Rating: 
Summary: Not likely to pop up late night on TBS.
Review: Despite the misleading cover photo, this is not another stab at exploitive and kitschy WW2 sick humor a la "Ilsa:She-Wolf of the SS", but a far more ambitious and artful work of cinema. Disturbing and repulsive, yet quite compelling, "The Night Porter" brilliantly uses a depiction of sado-masochism and pycho-sexual politics as an effective allusion to the horror of Hitler's Germany. Dirk Bogarde and Charlotte Rampling are both broodingly decadent as a former SS officer and concentration camp survivor, respectively, who end up in a twisted, doomed relationship years after the war. You would have to search high and low to find two braver performances than Bogarde and Rampling give in this complex story (Harvey Keitel and Holly Hunter in "The Piano" comes the closest). Like the film "Seven Beauties", the "sex" you think you're watching is really a subliminal lesson on the ugly politics of facism and oppression. Obviously, this is not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but recommended for any cinema buff up for a challenge.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting psychological drama....
Review: Dirk Bogarde gives a fine, restrained performance as a former SS man whose past comes back to torment him twelve years after the end of WWII. Charlotte Rampling is completely believable as the damaged Holocaust survivor, numb and adrift in the 1950's, who only finds passion again by taking up with her former lover/abuser. Unfortunately, the supporting cast seems to have wandered in from another film, apparently a Fellini picture. The DVD provides a crisp picture, but there's an audible hiss on the soundtrack during the many quiet scenes. Not quite up to the Criterion Collection's typically high technical standards.
Rating: 
Summary: My hats off to the Criterion transfer !
Review: Don't expect a REVIEW of the story in the following comment:For those who LOVED this movie while viewing it on video in the early 80s, your in for a treat with this Criterion Collection transfer. The color/contrast/sharpness makes it look almost brand new ! And the 'bleakness' of the film shines through. That being said, did this movie REALLY need to be a part of Criterion's library ? Is it THAT good ??? Or did I just miss something ??? What starts off as a straight post WWII drama, fades into a pretensious romantic (??) kinky (for its time) character study of two people that have gone over the edge. Unintentional sillines and manerisms kind of date this film - but it is lovely to look at - and the characters are interesting...But do we REALLY care about either one of them ??? I certainly didn't...And the bleak ending was not as depressing as it wanted to be - but it does leave you feeling empty. I honestly think Criterion made this film more enjoyable than what it really is....GREAT job guys !
Rating: 
Summary: MONSTROUS
Review: Excellence in monstrosity. What a plot and what an execution.
Rating:
Summary: take it easy film buffs!
Review: hmm. pouring over these reviews i must say, some very snippy hardcore film critics! i somtimes think a certain movie is totally mindblowing like joseph losey's "boom!", which many (including my gilrfriend!) consider campy and unwatchable. i loved that movie. i love the sensationalness of the "night porter." it is challenging, multi-layered and very entertaining. to get caught up in whether or not it is exploitation, or whether or not a thing like this could ever have really happened, is a big mistake.
of course it could really happen. all of those nazis running camps were humans, with the full amount of complexities that humans can have. no person is 100% saint or sinner. i view the holocaust in this movie as a backdrop for a strange love story. let's not forget that love can be destructive and most dysfunctional! she abandons her nice hubby for a nazi who tortured her. you're crazy if you think that's not realistic. that little plot turn happens in real life everyday the world over.
i think that critics of this film don't enjoy a celebration of life which includes very sordid idealogies. this film is a cross between "secretary" (which i hated) and "the pianist" (which was ok.) "the night porter is completely more enjoyable than those films. what a unique idea visualized. what great atmoshere and a great performances.
exploitation? i don't know. who defines these words anyway?
just go see it if you haven't yet and see for yourself. you have to like a bit bit of craziness and audacity to get anything out of this. this movie, up there with bogarde's "the servant" leave me feeling dirty and the end, and i like it!
they don't make em like they used to. can you imagine someone pitching a story like this to a producer today? good heavens!
Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Review: I don't feel like this is a great movie, maybe not even a good one--but it has certain scenes which linger long after viewing. The Night Porter is definitely worth watching just for those moments of resonance. And of course Charlotte Rampling is absolutely stunning.
Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre at Best
Review: I just received my copy of the Criterion Collection edition of Liliana Cavani's 1974 drama The Night Porter. Upon reflection, I cannot even imagine myself sitting through this film one more time. The premises are so interesting and the story has SO much potential. The synopses I read online for this movie made it seem so incredibly interesting. At the beginning, when the story is beginning to be established, there are some extraordinary moments that, with amazing subtlety captivate one's imagination and disturb one at the same time. However, once these premises are established the film stagnates. It is extremely slow paced (something I have NO problem with), but once I understood the film, the last hour of it seemed excuciatingly boring. The underlying message is that people never change, or at least, a terrible event like the Holocaust keeps all those involved in it--both victim and victimizer--forever captive. Neither Max, his lover/victim, nor his ex-Nazi comrades can get away from the Holocaust. Cavani takes too long trying to visualize this. Another detraction from the movie is that it is an English-language movie written by a non-English speaker. The acting by some of the secondary actors is just plain bad. Though packed with potential for greatness and some superb moments, The Night Porter is ultimately disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: Ehhhhhh. It was Alright...Nothing great.
Review: I keep reading all these reviews (the ones that made me buy the flick in the first place) talk about how great this movie is.....It's ok. I wouldn't tell anyone to go out and rent it, alone buy it. I love Criterion dvds and collect them, this one is definitely on my watch a couple times list. It's not that I'm offended or anything, it's just kind of average. I watched it twice and I don't hate it but I wouldn't buy it for over $15. Criterion has no extras and the transfer is grainy. There is a hair in the lens for awhile too.
Rating:
Summary: Strange, compelling, impossible to forget.
Review: I saw this movie in the summer of 1973 and now, 26 years later, I still remember it. Disturbing, with strong sexuality and some violence, it made me think about the ties that bind abusers and victims. The glass-eating scene, and the scene in the cabaret (with the severed head) were, at the same time, shocking and impossible to turn away from. This movie is, by turns, slow, shocking, and sad, but it is by no means boring. A good choice if you want to investigate the outer edge of the human psyche.
Rating:
Summary: Very Strange!!!
Review: I was interested in seeing this movie because the same woman appeared in Angel Heart. It's a great plot but a litle slow at times. END
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