"[1], 1974 Italian erotic psychological drama film, Koven, Mikel J. Directed and co-written by Liliana Cavani, the film stars Dirk Bogarde and Charlotte Rampling, and features Philippe Leroy and Gabriele Ferzetti. The Night Porter splits neatly into halves, with the second half taking place more or less entirely in this doomed private world of the lovers. Written by Ed Sutton Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? [1] Directed and co-written by Liliana Cavani, the film stars Dirk Bogarde and Charlotte Rampling, and features Philippe Leroy and Gabriele Ferzetti. It's an intense and compelling study of these characters who flow in the most opposite of circles (one a Nazi, the other a Jewish prisoner in the concentration camp he works at) and a love that transcends anything I've imagined experiencing. Severin Announces The Eurocrypt Of Christopher Lee Blu-ray Collection, The Night Porter review – descent into sex and Nazism still chills. In responses to The Night Porter, Cavani was both celebrated for her courage in dealing with the theme of sexual transgression and, simultaneously, castigated for the controversial manner in which she presented that transgression: within the context of a Nazi Holocaust narrative. Lucia (Charlotte Rampling) is a survivor of Max’s camp. Maximilian (Dirk Bogarde) is an ex-Nazi SS officer who served as a “doctor” at a concentration camp. The Night Porter: Nazi porn or daring arthouse eroticism? During the Cold War, the chief of a British intelligence code-breaking section falls in love with a new employee and shields an old co-worker, accused of Communist affiliations, from the wrath of the security branch. He spends days with Lucia in his apartment, chaining her to the wall so that "they can't take her away" and sleeps little. When the couple attempt to re-create their sadomasochistic relationship, his former SS comrades begin to stalk them. Two gunshots ring out, and the lovers fall dead. A concentration camp survivor discovers her former torturer and lover working as a porter at a hotel in postwar Vienna. “THE NIGHT PORTER is really the revelation of the year, a work of full maturity that did not deserve the vexation of those who are professionally bound to distinguish between the depths of the obscene and the heights of art. The Night Porter is widely considered to be a Nazisploitation film[2][3][4] and a cult classic. The movie is largely about transgressive behavior, investigating how human desires survive and sometimes even thrive in otherwise dehumanizing situations. Eventually, Max quits his job, devoting all of his time to Lucia. The SS officers are infuriated at Max for hiding a key witness. Because she could testify against him, Lucia's existence is a threat to Max. Max parks his car on a bridge, where he and Lucia walk along the sidewalk as dawn breaks. It is (I know how obscene this sounds) Nazi chic. It has tension that starts gentle and becomes tragic, an almost Shakespearean drama in its thought-provoking simplicity. Was this review helpful to you? Max retreats again to the apartment, where Lucia is almost unconscious from malnutrition. Thirteen years after World War II, concentration camp survivor Lucia (Charlotte Rampling) and her tormentor Max (Sir Dirk Bogarde), currently the night porter at a Vienna hotel, meet again and fall back into their sado-masochistic relationship. For a movie about a kinky romance between an ex-Nazi and his former prisoner, "The Night Porter" is bewilderingly dull. While Max, eponymous night porter at a London hotel, is clearly quite tired of the endless cycle of one night stands with lonely guests, Robert is bound by a life of celibacy-until-heterosexual-marriage -- a life that doesn't really have room for his attraction to men. Second EP "...When the carousel broke down" now available! Max is interviewed by the police about Mario's murder. During World War II, Maximilian Theo Aldorfer, a former Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS) officer who had posed as a doctor to take sensational photographs in concentration camps, and Lucia Atherton, a teenage girl interned in a concentration camp due to her father's Socialist political ties, had an ambiguous sadomasochistic relationship. [1], In her essay for the Criterion Collection release, Annette Insdorf called The Night Porter "a provocative and problematic film. Co: Lotar Film Productions Prod: Esa De Simone, Robert Gordon Edwards Dir: Liliana Cavani Scr: Liliana Cavani, Italo Moscati, Barbara Alberti, Amedeo Pagani Phot: Alfio Contini Mus: Daniele Paris Ed: Franco Arcalli Art Dir: Nedo Azzini, Jean Marie Simon Cost: Piero Tosi. A frigid young housewife decides to spend her midweek afternoons as a prostitute. "[9] Vincent Canby, another prominent critic for The New York Times, called it "romantic pornography" and "a piece of junk". Fogler, who wants Lucia to testify against Max in the mock trial—though he harbors more ambiguous long-term intentions toward her—visits and informs her that Max is ill. On the other hand, a closer reading of this English-language psychological thriller suggests a dark vision of compelling characters doomed by their World War II past. Memories of the past punctuate Max and Lucia's present with urgent frequency, suggesting that Lucia survived through her relationship with Max – in one such scene, Lucia sings a Marlene Dietrich song, "Wenn ich mir was wünschen dürfte" ("If I could make a wish"), to the camp guards while wearing pieces of an SS uniform, and Max "rewards" her with the severed head of a male inmate who had been bullying her, a reference to Salome. Max seeks help by phoning one of his old hotel friends, who refuses, and imploring his neighbor, but she is prevented from providing aid by Adolph, the youth who had spied on Max earlier. "The Night Porter" is as nasty as it is lubricious, a despicable attempt to titillate us by exploiting memories of persecution and suffering. Upper-class Tony hires servant Hugo Barrett, who turns out to have a hidden agenda. (1974). Max refuses to go through with the trial, calling it 'a farce', and admits that he works as a night porter due to his sense of shame in daytime. The Most Controversial Picture of Our Time! Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Films that convey such a significant message as effectively as this NIGHT PORTER are few and far between” OGGI Magazine. Search for "The Night Porter" on Amazon.com, Title: The Night Porter is tender in its romance, underneath a harsh surface; it is beautiful to watch, with the most civilized soundtrack to add polish where none is needed. After the Allies liberate Naples in 1943, the life for the locals is not much easier, especially for women. The Countess tells him that he is insane; Max replies that they are both 'in the same boat'. "The Night Porter" is a strange and uneasy hybrid of the intense erotic art films of the 70s ("Last Tango," "In the Realm of the Senses") and the sicko fascist film ("Salo," "The Damned"). The Night Porter (Il portiere di notte, 1974 Italy 118 mins) Prod. Writer-director Liliana Cavani’s The Night Porter (1974) concerns two extremely messed up people. In 1957, Lucia, now married to an American orchestra conductor, meets Max again by chance. The actor Dirk Bogarde was standing outside the Karl Marx-Hof workers’ apartments in Vienna ready to shoot a scene for Liliana Cavani’s film The Night Porter. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. She proves incapable of adapting herself to family life, takes refuge in the country alone with her memories, and is later returned to the asylum. Max tormented Lucia, but also acted as her protector. Meanwhile, Fogler has Max spied on by a youth who works at the hotel. A concentration camp survivor rekindles her sadomasochistic relationship with her lover, a former SS officer - now working as a night porter at a Vienna hotel - but his former Nazi associates begin stalking them. The film certainly lived up to my expectations. Thirteen years after World War II, concentration camp survivor Lucia (Charlotte Rampling) and her tormentor Max (Sir Dirk Bogarde), currently the night porter at a Vienna hotel, meet again and fall back into their sado-masochistic relationship. The Night Porter is certainly Bogarde as you have never seen him before – going so far as to have his nipple sucked in one scene. Operatic and disturbing, THE NIGHT PORTER deftly examines the lasting social and psychological effects of the Nazi regime. Max confesses to Countess Stein, another guest at his hotel, that he has found his "little girl" again. Its themes of sexual and sadomasochistic obsession have made the film controversial since its initial release, dividing critics over its artistic value. Critic Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times thought the main roles were well-performed, but nonetheless gave the film 1 star out of a possible 4, and called The Night Porter "as nasty as it is lubricious, a despicable attempt to titillate us by exploiting memories of persecution and suffering",[4] while adding he did not "object per se to the movie's subject matter." L iliana Cavani’s The Night Porter is a psychosexual nightmare that entwines not only the sadomasochistic relationship between ex-SS officer Max (Dirk Bogarde) and concentration camp survivor Lucia (Charlotte Rampling), but also the equally impossible reconciliation of a present beholden to historical catastrophes past. Dick Bogarde and especially Charlotte Rampling are phenomenal. Their performances are passionate, intense and natural. Documentary featuring interviews with female partisans who participated in the resistance and survived the German invasion of Italy in the 1940's. Thirteen years after World War II, Lucia, a survivor of a German concentration camp, runs into her former Nazi captor and lover Max, who is now a harmless night porter at the Vienna hotel where she and her husband are staying. Use the HTML below. Many sacrifice their dignity and morale to survive. When the couple attempt to re-create their sadomasochistic relationship, his former SS comrades begin to stalk them. Also on iTunes and Spotify. The Night Porter (Italian: Il portiere di notte) is a 1974 Italian erotic psychological drama film. Written by Thirteen years after World War II, concentration camp survivor Lucia (Charlotte Rampling) and her tormentor Max (Sir Dirk Bogarde), currently the night porter at a Vienna hotel, meet again and fall back into their sado-masochistic relationship. They engaged in a sadomasochistic relationship and parted ways after the camp was liberated. [2][5][6] In July 2018, it was selected to be screened in the Venice Classics section at the 75th Venice International Film Festival.[7]. 1 talking about this. Fausto's mother refuses to accept the fact that her child is deaf, and refuse to send him to a special school where he can learn sign language. The reign of the tormented Ludwig, king of Bavaria, from 1864 to 1886. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. [8] In The New York Times, Nora Sayre praised the performances of Bogarde and Rampling, and the "dark, rich tones" of the cinematography, but began her review by writing "If you don't love pain, you won't find "The Night Porter" erotic—and by now, even painbuffs may be satiated with Nazi decadence. His aunt, though, teaches him to communicate,... See full summary ». The SS officers cut off the couple's supply of food from a nearby grocery store. A closeted lawyer risks his career to bring a blackmailer to justice. The dramatic collapse of a wealthy, industrialist/Junker family during the reign of the Third Reich. 