BENT.

Title: Bent

Date: 18th March 2013

Venue: Kwai Tsing Theatre

Bent was first played on stage in 1979. It revolves around the persecution of gays in Nazi Germany, and takes place during and after the Night of Long Knives. The title of the play refers to the slang word 'bent' used in some European counters to refer to homosexuals. When the play was firsts performed, there was only a trickle of historical research or even awareness about the Nazi persecution of homosexuals.

This story is about Max, a promiscuous gay man in 1930s Berlin, is at odds with his wealthy family because of his homosexuality. One evening, much to the resentment of his boyfriend Rudy, he brings home a handsome Sturmabteilung man. Unfortunately, it is the night that Hitler orders to assassinate the upper echelon of the Sturmabteilung corps, to consolidate his power. The two have to flee Berlin. 

On the train to Amsterdam, Rudy calls out to Max as he is taken away to be beaten, so Rudy is brought back and beaten to death by Max, who denies he knows him, Max lies to the guards, telling that he is a Jew rather than a homosexual, because he believes his chances for survival in the camp will be better if he is not assigned the pink triangle. Max later confesses to a fellow prisoner that the guards then forced him to have intercourse with the body of a dead pre-teen girl to 'prove' he was not homosexual.

In the camp, Max makes friends with Horst, who shows him the dignity that lies in acknowledging what one is. They fall in love and become lovers through their imagination and through their words. After Horst is shot by camp guards, Max puts on Horst's jacket with the pink triangle and commits suicide by grabbing an electric fence.

The Windmill Grass Theatre re-run this classical drama with new techniques. As it happened in Europe, the script they played is in Cantonese. The modified wordings somehow could not express how the character feels at that moment. However, there is a scene I remember very clearly in my mind as it was so breathe-taking. It is when Max and Horst have sex without touching each other. The audience could feel the intimacy even though they are few steps apart. The words, the facial expressions, the body languages tell us how much they love each other. I was so touched by this boundless love and few drops of tears streamed down from my eyes. Joey Leung, who acts Max, is a very out-standing actor who understands his character very well and he acts so naturally.

Besides, the sets are so real. There were really electric sparks when Max grabbed the fence. The first scene which Max and Rudy chatted was inside the house. The woody ceiling and furniture are all well-constructed. They made the audience feel like they are really inside a house, having some chit chats. Besides, the costumes are so gorgeous with many details. Overall this drama is so good with many remarkable actors.