Harrowing true story shows human spirit

BENT is the harrowing story of Nazi persecution of homosexuals.

There have been many films made about the Nazi persecution of Jews, but the prison camps were also used to exterminate political dissenters, criminals and “perverts”.

Homosexuals fell into this category. To be designated a pervert and branded with the pink triangle was the worst fate that could befall a prisoner.

Desperate to avoid this fate, Max (Clive Owen), en route to the concentration camp, is forced to take part in a vicious beating of his lover to hide his sexuality.

He is rewarded with a yellow star: the mark of a Jewish prisoner.

Even in the camp Max denies his sexuality, but is eventually persuaded by fellow prisoner Horst (Lothaire Bluteau) to embrace his true self and wear the pink triangle with pride.

Bent does a good job of portraying the horror of the concentration camps. It doesn’t pull any punches and some may find the graphic scenes a little too realistic to handle.

These scenes are vital to the overall power of the film and you are left with an emotion-packed testament to man’s will to survive and the triumph of the human spirit over perceivably insurmountable odds.

Drama, 18. ***