Ninotchka

Starring: Greta Garbo, Melvyn Douglas, Ina Claire, Bela Lugosa, Sig Ruman, Felix Bressart, Alexander Granach
Directed by: Ernst Lubitsch
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Comedy, Romance
1939

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A cold Russian woman (Greta Garbo) travels to Paris to retrieve jewels for Russia, but soon finds herself under Paris' spell.

Review:

Tim: I didn't know what to expect when I sat down to watch Ninotchka. I couldn't even pronounce the title (now I can, thanks to Melvyn Douglas). I thoroughly enjoyed this different movie and am a big, big fan.

At its heart, this is romance story, like hundreds of others. However, it's everything around it that gives it a very unique vibe. The romance is between a stern Russian woman and a carefree Parisian. As much as the film is about them, it's also about the differences in culture and politics between France and Russia. Those two countries play an outsize role in this story. I loved that aspect of the film. The story is a vehicle for these two star-crossed lovers, but the story is every bit as much about these two countries, how they differ, and what that does to those who call those countries home. Few movies have taken this approach and the movie benefits as a result.

In discussing this movie, you have to spend time on the cast, especially Greta Garbo. I'm embarrassed to say I've only seen one Garbo movie before this, Grand Hotel. In my review of that film, I said she was "fine but overacted a bit." It's funny to read that, a decade plus later, because my thoughts on her here are completely different. Garbo was remarkable in this film. Her performance was absolutely stunning. The transformation that takes throughout the story is impressive, and Garbo brings this all to life. In the beginning, she is cold, stern, emotionless. Garbo nails this and some of these early moments are her best scenes. She appears not wearing makeup and is both chilling and hilarious as this buttoned up Russian. As the movie progresses, Paris and Leon weave a spell over her and she begins to thaw, begins to embrace Western civilization. She undergoes a remarkable transformation and Garbo sells this so well that we fully believe the changes she undergoes. In another year, she should have won an Academy Award for this performance. While she was nominated, this was also the year of Vivien Leigh and Gone With the Wind. The Academy chose correctly, but that doesn't mean Garbo wasn't just fantastic in this film. She was so good that I have prioritized "seeing more Greta Garbo movies" on my lists.

I really enjoyed Melvyn Douglas, too. I wasn't sure how I would feel about him at the beginning of the film. Initially, I didn't like him. Interestingly, I looked him up after and I've seen him in 3 other films. In none of those reviews did I even mention him, including his first Academy Award win, for Best Supporting Actor in Hud. However, as the movie progressed, I enjoyed him more and more. His charm worked its magic on me. His earnestness, his comedic timing, his ability to make Greta Garbo laugh- it all worked so well. This is the second time in this film that a wonderful performance gave me a newfound appreciation for an actor. In addition to Douglas, Sig Ruman, Felix Bressart, and Alexander Granach all added wonderful comedic supporting performances. Ina Claire made the movie better as well. I do need to be frank, I was excited for Bela Lugosi to be in this film and I didn't even notice when he showed up. I had to think back to remember. It's not much of a role to speak of. As a whole, though, the cast is incredible.

Ernst Lubitsch directs a thoroughly engaging film. It moves quickly and it's effortlessly fun to watch it. It's a romance story that feels like it's about even more than just two people in love. The setting, the political context, it all adds up to an unforgettable film. It even features a drunk scene, which was a little bit scandalous back in 1939. Ninotchka is a fun word to say a fun movie. I truly enjoyed it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Anna Christie, Grand Hotel