A Foreign Affair Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

A Foreign Affair Blu-ray Movie Review

A classic gem by the great Billy Wilder (The Apartment, Some Like It Hot)

A Foreign Affair follows the surprising adventures of talented Iowan congresswoman Phoebe Frost (Jean Arthur) as she embarks into unknown territory in Berlin. The film takes place post-war but tensions are still high in the country. The film has romance in spades as a quirky love-triangle unfolds. Produced by Charles Brackett (Sunset Boulevard, The King and I) and based on the original story written by David Shaw (Producers' Showcase, The Mississippi), A Foreign Affair is a charming confection which is a must-see for fans of classic cinema.

As she embarks on her new quest overseas, the beautiful and charming Ms. Frost researches the American troops to learn more about their morale and their vigor within the circumstances surrounding their occupation within Berlin, Germany. The congressional investigation leads to some interesting insights into the troops in Berlin but the focus of the story is the romance and its burgeoning love-triangle plot.

Captain John Pringle (John Lund) is involved in the love triangle as he romances the voluptuous and shadowy vixen known only as Erika Von Schluetow (Marlene Dietrich). Though the tough-as-nails babe was formerly surrounded by German Nazi's she had a romance with John Pringle and now is determined to marry him. In fact, one could say that Erika is head over heels in love with the gent.

Romance in a post-war world.

Ms. Schluetow is a former Nazi herself and while she can sing and dance to audiences with ease at a small joint in Berlin her life isn't all peaches. Even though they had a sensual fling together, Captain John Pringle also has growing affections for the more “up-and-up” Phoebe Frost. Who will become victorious in the love-triangle? Edward or Jacob? (Oops, wrong movie...)

Much of A Foreign Affair was shot on location in Berlin (which gives it a more rewarding sense of authenticity than it would have otherwise). With a haunting music score composed by the great composer Friedrich Hollaender (Christmas in Connecticut, A Dangerous Profession), the film is successful at creating a dream-like quality which works beautifully with the storyline. The richly evocative imagery created by cinematographer Charles Lang (Sabrina, Charade) helps to make the experience more rewarding and uniquely compelling. There is something to be said about how well lit the film is and the stylistic flourishes on display add a great deal to the filmmaking.

One of the best aspects of the production is the superb costumes designed by Edith Head (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, This Property Is Condemned). The characters wear distinctive and memorable attire which makes a great impression that is impossible to shake off. The gorgeous gowns worn by the ladies are beautifully woven and fit like a glove. There is real beauty to Head's efforts.

Featuring a screenplay by the brilliant director Billy Wilder (Sunset Boulevard, The Apartment, Some Like It Hot) with co-screenwriters Charles Brackett (The Lost Weekend, The Emperor Waltz) and Richard L. Breen (State Fair, A Foreign Affair), A Foreign Affair is an affectionate ode to love and splendor while set against a turbulent backdrop of post-war strife. The film is one of the most under-seen and under-rated gems within Wilder's legendary filmmaking career and it deserves to be newly discovered by today's modern audiences. The performances are stunning (with Marlene Dietrich showcasing her immense star-power) and the film will leave audiences smiling at the fun and whimsical romance. A great gem which needs to be seen.

A Foreign Affair Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Billy Wilder's A Foreign Affair arrives on Blu-ray in North America from distributor Kino Lorber with a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.37:1 full frame. Fans of the filmmaker with be thrilled to add this gem to their collection with a generally satisfactory transfer that brings the evocative black-and-white cinematography to life.

A great number of scenes in the film are downright stunning with this high-quality encode. The photography is effectively realized. However, while much of the presentation looks stunning with excellent detail and clarity on display the transfer is sometimes inconsistent and some scenes show some minor wear: some sequences appear inherently soft and are less focused than one might desire (with a small decrease in clarity). While there are many scenes with appear extremely crisp and highly detailed, the sometimes inconsistent nature of the transfer can occasionally distract. There are scenes in which thin scratches detract from an otherwise impressive scan but these moments are always fleeting. A good (if imperfect) transfer that should satisfy viewers.

A Foreign Affair Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Featuring a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio mono sound mix, A Foreign Affair has a highly engaging audio presentation that manages to capably render the film's soundtrack and razor-sharp dialogue. In the majority of the film's witty and charming dialogue-heavy scenes, the audio clarity sounds quite crisp and satisfactory to one's ears. There is never an issue with regards to dialogue reproduction.

There are no glaring issues with regards to cracks, hiss, warps, and other audible detriments. However, there are moments in the presentation that don't sound quite as refined as what one would find on a pitch-perfect audio restoration and fidelity can sound only a few steps above average on occasion. While A Foreign Affair doesn't have an absolutely pitch- perfect presentation in the audio-department, it's a satisfactory one which generally pleases and makes the cut.

Optional English subtitles are provided.

A Foreign Affair Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historian Joseph McBride

A Foreign Affair Theatrical Trailer (SD, 1:01)

The release also includes trailers for other Billy Wilder releases from distributor Kino Lorber: Witness for the Prosecution (SD, 3:07), One, Two, Three (SD, 2:11), Irma La Douce (SD, 3:53), The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (SD, 3:00), Avanti! (SD, 2:39), and The Front Page (SD, 2:37).

A Foreign Affair Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

What a beautiful production. A Foreign Affair is a must-see classic by the great auteur Billy Wilder (The Apartment, Some Like It Hot). The performances by the all-star cast are impressive and the filmmaking demonstrates creativity in spades. The Blu-ray release features a worthy PQ/AQ presentation and is certainly well worth picking up for fans of the film. Highly recommended.