History Film / TheNightPorter

The film is set in Vienna, thirteen years after World War II, a concentration camp survivor meets Aldorfer, a former Nazi SS officer, now the night porter at a Vienna hotel. There, they fall back into their ''very ambiguous'' sadomasochistic relationship. Obviously the film deals with StockholmSyndrome and all about UsefulNotes/WorldWarII.

* FilmNoir: Aside from the obvious [[StockholmSyndrome morbid relationship of the protagonists]], the plot revolves around the former Nazi officers trying to find and neutralise every possible witness of their past exploits.

* StockholmSyndrome: TheMovie! What makes this film so disturbing is the depiction of a sadomasochistic relationship between a Nazi officer and a former inmate. It divided the critics as much as you would expect.

* TheChanteuse: Lucia's most famous scene has her singing for the SS officers Creator/MarleneDietrich's ''Wenn ich mir was wünschen dürfte'' wearing only a SS visor cap, trousers, and OperaGloves. Yes, [[YouCanLeaveYourHatOn she was wearing ''only'' this]].

* IconicOutfit: Lucia's [[http://moviemezzanine.com/wp-content/uploads/blog-The-Night-Porter-Charlotte-Rampling.jpeg pieces of SS uniform]] with OperaGloves and without any shirt.

* OperaGloves: Lucia wears it in her IconicOutfit

* YouCanLeaveYourHatOn: Lucia's infamous scene where she sings with her bare breast, OperaGloves, and a Nazi cap.

* TallDarkAndHandsome: Atherton, the resident gigolo embodies this trope.

* AmbiguouslyJewish: It's never stated if Lucia was Jewish or not, she's only referred to as the daughter of a "socialist", and when she remembered being asked about her religion the flashback interrupts.
* BigotWithACrush: The film was controversial in its day because of its subject matter: a Nazi SS officer and a Jewish concentration camp inmate [[AMatchMadeInStockholm become lovers during the war]], and when they run into each other again years later, rekindle their old BDSM relationship.

''The Night Porter'' is a ''very'' controversial 1974 film by Italian director Liliana Cavani, starring Creator/DirkBogarde and Creator/CharlotteRampling.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7403_night_porter_1.JPG]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[YouCanLeaveYourHatOn You Can Leave Your Nazi Hat On.]]]]

''The Night Porter'' is a ''very'' controversial 1974 film by Italian director Liliana Cavani, starring Dirk Bogarde and Creator/CharlotteRampling.

''The Night Porter'' divided criticism: the movie was both celebrated for dealing with the theme of sexual transgression on such unusual way and, simultaneously, was of course criticized for using the most controversial context, the Nazi Holocaust narrative. However, it is considered Cavani's best work.

* TheChanteuse: Lucia's most famous scene has her singing for the SS officers Creator/MarleneDietrich's ''Wenn ich mir was wünschen dürfte'' wearing only a SS visor cap, trousers and OperaGloves. Yes, [[YouCanLeaveYourHatOn she was wearing ''only'' this]].

%%* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: Max, and his paleness is even evidenced when he wears his SS uniform.

* FanDisservice: Naked and starving inmates. Two inmates having sex. Even the protagonists sex scenes are a disservice when not merely creepy.

* GrayRainOfDepression: The gloomy atmosphere of post-UsefulNotes/WorldWarII Vienna matches perfectly the ambiguos lives of hiding former Nazis.

** GeniusBonus: Max tells that says he prefers the nightlife because the light makes him feel uncomfortable and ashamed.

* StarCrossedLovers: This tropes has never been so disturbing.

* YouCanLeaveYourHatOn: Lucia's infamous scene were she sings with her bare breast, OperaGloves and a Nazi cap.

%%* TheSociopath: Max has serious shades of one.

%%* TallDarkAndHandsome: Mr. Atherton

* YourCheatingHeart: After all, Lucia is married.

* TheFifties: The film is set in the late Fifties Vienna, when the shadow of Vienna's Nazi past is very much present.

* WomanInWhite: Lucia for most of the movie.