The Night Porter (1974)

After a chance meeting at a hotel in 1957, a Holocaust survivor and the Nazi officer who tortured her resume their sadomasochistic relationship.

Director:

Liliana Cavani

Writers:

Liliana Cavani (screenplay), Italo Moscati (screenplay)

Stars:

Dirk Bogarde, Charlotte Rampling, Philippe Leroy

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dirk Bogarde	...	Max
Charlotte Rampling	...	Lucia
Philippe Leroy	...	Klaus
Gabriele Ferzetti	...	Hans
Giuseppe Addobbati	...	Stumm
Isa Miranda	...	Countess Stein
Nino Bignamini	...	Adolph
Marino Masé	...	Atherton (as Marino Mase')
Amedeo Amodio	...	Bert
Piero Vida	...	Day Porter
Geoffrey Copleston	...	Kurt
Manfred Freyberger	...	Dobson (as Manfred Freiberger)
Ugo Cardea	...	Mario
Hilda Gunther	...	Greta
Nora Ricci	...	The Neighbor

Storyline

Thirteen years after WWII a concentration camp survivor (Rampling) and her tormentor, currently the night porter at a Vienna hotel, meet again and fall back into their sado-masochistic relationship.

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Plot Keywords:

1950s | survivor | ss | concentration camp survivor | female full frontal nudity | 

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Taglines:

The Most Controversial Picture of Our Time!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 October 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Night Porter

Filming Locations:

Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lotar Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor) (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dirk Bogarde considered retiring from acting after making this film, which he found a draining experience.

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Goofs

The man with the glass spectacle over his eye is usually shown with the spectacle over his left eye -- one time, though, he's wearing the spectacle over his right eye.

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Quotes

[Max and Lucia are laughing while caressing each other]
Max: Ah, no, no. Too fast, too fast. Too long. Too long.
[kisses her]
Lucia: Oh, Max, Max...
Max: [stressful] Tell me, why'd you come? Tell me. Tell me!
Lucia: [screams] I WANT YOU!
Max: Tell me what to do. Tell me where to go. Tell me what to do.
Lucia: No...
Max: Tell me what to do!
Lucia: [laughing] No!
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Un negro con un saxo (1989)

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Soundtracks

Portiere di notte
(uncredited)
Composed by Daniele Paris

User Reviews

Genius, Emotional, Dark, Erotic

I am your average film lover who eagerly seeks out the most transgressive films, and devours the Criterion Collection. I must say though that I put off watching this for a long time because the subject matter and idea of a film that romanticizes Nazism just seemed one step too far, especially as a Jewish person. However, after seeing it come up again and again, I decided to bite the bullet and give it a go.

Yes, this film is brutal and not for the faint at heart. I have a natural interest in transgressive sexuality and consider myself somewhere on that spectrum as well so maybe my opinion is biased, but this film was not at all what I expected. I do not see it to be a "Nazisploitation" film, as it has been labeled, it does not romanticize Nazism. It is a deep psychological profile on bdsm and the dynamics of an abusive D/s relationship.

The crazy thing is the main characters really do come to love each other in their own way, albeit in a destructive, violent way not unlike Heathcliffe and Cathy from Wuthering Heights. It is doomed but boy, when they're together its like being caught in the middle of an erotic storm. Charlotte Rampling and Dirk Bogarde are maybe the best on screen couple I've seen in terms of sexual chemistry. The film really builds up the tension and puts you right in the face of their emotional turmoil. It is effective because outside of their affair, the rest of the world is tight laced, gloomy, and overall feeling the effects of post war depression. It was geniusly done how delicate the whole game between the two is, and the smallest sensory details add a layer of ingenuity and sexuality that is beyond belief.

Dirk Bogarde's performance is brilliant, his anger and sensuality, and everything in between completely raw, like a wild animal that constantly has to play at being human. Charlotte Rampling also had this totally unhinged quality and the two really work off each other's energy to bring together something genuine and not often captured on film.

The Night Porter rocked my world and deeply moved me. It was all at once beautiful, erotic, heartbreaking, romantic, disturbing, and terrible. It is a masterpiece.