Episode 279: THE NIGHT PORTER (1974) with Kelly Krantz

Trylove

With Kelly Krantz!

Liliana Cavani’s psychological, post-Holocaust perverted thriller went down as one of the most controversial movies of all time. In a concentration camp during World War II, concentration camp officer Max (Dirk Bogarde) and his prisoner victim Lucia (Charlotte Rampling) form a sadomasochistic relationship. Their relationship is colored as much by their shared depravity as by Max’s evil humanity and Lucia’s shame over her burgeoning desire.

Pretty inflammatory stuff! Hence the reputation. But we’re not convinced it’s the irresponsible exploitation film it’s been remembered as. On this episode, we explain why by focusing on the lead characters’ psychology, what brings them together, and what dooms them from the start.

References:

• Watch THE NIGHT PORTER on the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/the-night-porter-1974-dirk-bogarde
• “Pain, Pleasure, and Depiction of Manipulation in The Night Porter” by Matt Lambert for Perisphere, the Trylon blog
• “This Just In: Evil is STILL Banal” by Veda Lawrence for Perisphere, the Trylon blog
• “The Night Porter: Power, Spectacle, and Desire” by Gaetana Marrone for The Criterion Current
• “The Night Porter: Is this the most controversial film ever made?” by Steph Green for the BBC
• “The Legacy of World War II in European Arthouse Cinema” by Samm Deighan

Find Kelly…

• On Twitter at @kransekage_
• On Letterboxd at @luckyhoss
• On Trylove episodes about WINGS OF DESIRE (1987), ARREBATO (1979), and PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (1974), REVOLVER (1973), and THE DOOM GENERATION (1995)

Contribute to Perisphere, the Trylon blog: https://www.perisphere.org/perisphere-blog-post-guidelines/

#CharlotteRamplingsIllusionsOfInvulnerability #DCP

Follow us on Twitter at @trylovepodcast and email us at [e-mail] to get in touch! Buy tickets and support the Trylon at trylon.org.

Theme: "Raindrops" by Huma-Huma/"No Smoking" PSA by John Waters. Closing audio: "Sonata 1950" by Daniele Paris from the THE NIGHT PORTER soundtrack.

Timestamps

0:00 - Episode 279: THE NIGHT PORTER (1974)

5:05 - Starting THE NIGHT PORTER with context

17:24 - Mistaking this movie for exploitation cinema

22:20 - Max’s perverse self-denial

37:46 - Lucia, Charlotte Rampling, voyeurism, transgression, and performance

41:26 - The power Max and Lucia have in their relationship

55:23 - The ending

1:02:50 - The Junk Drawer

1:13:10 - To All the Loves We’ve Tried Before: 1974