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The Berlin Affair tends to evoke rather extreme reactions in viewers. There are some who believe that Affair is an intense psychological drama that carries film noir into new territory and that its dark view of romance makes incisive points about the elusive nature of love, commitment and desire. There are others, however, who will feel that Affair is a vapid, lifeless exercise in futility, a film that toys with ideas while never really delving into them and that ultimately comes across as rather pretentious and irritating; those with this opinion will also point out that the supposed "attraction" between the three main characters is all textual and superficial, talked about but never demonstrated, making the entire enterprise unbelievable from the start. All the plot machinations are just machinations as a result. Though this reviewer tends to side with the latter view, it has to be admitted that Affair does benefit from a striking visual production. Dante Spinotti's cinematography is highly evocative, moody when desired yet crisp and sharp. The sets and costumes are very well done, and there's a splendid sense of period to the proceedings. This is not necessarily enough to recommend the film, but it does help a great deal.