Il portiere di notte aka "The Night Porter" was billed at the time as "The Most Controversial Picture of Our Time!" Its a story of a former Nazi concentration camp inmate called Lucia (
Charlotte Rampling), and the S.S. officer, Max (
Dirk Bogarde) who was her torturer and lover. They accidentally meet up again in a Vienna hotel in 1957 where Max works as the night porter and they resume their sadomasochistic relationship.
According to an interview given by Charlotte on a National Radio broadcast, this scene was the first one filmed in the movie. In it she is singing in the style of Marlene Dietrich, "
Wenn ich mir was wünschen dürfte" which I believe roughly translates to "
If I Could Wish Myself Something".
Trivia: Before Charlotte was cast in this role, Romy Schneider turned down the part, Mia Farrow was also considered, as well as Dominique Sanda.
The Night Porter - clip details
[ mod edit - dead link(s) removed]
Hope you enjoy the clip.
