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Ninotchka
A stern Russian woman sent to Paris on official business finds herself attracted to a man who represents everything she is supposed to detest.
Release : | 1939 |
Rating : | 7.8 |
Studio : | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, |
Crew : | Art Direction, Assistant Art Director, |
Cast : | Greta Garbo Melvyn Douglas Ina Claire Bela Lugosi Sig Ruman |
Genre : | Comedy Romance |
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Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
To me, this movie is perfection.
Best movie ever!
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
For some reason, Greta Garbo is elevated beyond her peers. While her mysterious ethos is certainly the stuff of legend (sort of like James Dean and his much too early death), part of her attraction is that she was so inaccessible. I think she was a wonderful actress and in this part she plays it to the hilt, but all this hue and cry over the sullen beauty laughing begs the creation of a godhead. This is a comedy about Russian collectivists becoming enamored with the capitalist world they are supposed to disdain. At the center are some priceless jewels. When Ninotchka comes in to set things straight, it isn't long before she falls for a guy and begins to doubt herself. She had a wonderfully expressive face, and, of course, that sultry voice. This is a fun film, but it is granted its status in many cases because of her unapproachability in real life.
At the core of this film is a dispute between the French and the Russians over which nationality a certain set of rich jewelry belongs to. Three Russians have obtained the jewels (legally from what I understood) although technically they had belonged to a powerful individual from France. The leading actor plays a Frenchman who is trying to make a compromise for both sides, but the three Russians want a consultant for themselves, so they hire the titular Ninotchka, a Russian woman devoid of all joy and happiness.The Frenchman meets this woman before finding out she is the consultant for the Russians, and as if it was fate, he falls for her. He is persistent to spend time with her, and even realizes she does not enjoy life as she should, so he attempts to make her laugh, but there is no success until he does something unintentionally - he falls over a table in a restaurant and it makes everybody, including Ninotchka, to laugh themselves silly.After this incident, things seem to change for Ninotchka, and she even laughs during very serious matters such as while she consults the three Russians about the dispute at hand. She truly enjoys life now and she comes to like the man, Leon, a lot, and eventually falls in love. This doesn't come about without some struggles, of course, but the heart of the movie effectively tells us that life is definitely worth enjoying.This being a comedy, I wish there was more and better humor involved, but this movie is delightful in that its message is inspiring and still does fine without "better" comedy.3.0/4.0
"Ninotschka" is not only a typical Lubitsch-style romantic comedy, it is a satirical political movie. Greta Garbo excels in her performance as a Soviet-drilled inspector who undergoes her own transformation the longer she stays in Paris and the more she begins to have romantic feelings for the Count d'Algout. All characters have been finely developed and watching this black and white film becomes a nice afternoon or evening entertainment. Apart from this, we get a nice scenic impression of Paris in contrast to what the East, Moscow, was imagined at that time. With "Ninotschka", Ernst Lubitsch has created a very entertaining and funny love comedy which is certainly a must-see for all Garbo fans!
Ninotchka (1939)*** 1/2 (out of 4)Terrific romantic-comedy about a stern Russian named Ninotchka (Greta Garbo) who is sent to Paris to look in on three men who were unable to sell some jewelry due to some legal issues. Once there Ninotchka strikes up a relationship with Leon (Melvyn Douglas) who has his own reasons for wanting the jewels. Director Ernst Lubitsch hits all the right moves with this film and turns it into one of the best of its type. It's easy to see why so many people consider 1939 to be the greatest year for movies and this one here is another one of the jewels from that era. Although I'd stop short of calling this a masterpiece, there's still no question that it features a legend at the top of her game and a terrific supporting cast around her. It's funny to see the original advertisements talk about Garbo laughing since this was a very rare thing. Just like her first talking picture, which MGM played up, the moment here when she finally laughs is just a classic scene and one of the most memorable. There are so many classic moments in this film but the majority of the credit has to go to Garbo who is simply wonderful. The stern way she plays this character is just so funny and her line deliveries are flawless. When it comes time for the character to break and have some fun the actress pulls this off remarkably well. It also helps that Douglas is so great in the film and perfectly plays off the actress. Ina Claire, Sig Ruman, Felix Bressart, Alexander Granach and Bela Lugosi are also very good in their supporting parts. NINOTCHKA is full of wonderfully funny moments from start to finish and it's easy to see why it's considered such a classic of its genre.