The Night Porter

The Night Porter Italian Il portiere di notte is a 1974 cult classic art film by Italian director Liliana Cavani, starring Dirk Bogarde and Charlotte Rampling featuring elements of Nazisploitation. Its themes of sexual and sadomasochistic obsession made it controversial at the time of release. The Umbrella DVD release describes it as an intense powerplay, piercing the darkness of guilt and pleasure...remains a riveting exploration of the depths of the human condition.

Lucia, now married to an orchestra conductor, meets Max again by chance. He is now the night porter at a Vienna hotel and a reluctant member of a group of former S.S. comrades who have been carefully destroying documents and attempting to cover up their past by wiping out witnesses to their wartime activities. Max has an upcoming show trial at the hands of the group for his war crimes. One of the group, Hans Folger Gabriele Ferzetti, accuses Max of wanting to live hidden away like a church mouse. Max says that he does want to remain hidden but that he is still with them in spirit. Images of the past the concentration camp punctuate the present narrative with urgent frequency, and suggest that Lucia survived by being Maxs plaything. In an iconic scene, Lucia sings a Marlene Dietrich song Wenn ich mir was wnschen drfte If I could make a wish to the concentration 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.Lucias very existence is a threat to Max, because she could testify against him at the trial. Max goes to see a former Nazi collaborator, Mario Ugo Cardea, who knows Lucia is still alive, and suggests they go fishing together Max murders him to protect his secret. After Lucias husband leaves for another city, Max and Lucia soon fall back into their sadomasochistic relationship which eventually threatens them both. She and Max spend time together renewing their past lovemaking in a different hotel Max has his Nazi jacket hanging in the cupboard and Lucia has bought a negligee like the one she wore in the concentration camp, Max confesses to the Countess Isa Miranda, another guest at his hotel who seems to have a similar Nazi past, that he has found his little girl again. He tells the story of the severed head from the concentration camp. The Countess tells him he is insane Max replies that they are both in the same boat. Folger has Max spied on by a yout

Source: Wikipedia