If Dirk Bogarde hadn't played the leading role, "The Night Porter"(1974) could have been just another film of cheap sensationalism and exploitation. Dirk Bogarde injected a good amount of cynicism and vulnerability into his character, as he always did in his defining roles. I really can't think of another actor who could have helped elevate the film to the level of eroticism and intrigue. Charlotte Rampling's icy exterior and performance helped move the plot along, at least in the first half of the film, as her character gazes into flash backs, Rampling's natural aloofness concealed and revealed in the same time the damage of her hellish past with Max(Bogarde's character). But overall I was left with a sense of disappointment after finished watching. Although it's a fascinating film, and in some levels I was touched, strangely enough, as I felt that there was real tenderness and connection between the main characters, sick as their relationship was; but in the end "The Night Porter" is a very debatable film with many flaws, mostly due to the unconvincing supporting cast, the film could have been much more successful if the plot had only focused on the main two characters and the evolution of their relationship after they have reconnected, without the annoying distractions of the supporting cast as they looked and acted like caricatures-two dimensional stereotypical portrayal of former S.S. officers. The film did succeed on the level which the director(Liliana Cavani) took an unapologetic approach into the complexity of the human psyche, in which there's no black or white. The connection, the desire, or even a feeling of love, longing, and belonging between these two people are based on cruel sexual and psychological torture and torments. Cavani had chosen to not go into details and explanations of the affects the cruelty has on the characters, which makes the film more disturbing, as the audience is forced to accept their bizarre relationship on face value, and perhaps examine within themselves the possibility that a bond, or even a kind of love, as twisted and perverse as it may seem, could actually form based upon such a repulsive, torturer/captive relationship. The defining component of this film has to do with the casting of Dirk Bogarde, as he had to demonstrate vulnerability in order to evoke in us some sense of empathy toward his character, even though we know the character is a monster, capable of horrendous cruelty. Without the audience's compassion for him, "The Night Porter" could never have succeeded on any level.
I have been using the pen tool for digital drawing for about 7 months now, but it has been a process to get used to. To use computer as a tool to draw, in my case, my choice of software is photoshop, is to utilize the advantage of the technology, and the capability photoshop offers, but still retain a sense of hand drawn organic sketchy feel. It's been an evolving process.
Coroflot is a very good service for people who are too lazy to create their own professional web pages. I am one of those people. I really enjoy drawing female figures and create digital illustrations, but I don't have a strong desire to learn about web design. I figure it's better to stick with what I do best and let other experts handle the web designing part. Coroflot allows me to showcase different portfolios on the same page. Right now this blog has links which take you to see my work but they are sort of all over the Internet, and I could post my artwork but that takes more than one page. My objective is to have a site which allows people to see samples of my work all on one page. Coroflot is a very user friendly tool with attractive layout, I joined it last night and now I have uploaded about 50 images and created 4 portfolios already.
Located an hour drive from downtown Reno, in the Indian reservation, Pyramid Lake could be a perfect little getaway from all the casinos. Make sure you have a spare tire in the car and bring plenty of water, as there are no shades whatsoever in the entire territory. Day pass per vehicle is 6 dollars.
If Dirk Bogarde hadn't played the leading role, "The Night Porter"(1974) could have been just another film of cheap sensationalism and exploitation. Dirk Bogarde injected a good amount of cynicism and vulnerability into his character, as he always did in his defining roles. I really can't think of another actor who could have helped elevate the film to the level of eroticism and intrigue. Charlotte Rampling's icy exterior and performance helped move the plot along, at least in the first half of the film, as her character gazes into flash backs, Rampling's natural aloofness concealed and revealed in the same time the damage of her hellish past with Max(Bogarde's character). But overall I was left with a sense of disappointment after finished watching. Although it's a fascinating film, and in some levels I was touched, strangely enough, as I felt that there was real tenderness and connection between the main characters, sick as their relationship was; but in the end "The Night Porter" is a very debatable film with many flaws, mostly due to the unconvincing supporting cast, the film could have been much more successful if the plot had only focused on the main two characters and the evolution of their relationship after they have reconnected, without the annoying distractions of the supporting cast as they looked and acted like caricatures-two dimensional stereotypical portrayal of former S.S. officers. The film did succeed on the level which the director(Liliana Cavani) took an unapologetic approach into the complexity of the human psyche, in which there's no black or white. The connection, the desire, or even a feeling of love, longing, and belonging between these two people are based on cruel sexual and psychological torture and torments. Cavani had chosen to not go into details and explanations of the affects the cruelty has on the characters, which makes the film more disturbing, as the audience is forced to accept their bizarre relationship on face value, and perhaps examine within themselves the possibility that a bond, or even a kind of love, as twisted and perverse as it may seem, could actually form based upon such a repulsive, torturer/captive relationship. The defining component of this film has to do with the casting of Dirk Bogarde, as he had to demonstrate vulnerability in order to evoke in us some sense of empathy toward his character, even though we know the character is a monster, capable of horrendous cruelty. Without the audience's compassion for him, "The Night Porter" could never have succeeded on any level.
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