The Night Porter

Praised for tackling transgressive sexuality, damned because director Liliana Cavani set it in a concentration camp, The Night Porter remains controversial. Set in 1958 but dripping with ’70s seediness, Cavani’s of-its-time film recalls washed-out post-war thrillers like Marathon Man and Nic Roeg’s icy flair. But as Charlotte Rampling’s Lucia reignites the S&M relationship she had with the ex-SS commandant (Dirk Bogarde) who turns out to be a porter in the Vienna hotel she’s at, the cracks reveal something that’s too close to exploitation for comfort. The Night Porter News and Features