The ritual is intriguing but the spell doesn't entirely take hold. Or perhaps the magic remains hidden in the depths of the film -- and it's up to each viewer to take the plunge.

Undine's area of study is Berlin's gradual architectural mutation from century to century; a shot of two lovers diving among submerged ruins whispers a warning that all things-from true love to civilization itself-must pass.

Undine's hauntingly aching romance is enchanting, as thick as the feeling of inhaling water into your lungs.

Passionate romances and the history of a nation are connected with a mythic underpinning that is all at once tragic and transcendent.