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.
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This film certainly has many flows, probably in the terms of script, but it definitely falls into the category of cinematic classics. If we celebrate The Night Portrait, or The Last Tango in Paris, than we should celebrate this movie, too. The performances of the two main female leads are marvelous. Passion, forbidden love, irresistible attraction to the unknown and potentially deadly field - all this makes this film unique. The script is somewhat weak - but it definitely is not what this film is worth for. In the first place, long shots without a word between characters - this is what makes this film unique. Definitely worth seeing.
I purchased this DVD because of its German star, the beautiful and soft-spoken Gudrun Landgrebe, who portrayed a tender and warm-hearted young woman so convincingly in the German TV series "Heimat". In the German version of this movie, she dubs her own part with near perfection and makes all the right faces all the time, but is condemned to play the silliest society woman one may ever encounter on the proverbial celluloid: falling "lesbianly" (so to speak) for a sour-faced, lying and manipulative Japanese woman, even though she is happily married to a successful diplomat in the German government. After the viewer becomes convinced to have seen the peak of cinematic stupidity, he is in for yet further astonishment when said happily married diplomat too falls for the Japanese and, in this state, becomes even jealous of his wife. Now, this male reviewer may not be able to judge correctly the authenticity of a lesbian infatuation, but he can assert that, as a man's sex object, the Japanese is so low on the totem pole to be below ground. Those fake sexual encounters, during which the participants never shed any of their clothing, do not exactly contribute to the credibility of the story either. Only Gudrun's 1930's Mercedes looks genuine.
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.
This can not even be considered a pun, right? If you feel so, sorry for the pun. But it might never have been more apt then here. You have the world on the verge of second world war - and some people who just are getting it on ... and on ... and on.
But with so many affairs, you would be excused if you lost the count. Or who is doing it with whom. Now saying all that, do not imagine this to be too titilating/exciting. Actually the main cast isn't really nude in this. There is some nudity, but from others/smaller roles and not during the ... act. No pun intended.
This is a special kind of drama. You will either like what is happening - with confusion and trying to please ... oneself - or you will find it annoying at best. Don't blame Berlin for anything ... I think.
But with so many affairs, you would be excused if you lost the count. Or who is doing it with whom. Now saying all that, do not imagine this to be too titilating/exciting. Actually the main cast isn't really nude in this. There is some nudity, but from others/smaller roles and not during the ... act. No pun intended.
This is a special kind of drama. You will either like what is happening - with confusion and trying to please ... oneself - or you will find it annoying at best. Don't blame Berlin for anything ... I think.
In 1938, in Berlin, Louise von Hollendorf (Gudrun Landgrebe) is a well married woman frequenting art classes. Her husband Heinz von Hollendorf (Kevin McNally) is a successful politician in a pre-war German and they have an excellent relationship. During the class, Louise meets Mitsuko Matsugae (Mio Takaki), an exotica and very discreet Japanese young woman, daughter of the Ambassador of Japan in Berlin. They start a friendship that is followed by a lesbian love between them. Mitsuko indeed is a very seductive and amoral bisexual woman and seduces also Heinz. This relationship ends in a tragedy.
This dark and heavy romance has a wonderful photography, and a beautiful reconstitution of a pre-war period. The cast has a great performance and this movie is really very underrated, maybe because of the polemical and excellent director Liliana Cavani. She had the courage of making the magnificent 'Night Porter', which offended many persons, and since them certain cinema critics have decided to crucifixe her work. The manipulated public opinion, based on these unfair critics, sometimes is induced to 'not-like' any of her films. 'Berlin Affair' is a film not recommended for all audience. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): 'Berlin Affair'
Note: On 02 August 2021, I saw this film again.
This dark and heavy romance has a wonderful photography, and a beautiful reconstitution of a pre-war period. The cast has a great performance and this movie is really very underrated, maybe because of the polemical and excellent director Liliana Cavani. She had the courage of making the magnificent 'Night Porter', which offended many persons, and since them certain cinema critics have decided to crucifixe her work. The manipulated public opinion, based on these unfair critics, sometimes is induced to 'not-like' any of her films. 'Berlin Affair' is a film not recommended for all audience. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): 'Berlin Affair'
Note: On 02 August 2021, I saw this film again.
Did you know
- TriviaBased on the novel Quicksand by Japanese author Jun'ichirô Tanizaki, originally published in Japan with the title "Manji." There have been four Japanese movie adaptations of the book.
- Alternate versionsThe 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.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Manhunter: The Eye of the Storm - An Interview with Dante Spinotti (2016)
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