Acontroversy magnet on release, director Liliana Cavani’s signature work remains an uncomfortable watch. Set in 1957 Vienna, it pivots on a chance reunion between Nazi officer turned hotel porter Max (Dirk Bogarde) and Holocaust survivor Lucia (Charlotte Rampling). Soon the duo renew their sadomasochistic love affair, while evading Max’s former associates. A long-winded story interspersed with explicit scenes of sex and abuse, it still exerts a twisted fascination. Rampling’s interest in “dark” material is explored in an insightful interview.