A Foreign Affair (1948)

In the aftermath of World War II, a US congressional committee, led by the focused and diligent Congresswoman Phoebe Frost, lands in the war-torn city of Berlin. Their mission is to probe into the disconcerting rumors of low morale among the American troops entrusted with the city's American quadrant. Frost, a stern Republican from Iowa, is unyielding in her pursuit of truth, suspecting that the committee's military liaison, Colonel Rufus J. Plummer, is sugarcoating the grim reality. As Frost delves into the heart of Berlin, she is confronted with a city steeped in chaos and corruption, particularly involving the American soldiers and German "fraulein". Her attention is piqued by an alarming report about Erika von Schlütow, a sultry cabaret singer and a former high-ranking Nazi whose dark past seems to be conveniently covered up by an unidentified American officer. Frost, determined to expose this military man, ropes in Captain John Pringle, a fellow Iowan who she trusts due to their shared roots. Unbeknownst to her, Pringle is the very man she seeks, entangled in a secret love affair with Erika and desperate to keep his identity concealed. As Frost continues her investigation, Pringle goes to great lengths to keep his secret safe, even feigning romantic interest in Frost. Erika, however, is not a mere pawn in this game. She has her own motives, which she subtly reveals in a surprising encounter with Frost. The plot thickens when Colonel Plummer, aware of Pringle's relationship with Erika, assigns him a critical military task tied to a former companion of Erika's, a missing Gestapo member named Hans Otto Birgel. Pringle's secret stands on a precipice, threatening to unravel and possibly alter the course of their lives. The tale of "A Foreign Affair" is a complex web of love, deceit, and political intrigue, set against the haunting backdrop of post-war Berlin.

A Foreign Affair is a comedy movie featuring Jean Arthur.

A Foreign Affair is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.