calvinnme Ninotchka is one of my all time favorite films because it is such a clever, witty study in contrasts. .the stern, humorless "Soviet lady" sent to worldly Paris to reclaim property, and the dashing, worldly "Count Leon" (Melvyn Douglas) who is out to thwart her plans. Little does he know what's in store! Ninotchka's grim determination to accomplish her mission...and Leon's dogged determination to charm her away from her goal, is a delight to watch. And added in the mix are the three Russian comrades - well meaning but soon overcome by the delights of "ringing three times" for the cigarette girls..not to mention the former and entitled Grand Duchess Swana (played with regal hauteur by Ina Claire) who's determined that she'll keep her precious jewels and Leon too.. and send the Soviet envoy packing back to Russia. Who would have thought that Melvyn Douglas could be a romantic and Greta Garbo a comedienne. Ernst Lubitsch certainly concocted a merry confection and it is reported that even Miss Garbo enjoyed working on the film. I just wonder how Ninotchka went over with the production code. Ninotchka and her associates are true Soviet believers, and the exiled Grand Duchess Swana is somebody you would just love to see a meteorite fall upon. Of course the film does make references to the Russian shortages, marching, and spies planted among the Russian everyman, but it does so in a comical way. For sure Lubitsch could not have made this film in the atmosphere of ten years later because of all of the Communist paranoia in the United States. A little odd factoid - Ina Claire and Greta Garbo actually had something in common in real life - John Gilbert. Gilbert married Claire in 1929 after he and Garbo were done romantically. They divorced in 1931.

Hitchcoc 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.

TheLittleSongbird If you love Greta Garbo and Ernst Lubitsch, there is no real reason why you shouldn't like Ninotchka. Both have done a little better, Garbo with Camille and Queen Christina and Lubitsch with Heaven Can Wait, The Shop Around the Corner and especially Trouble in Paradise, but Ninotchka is nowhere near either's lesser works, if anything it's up there with one of the best for both.As ever with Lubitsch, it looks fantastic, with gorgeous cinematography, lavish costumes and especially the sumptuous settings that doesn't swamp the actors at all. Lubitsch's direction is not as ground-breaking as it was in The Love Parade(an excellent film by the way and very historically important), but it is never less than masterly with the Lubitsch touch always present. Then again Lubitsch was a consistent director, who's even his lesser work like Monte Carlo has its virtues. It's well and sympathetically scored, the story while somewhat familiar is endlessly charming, heart-warming and good-humoured and the characters are surprisingly likable(even Melvyn's Douglas's). Greta Garbo is magnificent, showing a gift for comedy, and Melvyn Douglas in one of his best performances succeeds in making a not always sympathetic character likable and his comic timing is always solid to excellent. Ida Claire is wonderfully icy and Sig Ruman, Felix Bressart and Alexander Granach are very funny. The star though is the superb, always sparkling and often hilarious script, with one of the credits being none other than one of the best directors ever Billy Wilder. The café scene is just wonderful.To conclude, Ninotchka is another gem from Garbo and Lubitsch. 10/10 Bethany Cox

grantss The movie starts very well, but ends badly. From the outset the movie is funny - full of great one-liners and social observations. Also a great political satire - mocking the evil of Soviet Russia and the naivety and stupidity of communism with some great satire. Capitalism doesn't get off scot-free either: the superficiality of some elements of it are also exposed.The opening few scenes also give a great insight into the European zeitgeist of the mid/late-1930s, especially the competing forces of capitalism, communism and fascism/nazism.From this auspicious start, a monumentally great movie was in the offing. However, from a point the movie takes itself far too seriously as a romantic drama. Instead of a political satire, or just plain comedy, it becomes a schmaltzy romantic drama, and a fairly predictable and conventional one at that.Even the humour becomes tired, predictable, more-of-the-same, rather than the fresh, sharp comedy from the first few scenes. The final few scenes are quite dull.It's as if the writer, the legendary Billy Wilder, ran out of ideas about half way through.Good performance by Greta Garbo as Ninotchka. Her cool, humourless impression of a Russian bureaucrat was something to behold. Melvyn Douglas is the clown to her straight guy, and does it very well. The three bumbling Russian officials are also played well.