You" - "Walk" - "Friend?" - or "Watching You". I mean for a people who claimed to be the superior race, these guys were not intelligent at all. Also the fake train outtakes that were obviously superimposed into the movie. The scenes themselves were in black and white which told the audience that they were not from the original film, but from some other movie. Overall, this movie was profoundly incredible. It is a must see for everyone, no matter what the content of the movie - gays, murder, sex, SS men, Hitler's BS , concentration camps. You have to watch this movie with an open heart and mind to actually feel for these people, not just because they were two gay men in love and pain, because they were human beings first and foremost. 7.5 out **********. See it, you will not be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: The Movie's The Thing...
Review: When I first started reading film criticism, while still in my teens, I remember being, at first, surprised that and then understanding of why many critics were wary of films adapted from stage plays. At first blush, film seems to be a logical extension of the stage, but then when you take into account the unique aspects of both genres, you realize that they are, in many ways, worlds apart. Despite the cinema's (ever increasing) ability to create astonishing special effects, it is the more naturalistic of the two genres. A scene that takes place in the great outdoors can be shot in the great outdoors. With the camera focusing in for close-ups, actors don't have to rely on grand gestures or declamatory oration to convey their meaning. The standard term among movie makers and their critics for the changes that have to be made to successfully adapt a stage play to the cinema is "opening it up." You have to get it off the stage and into the world. Sometimes it works, and sometimes they fall flat. But the cinematic beast is hungry for narrative and stage plays (along with novels, short stories, lesser known foreign films, and nowadays old comic strips and TV shows) continue to provide it fodder. Everything I knew about the play BENT did not make it seem promising for film adaptation. I was wrong. Although I've never seen the stage version, one can almost envision it from watching the film. One can also pretty much guess what changes have been made, where things have been embellished and what cinematic tricks have been thrown in to spice things us. So that makes it pretty transparent, right? And therefore not such a great film. Well, yes and no. The film doesn't achieve actual greatness, I suppose. But even though it's a bit stagey, perhaps, in some ways, it compensates brilliantly for it in other ways. First off, the cinematography is brilliant and no doubt brings a quite different perspective to the drama. The acting is also top notch. I had never seen Clive Owen in anything before--although judging from the reviews posted here, he has quite a fan base. Deservedly so, I'd say based on his performance he turns in here. His character, Max, makes the transition from callow sensualist to self-sacrificing hero believably--and in relatively few scenes. Equally good is French-Canadian actor, Lothaire Bluteau, as Horst, Max's soul-mate and (platonic?) lover. The scene in which they "make love" without touching is quietly powerful--and emblematic of the differences between the cinema and the stage discussed above. Here the actors work with close-ups and with their voices, they cannot gesture because they're being watched. Whatever the stage actors did in the equivalent scene had to be different--even if it was just as effective. They were denied the close-ups that these two actors take great advantage of. The true test of a film's power is whether or not you'll be thinking about it the next day, or the next week. BENT passes that test hands down. It stays with you--and likely will for a long time. (PS--Just to follow up on a review posted below. One reviewer didn't understand the relevance of the scene in the park with Ian McKellan. I can understand the confusion, as the sound seemed unnecessarily muffled at this point in the film. It is a bit sketchy, but it's fairly clear McKellan's character is Max's uncle, who while also gay, is closeted and, unlike Max himself, not estranged from their (apparently wealthy) family. He offers Max forged papers, which the family has been able to obtain for him to facilitate his escape from Germany. Max is,however, adamant that they also obtain papers for his lover as well, an early signal that he is not just the callow and selfish hedonist he seemed to be in the film's opening scenes--which makes his ultimate transformation by the film's end all the more plausible.)
Rating:
Summary: I give the NC-17 version five stars.
Review: Where's the NC-17 version? That was the one issued in theaters. Personally I'd prefer to see the movie the director intended not a white washed R rated version
Rating:
Summary: A story long overdue!
Review: While not quite on the level of Polanski's 'Pianist' or Spielberg's 'Schindler's List,' Sean Mathias' 'Bent,' deserves serious praise for telling the story of the Holocaust's homosexual victims. Well-acted and with a stark, minimalist, stage-like background, the film follows the plight of decadent Berlin party boy, Max (Clive Owen), through his humiliations at the hands of the Nazi hate machine. The beginning goes a bit oveboard in trying to recapture the decadence of pre-war Berlin, where temporal pleasures were everything. Max lives as if death will come knocking any moment. As it almost does, when he takes a handsome SA boy to his bed, complete ignorant of what will follow. Barely escaping, he slowly realizes his days of fun and freedom are at an end. As the Nazi apparatus gains momentum in crushing its 'undesirables,' Max finds himself slipping into a hell he can hardly fathom. In one of the films most powerful scenes, Max is forced to watch (and even help!) the sadistic murder of his lover. Unable to accept the nightmare all around him, he tries to deny its existence. He lulls himself to sleep mumbling, 'that this isn't happening,' unable the see the Nazi machine for what it was. Broken and ashamed of refusing to help his friend, nor even acknowledging their relationship, Max reaches Dachau vowing to survive even if it means falling to the lowest depths of cowardice. Making deals with the guards (and even prostituting himself to them), Max refuses to accept the lowest status in the camps, that of homosexual. He naively believes that his 'juden' designation will save him from this horror. The great strength of this film is it's portrayal of Max's transformation. At the beginning of the film, we see a character whose gayness is synonomous with selfish pleasure seeking. By the end of the film, Max finally begins to love and accept himself. Moreover, he learns the value of loving somebody. Max's metamorphosis is the result of his relationship with Horst (Lothaire Bluteau), who dares to love Max at all costs. Horst is the catalyst, who gives Max the strength to finally 'be' who he truly is. The film has retained many elements from its stage production. The simple backdrops of the train, of Berlin, and of the work camps around Dachau, all serve to focus the viewer on the interaction between Max and Horst. And it all works surprisingly well. The brutal train scenes are intense and difficult to watch. Likewise, the scene where Max and Horst make love without even touching is mesmerizing. Everything is stripped down to its most elemental features. Survival, humiliation and love, all reduced to their most basic forms. On the other hand, other theatrical elements weakened the film. The sensual circus atmosphere of the opening scenes complete with a draggish Jagger could have all been left on the stage. They did't really work here. A bit too freakish like some sort of macabre musical. Also, the five-minute segment of Ian McKellan's character seemed completely superflous. Who was he? And where was the connection with Max and Horst? No doubt a denizen of gay Berlin, his appearance, nonetheless, didn't really add to the drama. In conclusion, Bent is a tautly woven tale of redemption. A testament to the omnipotence of love and its magical ability to create heaven in the midst of hell. Well-worth the watch!
