On the script and evolution of Max

I'm much more familiar with the play than the movie. Written in the 70s, the play addresses issues that were all but ignored by history before. There was little to no knowledge circulating about gays in the Holocaust because of passionate social stigma against them – a stigma that could not be overcome even with the atrocities performed on them right next to the political prisoners and Jews. It was a story that desperately needed to be told.

And yet, Bent does not stop there. The play goes beyond discussing this issue of homophobia. It addresses the inherent self-loathing of gays, especially in a society that is bent on their extermination, brilliantly. It could be easy to do this by focusing on characters that truly hate themselves for who they are. Instead, Sherman creates truly positive gay characters (essentially, role models) that are complex and full of flaws and good characteristics. He concentrates on a character that is selfish, who was so focused on survival he does not stop to think about the wrongs being performed on him. A man that from the beginning is not interested in asking himself whether or not his lifestyle is sinful. He just wants to make things better for himself. He denies his homosexuality not because he thinks it’s wrong, but because he can survive that way. He just wants to live. And in this sense, he is asking the pinnacle question – “I love you. What’s wrong with that?” – throughout the entire play. He never saw something wrong with it but he was aware that others saw something wrong with it. But he never bothered to address that fact until he was completely broken. We watch Max struggle throughout the play – either with getting a better job in the concentration camp, or obtaining a better food portion, or getting medicine. Each struggle has the underlying overarching true issue of “why can’t a man love another man?” that he refuses to deal with until he is utterly spent. That is what is so moving about the piece.

The relationship development between Max and Rudy is brilliant. Rudy’s ignorance and childishness reflects Max’s carefree attitude – and yet highlights Max’s toughness as well. The relationship development between Max and Horst is brilliant. Horst reflects Max’s underlying longing to take pride in his homosexuality. We watch these two characters fall in love, despite the fact that they can’t look at each other and touch each other. They overcome all obstacles. It’s a truly moving human story.

I can not think of a better example of ritual at the breaking point. The entire second act painfully creates a ritual that is exhausting to watch. We watch the characters struggle to maintain the ritual in order to keep their lives. We watch Max brazenly use tactics of deceit and negotiation to survive. What breaks him is the loss of his lover. It’s painful to watch him completely break. He is such a strong survivor of a man – who overcame obstacles that hardly any human could overcome. Suddenly he is completely disintegrating in front of us. In the end, he could not overcome the hatred. And yet, at the same time he rises above it by donning the symbol of his people and creating his own ending. He finally achieves pride in who he is.