60 of 75 people found this review helpful. He suggests that Lucia must also be ill to allow herself to be in this position, but she sends him away, claiming to be with Max of her own free will. This FAQ is empty. In fact, stars Charlotte Rampling and Dick Bogarde were both in Visconti's "The Damned," the most famous of the decadent Nazi films. He goes to see a former Nazi collaborator, Mario, who knows Lucia is still alive; Max murders him to protect his secret. Check out our editors' picks for the movies and shows we're excited about this month, like Mortal Kombat, "Them," and Stowaway. In Liliana Cavani's scintillating drama, a concentration camp survivor (Charlotte Rampling) discovers her ex-torturer/lover (Dirk Bogarde) working as a night porter at a hotel in postwar Vienna. A jaw-dropping study on love in the most obscure of circumstances. Max has an upcoming mock trial at the hands of the group for his war crimes. The Night Porter is one of the most bizarre psychodramas in the history of film, using the Holocaust as a dreamy, abstract backdrop for a toxic romance between a former SS officer (Dirk Bogarde) and the “little girl” (Charlotte Rampling) he isolated, humiliated, and raped in a Nazi concentration camp. It would be hard, though, to think of a meet less cute than the one in The Night Porter, Liliana Cavani’s erotic drama from 1974. He returns to Lucia, telling her that the police questioned him and others at the hotel about her disappearance, and that no suspicion fell on him. The Night Porter may put you off for the depiction of the roles of the survivors and the perpetrators during the Third Reich, but it is a must-watch for the lovely performances by Rampling and Bogarde. After one of the SS cuts off the electricity in Max's apartment, Max and Lucia, respectively dressed in his Nazi uniform and a negligee resembling the one she had worn in the concentration camp, leave the building and drive away; they are soon followed by a car driven by Max's former colleagues. Leonard Maltin's 2015 Movie Guide called it a "Sleazy, bizarre drama", awarding it two out of four stars. Its themes of sexual and sadomasochistic obsession have made the film controversial since its initial release, dividing critics over its artistic value. Related products ; SALON KITTY. If that sounds absolutely outrageous, that was surely part of the design. Certificate: GP The Night Porter In this unsettling drama from Italian filmmaker Liliana Cavani, a concentration camp survivor (Charlotte Rampling) discovers her former torturer and lover (Dirk Bogarde) working as a porter at a hotel in postwar Vienna. The connection between Robert and Max is palpable, and readers are constant A forty year old woman, who has been in an asylum, goes to live with her brother's family. Ed Sutton . Drama. The structure of spasmodically switching from scenes in the concentration camp to when the two lovers see each other again in 1957 really helped put the viewer into the mind-set of the two main characters. Whatever works on screen is because of the dedication the … A truly original technique that I really admired. The night Porter and allegation of rape Independent A ustralia is a progressive journal focusing on politics, democracy, the environment, Australian history and Australian identity. While recovering in Venice, sickly Composer Gustav von Aschenbach becomes dangerously fixated with teenager Tadzio. From Wings to Parasite, here's a look back at all of the Best Picture Oscar winners in the history of the ceremony. View production, box office, & company info. Max barricades the door to the apartment, and he and Lucia begin rationing. The Night Porter He is now a night porter at a hotel in Vienna, and a reluctant member of a group of former SS comrades who have been carefully covering up their pasts by destroying documents and eliminating witnesses to their wartime activities. Add the first question. Max wishes to remain hidden, but he voices support for the group's activities. Bogarde was playing Maximilian Theo Aldorfer, a Nazi SS officer. After Lucia's husband leaves town on business, Max and Lucia renew their past lovemaking in Max's apartment. The Night Porter, released in 1974 but set primarily in 1957, takes that noxious idea even further, suggesting a passion so deep that it can’t be denied even many years later. who had pursued a sadomasochistic relationship with a concentration camp prisoner called Lucia played by Charlotte Rampling. Except Night Porter isn’t that simple – you might expect after the initial shock of encountering this former SS officer who used her, Lucia would be angry, seek justice, tell her husband and then the authorities who Max really is. It jars the mind and keeps us aware of this inordinate love and why these people are so confused and attracted to one another. I've heard the film called dull numerous times and I could see why one would think this, but I thought the haunting silences only made the film more engaging and had my eyes further glued to the screen. A hotel bellboy takes on a task of helping a woman find her lost luggage but their brief encounter turns into the love story of his dreams. "'The Film You Are About to See is Based on Fact': Italian Nazi Sexploitation Cinema" in Mathijs, Ernest and Mendik, Xavier (2004), "'The Night Porter,' Portrait of Abuse, Stars Bogarde", "The Uses of Memory and the Abuses of Fiction: Sexuality in Holocaust Fiction and Memoir", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Night_Porter&oldid=1008988249, Films about the aftermath of the Holocaust, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 26 February 2021, at 03:14. The group's leader, Hans Fogler, accuses Max of wanting to live 'hidden away like a church mouse'. ... [I]t can be seen as an exercise in perversion and exploitation of the Holocaust for the sake of sensationalism. It contains news and opinion from Australia and around the world. Liliana Cavani uses angles and wide-shots that create a haunting sense of passion and really made the cinematography rank high among my all time favorites. 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