Winslet Defends New Movie Role

The British star plays the role of a former Nazi concentration camp guard, who embarks on a passionate affair with a younger man unaware of her shady past.

The steamy scenes featured in the film have attracted criticism with some believing it trivialises the true horror of the Holocaust.

But Winslet is adamant they were essential to the story.

She tells the New York Daily News, "There is a lot of nudity in the beginning. But it's 100 per cent justified. Also, the relationship is not about sex. It's about how this young man reads her beautiful stories and poetry."