Rating:
Summary: A story long overdue!
Review: While not quite on the level of Polanski's 'Pianist' or Spielberg's 'Schindler's List,' Sean Mathias' 'Bent,' deserves serious praise for telling the story of the Holocaust's homosexual victims. Well-acted and with a stark, minimalist, stage-like background, the film follows the plight of decadent Berlin party boy, Max (Clive Owen), through his humiliations at the hands of the Nazi hate machine. The beginning goes a bit oveboard in trying to recapture the decadence of pre-war Berlin, where temporal pleasures were everything. Max lives as if death will come knocking any moment. As it almost does, when he takes a handsome SA boy to his bed, complete ignorant of what will follow. Barely escaping, he slowly realizes his days of fun and freedom are at an end. As the Nazi apparatus gains momentum in crushing its 'undesirables,' Max finds himself slipping into a hell he can hardly fathom. In one of the films most powerful scenes, Max is forced to watch (and even help!) the sadistic murder of his lover. Unable to accept the nightmare all around him, he tries to deny its existence. He lulls himself to sleep mumbling, 'that this isn't happening,' unable the see the Nazi machine for what it was. Broken and ashamed of refusing to help his friend, nor even acknowledging their relationship, Max reaches Dachau vowing to survive even if it means falling to the lowest depths of cowardice. Making deals with the guards (and even prostituting himself to them), Max refuses to accept the lowest status in the camps, that of homosexual. He naively believes that his 'juden' designation will save him from this horror. The great strength of this film is it's portrayal of Max's transformation. At the beginning of the film, we see a character whose gayness is synonomous with selfish pleasure seeking. By the end of the film, Max finally begins to love and accept himself. Moreover, he learns the value of loving somebody. Max's metamorphosis is the result of his relationship with Horst (Lothaire Bluteau), who dares to love Max at all costs. Horst is the catalyst, who gives Max the strength to finally 'be' who he truly is. The film has retained many elements from its stage production. The simple backdrops of the train, of Berlin, and of the work camps around Dachau, all serve to focus the viewer on the interaction between Max and Horst. And it all works surprisingly well. The brutal train scenes are intense and difficult to watch. Likewise, the scene where Max and Horst make love without even touching is mesmerizing. Everything is stripped down to its most elemental features. Survival, humiliation and love, all reduced to their most basic forms. On the other hand, other theatrical elements weakened the film. The sensual circus atmosphere of the opening scenes complete with a draggish Jagger could have all been left on the stage. They did't really work here. A bit too freakish like some sort of macabre musical. Also, the five-minute segment of Ian McKellan's character seemed completely superflous. Who was he? And where was the connection with Max and Horst? No doubt a denizen of gay Berlin, his appearance, nonetheless, didn't really add to the drama. In conclusion, Bent is a tautly woven tale of redemption. A testament to the omnipotence of love and its magical ability to create heaven in the midst of hell. Well-worth the watch!
Rating:
Summary: Bent...but not broken.
Review: WOW. What an amazing story. Yes, we've all seen stories about Nazi Germany...and most have been very well done. Similar to "The Pianist," this story follows the life of one man as he's rounded up for a concentration camp. This story provides a unique twist on the treatment of those deemed unworthy in the eyes of the Nazi regime -- not because he's Jewish, but because he's gay. If anyone's ever wondered where the pink triangle became a symbol of the gay community, you'll find it here. I won't go into details about the story because you can read that in the description. However, I will say that this was a VERY well made movie and finally captures a new side of the Nazi terrorism -- the plight of gays. Another plus is that the movie is story-driven rather than sex-driven like many gay movies. You'll actually get to know the characters and appreciate them for who they are...not who they do. Therefore, I highly recommend this movie for gay and straight viewers.
Rating:
Summary: Bent...but not broken.
Review: WOW. What an amazing story. Yes, we've all seen stories about Nazi Germany...and most have been very well done. Similar to "The Pianist," this story follows the life of one man as he's rounded up for a concentration camp. This story provides a unique twist on the treatment of those deemed unworthy in the eyes of the Nazi regime -- not because he's Jewish, but because he's gay. If anyone's ever wondered where the pink triangle became a symbol of the gay community, you'll find it here. I won't go into details about the story because you can read that in the description. However, I will say that this was a VERY well made movie and finally captures a new side of the Nazi terrorism -- the plight of gays. Another plus is that the movie is story-driven rather than sex-driven like many gay movies. You'll actually get to know the characters and appreciate them for who they are...not who they do. Therefore, I highly recommend this movie for gay and straight viewers.
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