A Foreign Affair

US (1948): Comedy/Romance

A congressional committee visits occupied Berlin to investigate G.I. morals. Congresswoman Phoebe Frost (Jean Arthur), appalled at widespread evidence of human frailty, hears rumors that café singer Erika (Marlene Dietrich), former mistress of a wanted war criminal, is "protected" by an American officer, and enlists Captain John Pringle (John Lund) to help her find him... not knowing that Pringle is Erika's lover. (IMDb)

The movie has an intrinsic historical interest, since it was filmed in 1948 Berlin, completely destroyed by bombs. As usual in Wilder's works, the plot is beautifully constructed, the dialogue is witty and funny, irony, sarcasm and anti-rhetoric are spread along the movie. The finale is deeper than it appears at a first sight: brutal tyranny, based on terror and slaughter, is doomed to be annihilated, buried under the rubble; pretty girls remain, helping us to spend our life on this unhappy earth. (pzanardo, IMDb) (Paramount)

 Use this link to view the original theatrical trailer for A Foreign Affair on TCM.com.

2 nominations