The Berlin Affair

The Berlin Affair

95 mins | Drama | Oct. 3, 1985

In 1938 Berlin, Gudrun Landgrebe, wife of Nazi functionary Kevin McNally, begins taking art lessons. She makes the acquaintance of another student, Japanese ambassador's daughter Mio Takaki. Soon afterwards, the two women begin a passionate lesbian affair. This leads to a chain reaction of disaster and tragedy, culminating with the inevitable intervention of the Gestapo. Despite the film's galloping sexual passions, The Berlin Affair is an exercise in aloofness, keeping the characters at arm's length-surprising, considering that the director was Liliana Cavani, auteur of the erotic classic The Night Porter (1974). The film was based on The Buddhist Cross, a novel by Junichiro Tanizaki.

The Berlin Affair

95 mins | Drama | Oct. 3, 1985

The Berlin Affair
In 1938 Berlin, Gudrun Landgrebe, wife of Nazi functionary Kevin McNally, begins taking art lessons. She makes the acquaintance of another student, Japanese ambassador's daughter Mio Takaki. Soon afterwards, the two women begin a passionate lesbian affair. This leads to a chain reaction of disaster and tragedy, culminating with the inevitable intervention of the Gestapo. Despite the film's galloping sexual passions, The Berlin Affair is an exercise in aloofness, keeping the characters at arm's length-surprising, considering that the director was Liliana Cavani, auteur of the erotic classic The Night Porter (1974). The film was based on The Buddhist Cross, a novel by Junichiro Tanizaki.
IMDb rating 5.4
Producers Italian International Film, Cannon Group, Golan-Globus Productions
Original title Leidenschaften - The Berlin Affair
Directors Liliana Cavani
Writers Roberta Mazzoni, Liliana Cavani

Cast

Gudrun Landgrebe

as Louise von Hollendorf

Kevin McNally

as Heinz von Hollendorf

Mio Takaki

as Mitsuko Matsugae

Hanns Zischler

as Wolf von Hollendorf

Massimo Girotti

as Werner von Heiden

William Berger

as The Professor

Andrea Prodan

as Joseph Benno

Philippe Leroy

as Herbert Gessler

John Steiner

as Oskar Engelhart

Tomoko Tanaka

as Ume

Claudio Lorimer

as Otto Bhüler

Edward Farrelly

as Bernard

Enrica Maria Scrivano

as Lotte Engelhart

Clara Algranti

as Ilse

Benedetta Fantoli

as Concierge

Pieter Daniel

as Edmund Meyer

James Crompton

as Dr Lipp

Sarah Blum

as Cook

Silke Meyer

as Model

Steven Pappas

as Art Student

Paula Telander

as Art Student (uncredited)

Jusaburo Tsujimura

as Spiritual Guide (uncredited)