When the history of gay cinema comes to be written in full, the name of Sir Ian McKellan will be featured prominently. He appears here in 'Bent' as part of an all-star cast which also includes Clive Owen, Jude Law, and Rachel Weisz. Mick Jagger also makes an unexpected cameo appearance. Martin Sherman wrote the screenplay, which was an adaptation of his own book, which had the same title and was published in 1979. The film, with Sean Mathias in the director's chair, hit the big screen in 1997.
The film, made in collaboration by British and Japanese producers, is a dark and grim tale, dealing with the persecution of gay men in Nazi Germany, and the infamous 'Night of the Long Knives' in particular. The film's central character Max struggles to maintain the secrecy of his sexuality under the circumstances, which leads to him being dragged into unimaginable horror.