Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

The Night Porter Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 3, 2021

Liliana Cavani's "The Night Porter" (1974) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Cult Films. The supplemental features on the disc include new programs with the director and Charlotte Rampling. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Vienna, 1957. Max (Dirk Bogarde, The Damned, Death in Venice) is the night porter in one of the city's most luxurious hotels. He is a former Nazi officer who works hard and tries not to think about the past. He is in his early 40s and living alone.

One day, an elegant young woman (Charlotte Rampling, Flesh of the Orchid, Under the Sand) enters the hotel. She immediately recognizes Max. A series of flashbacks then reveal that years ago she was one of his inmates in a camp where the Nazis did various experiments, and that they had a relationship.

Lucia is now the wife of a respected American conductor with a busy schedule. While her husband works with the local symphony orchestra, she decides to approach Max. The two meet in the hotel and have one of the most unusual romantic reunions ever filmed.

Meanwhile, a group of elderly Nazis who specialize in removing knowledgeable Holocaust survivors that could jeopardize their safety begin investigating Max. They suspect that he might have ignored the group's rule to report anyone capable of exposing their true identities. The leader of the group mentions a young and beautiful American woman who has recently arrived in the city together with her well known husband. Soon after, a killer is dispatched to remove the woman.

Max and Lucia continue to meet. When they make love, they often hurt each other. They aren't sadomasochists, but pain is something they have both come to expect from each other. Various flashbacks reveal why.

Eventually, the group's killer moves in a room right across from the one where Max and Lucia have been spending most of their time. In a desperate attempt to keep his lover alive, Max barricades himself and Lucia inside the room. They continue to make love - until they run out of food.

To say that Italian director Liliana Cavani's The Night Porter is a dangerous film would be a major understatement. There are two reasons why: First, it explores the darkest corners of the human soul with such authority that it is absolutely impossible to dismiss it as an exploitation film. Exploitation films cannot be dangerous because they aren't believable. This film definitely is. Second, The Night Porter boldly challenges serious taboos which throughout the years only a few respectable films have had the courage to address in a familiar fashion.

Given the nature of the project, the cast is absolutely phenomenal. There are some truly unforgettable sequences with Rampling, who essentially plays two entirely different characters. The one sequence where she is seen entertaining the Nazi officers is particularly disturbing because it does not look kitschy at all. Bogarde is also terrific as the guilty man whose obsessions are slowly destroying him.

The film was lensed by the great cinematographer Alfio Contini, who during the '60s and '70s worked with some of Italy's greatest directors, including Michelangelo Antonioni (Zabriskie Point), Franco Rossi (A Rose for Everyone), and Mario Monicelli (Lady Liberty). The film's color scheme is particularly striking. It favors mostly very cold greens, blues, and grays, which further enhance the already remarkably tense atmosphere.

The outstanding set decors and production designs were created by Oscar winner Osvaldo Desideri (Salo, or The 120 Days of Sodom, The Last Emperor, Once Upon a Time in America).

The Night Porter Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Night Porter arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Cult Films.

The release is sourced from a recent 4K master, which isn't the same master Anchor Bay UK worked with to produce the first release of The Night Porter in 2012. (You can see our listing and review of the first release here). According to technical credits that appear on the release, the new 4K master was prepared after the film was restored in 4K under the supervision of director Liliana Cavani. I was eager to test it on my system because I think that the 2K master Criterion prepared a couple of years ago, again under the supervision of Cavani, is very good. (You can see our listing and review of the U.S. release here). Unfortunately, the new 4K master has a number of familiar issues, so below I am going to list what I like and dislike about it.

The Good: Density levels are very strong. While this isn't going to be immediately obvious, especially to those who have seen the Criterion release, there is a difference. In many areas the visuals basically look much 'tighter', so I am assuming that in native 4K the uptick in quality will be undeniable. Additionally, there are a few areas with daylight footage where highlights are managed better. (See screencapture #5). The entire film looks simply spotless as well, but the 2K master was equally healthy.

The Bad: The restored 4K master produces substantially flatter visuals, when exactly the opposite should be happening. Why? It is graded in a very particular and very familiar manner which basically destabilizes the film's native dynamic range. For example, if you compare screencapture #15 with the corresponding screencapture from the U.S. release, you should immediately notice how fine nuances begin to disappear. In darker visuals, where there should be a wide range of nuances that strengthen the perception of depth, the new master actually looks worse. See an example in screencapture #11 where there is basically a lot of digital flatness instead of proper shadow details. So, on a large screen the new 4K master reveals problematic depth and in very dark footage unconvincing clarity. There are minor but notable adjustments in the color scheme as well, but I am unwilling to offer an opinion on them because I am quite certain that in native 4K the true color values are actually different. So, it could be that the new color scheme is superior, or it could be that certain color values are simply not entirely correct. As seen on this release, darker nuances and blacks in particular do not appear properly balanced. Finally, the encoding on this release should be much better. Not only does the grain look very loose and blotchy, but in darker areas there is quite a bit of distracting macroblocking. (See examples in screencaptures #4 and 11). My score is 3.25/5.00.

This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Night Porter Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.

The audio is excellent. It is sharp and clear, making the dialog very easy to follow. Some unevenness does exist, but it is from the original overdubbing that was done for some actors. I did a few quick comparisons with the lossless track from the Criterion release, but I could not hear a meaningful difference to report in our review.

The Night Porter Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Porter of the Night - in this new program, Liliana Cavani discusses her childhood years and passion for cinema, her early work RAI, and the genesis of The Night Porter. Also, there are some quite interesting observations about the unusual progression of the relationship that is chronicled in the film. The program was created in 2020. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (38 min).

• The Reality of Emotions - in this new program, Charlotte Rampling discusses her decision to become involved with The Night Porter and deconstructs the nature of the unusual love story the film examines. Also, there are some very interesting comments about Rampling's extraordinary connection with Dirk Bogarde, who apparently was a major inspiration early in her career, as well as her interactions with Liliana Cavani and working methods. The program was created in 2020. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (31 min).

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage Italian poster art for The Night Porter.

The Night Porter Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

First, I am glad that The Night Porter was restored in 4K. However, like so many recent restoration projects that are color-graded in Italy and France, this 4K restoration comes with a new color scheme that is problematic. Even if it is endorsed by Liliana Cavani because it reflects a new vision of her film, it introduces digital flatness that should not be on the 4K master. It is possible that in native 4K the restoration looks better, but it is also possible that in higher resolution the same issues are actually exacerbated. Second, the technical presentation reveals encoding anomalies. Perhaps some viewers will not notice them, but these are the type of anomalies that easily could have been avoided. The release has two very good exclusive new programs with director Cavani and Charlotte Rampling, so I think that fans of the film should consider picking it up when it goes on sale.