The Berlin Affair

Original title: Interno berlinese

1985
R
1h 36m

IMDb RATING

5.4/10

689

YOUR RATING

Set in Berlin, 1938, it sees the wife of a rising Nazi diplomat fall in love with Mitsuko Matsugae, the daughter of the Japanese ambassador and an artist.

Play trailer1:18

1 Video

53 Photos

Drama Romance

Berlin, 1938: Louise, a diplomat's wife, begins an affair with Mitsuko, a Japanese artist. Heinz, Louise's husband, discovers and pursues Mitsuko. An art professor and Heinz's Gestapo cousin... Read allBerlin, 1938: Louise, a diplomat's wife, begins an affair with Mitsuko, a Japanese artist. Heinz, Louise's husband, discovers and pursues Mitsuko. An art professor and Heinz's Gestapo cousin complicate matters.Berlin, 1938: Louise, a diplomat's wife, begins an affair with Mitsuko, a Japanese artist. Heinz, Louise's husband, discovers and pursues Mitsuko. An art professor and Heinz's Gestapo cousin complicate matters.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.4/10

689

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 wins & 5 nominations total

Videos1

Trailer 1:18

Trailer

Photos53

+ 46

More like this

7.0

6.4

7.3

6.2

6.2

7.1

5.3

6.3

5.9

The Butterfly's Dream

6.3

Winter Blues

6.2

My Grandmother Fanny Kaplan

6.1

The Woman in Red Boots

Storyline

Edit

Did you know

Edit

Trivia
Based on the novel Quicksand by Japanese author Jun'ichiro Tanizaki, originally published in Japan with the title Manji. There have been four Japanese movie adaptations of the book.

Alternate versions
The English language USA version runs only 96 minutes, 20 minutes shorter than the European version, which deletes at least one of the more explicit lesbian lovemaking scenes between Louise and Mitsuko as well as removes more subplots of Heinz's office work and Nazi social gatherings. Also, several other scenes are taken out of chronological order or shortened.

Connections
Referenced in Manhunter: The Eye of the Storm - An Interview with Dante Spinotti (2016)

User reviews11

Review

Featured review

7/10

Restrained, Elegant, Visually Stunning

Liliana Cavani is a woman of literature. Here she takes Tanizaki's Japanese classic "The Budhist Cross" and transports it to Berlin in the oppressive 30ies. Nazi paranoia is on the look out, ironically, for deviants within German society. In this case High Society. As heads begin to roll more than one personality has something to hide. A study in juxtaposition of fire and ice, truth and falseness, faith and betrayal, Berlin Affair is not an 'easy' film but yes an intriguing one. All the characters seem to move and react with authentic 'period' ease, formal but never artificial. Gudrun Landgrebe is a revelation. Aloof but sensual she evokes the kind of respect usually reserved for the great 'stars' of Hollywood's heyday. Kevin MacNally reminds us of Dirk Bogarde, Mio Takaki is in no way the stereotype of Asian beauty, making her 'powers' seem all the more credible. Andrea Prodan as the 'blackmailing' Josif Benno creates an intriguing character with only a few scenes. In short, everybody is a 'victim' in this drama, which like a Webster play leaves us with a stage strewn with corpses. Adore the Sets,Costumes and pristine photography. A definite Visconti experience from Italy's dame of discomfort, Liliana Cavani.