The Berlin Affair

The Berlin Affair (Interno Berlinese)
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Liliana Cavani
Produced by	Yoram Globus Menahem Golan
Screenplay by	Liliana Cavani Roberta Mazzoni
Based on	Quicksand by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
Starring	Gudrun Landgrebe Kevin McNally Mio Takaki
Music by	Pino Donaggio
Cinematography	Dante Spinotti
Edited by	Michael J. Duthie Ruggero Mastroianni
Production company	Cannon Productions Italian international Film
Release date	October 1985 USA 6 November 1985 Italy February 1986 West Germany (Berlin International Film Festival)
Running time	122 minutes
Country	Italy West Germany

Michael J. Duthie

The Berlin Affair (Italian: Interno Berlinese) is a 1985 Italo-German film, directed by Liliana Cavani and starring Gudrun Landgrebe, Kevin McNally and Mio Takaki. 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. Her husband finds out, and moves to break up the affair. However he soon falls in love with Mitsuko himself, leading to the intervention of officials higher in the system. The film is based upon the novel Quicksand by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki.

Berlin 1938: Louise von Hollendorf is married to Heinz, a German senior diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She decides to take drawing lessons at the institute of Fine Arts. At the institute, Louise meets Mitsuko Matsugae, a young and alluring daughter of the Japanese Ambassador. Captivated by Mitsuko's beauty, Louise asks her to model for her sketching practice. Rumor spreads at the institute that the two women are romantically engaged. Rather than driving them apart the rumors bring the two friends closer together and soon they have a passionate affair. As Louise later confides to her former literature professor, "One moment we were laughing, the next, we were making love". They have their romantic encounters first at Louise's house and later at a seedy hotel. After spending more and more time together Louise falls in love with Mitsuko.

Her husband, Heinz, grows suspicious of the women's relationship. Heinz becomes not only jealous but also worried that his wife's indiscretions might harm his political ambitions. Heinz confronts Louise, who denies his allegation even in the face of clear evidence.

One day, Louise discovers that Mitsuko has had an affair with Joseph Benno, their half-Italian drawing instructor. Louise learns about Mitsuko and Joseph's plan to marry and that the two have spread the lesbian rumors to distract from their own socially unacceptable, mixed-race relationship. Disgusted and disillusioned, Louise breaks away from Mitsuko and returns to her husband, confessing the full extent of what has happened.