Ninotchka (film)
"Ninotchka" is a romantic comedy film released in 1939, featuring Swedish actress Greta Garbo in one of her most notable performances, earning her an Academy Award nomination. Set against the backdrop of post-revolutionary Russia and Paris, the film follows Ninotchka, a serious and assertive commissar sent to Paris to recover imperial jewels that Russian delegates are trying to sell. The character's commitment to her communist ideals contrasts with the charm and humor of Count Leon D'Algout, who pursues her despite their differing worldviews. As the plot unfolds, Ninotchka's rigid demeanor begins to soften, leading to a romantic entanglement that ultimately challenges her political beliefs.
Significantly, "Ninotchka" was one of the first films to satirize Soviet Russia, reflecting the ideological tensions of the time as Europe faced the impending World War II. The film also made bold statements about gender equality, portraying its female leads as strong and intelligent. The marketing campaign, encapsulated by the slogan "Garbo Laughs!", helped reshape audience perceptions of Garbo's capacity for comedic roles. The film was well-received, grossing over $1.1 million and later inspired a musical remake titled "Silk Stockings" in 1957, starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse.
Ninotchka (film)
- Release Date: 1939
- Director(s): Ernst Lubitsch
- Writer(s): Charles Brackett ; Walter Reisch; Billy Wilder
- Principal Actors and Roles: Greta Garbo (Ninotchka); Felix Bressart (Buljanoff); Ina Claire (Swana); Melvyn Douglas (Leon); Bela Lugosi (Razinin); Sig Rumann (Iranoff)
- Book / Story Film Based On: Ninotchka by Melchior Lengyel
Ninotchka, a romantic comedy, starred Swedish actress Greta Garbo. Her performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for what would become her second to last film and first American comedy.
In 1937 MGM bought the original screenplay, called Love Is Not So Simple. The screenplay had been written by Melchior Lengyel and its plot focused on a stern man who gets a Russian woman to fall in love with him for business and then actually falls in love with her. The two are at odds in the relationship as they compete for power. In the end they marry and live happily ever after. Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Walter Reisch adapted the screenplay in 1937.
When the screenplay was adapted it was written with Greta Garbo in mind as Ninotchka. She presented the assertive female heroine who was also attractive and funny. Audiences used to being moved by Garbo’s performances in dramatic films were pleasantly surprised by her ability to be funny in Ninotchka.
Plot
The film set in Russia after the 1917 revolution and in Paris. Ninotchka is a woman loyal to the communist party and who is serious about everything in life, much like the roles that Greta Garbo played in other films. Ninotchka is strong and assertive. She serves as a commissar or envoy who has been sent by the Russian government to Paris. Ninotchka is committed to the political ideals of her country. She is not interested in the West, capitalism, or marriage. She is determined to confront the Russian board of trade members who went to Paris to sell imperial jewelry in order to support themselves financially after the revolution of 1917. Ninotchka is determined to retain the jewels and return them to the state—the communist state in Russia, the controller of all ownership. The three commissars are surprised when they learn the person sent to deal with the problems they have encountered trying to sell the jewels is a woman.
While she is in Paris to carry out her mission, Ninotchka meets Leon D’Algout. He is a Count; he is dashing and he loves laughter. His girlfriend is the owner of the jewels the three Russian delegates are trying to sell to a jeweler. Ninotchka asks Leon for directions to the Eiffel Tower. Leon shows her the way and then follows her. Atop the tower, he points to the spectacular views of the city. Ninotchka is not amused. He makes many failed attempts to get Ninotchka to laugh and tries to seduce her. Ninotchka rebuffs him each time but then falls for him. Yet Ninotchka soon learns that Leon is connected to the jewels that the Russian envoys have been trying to sell. She is angry and abruptly leaves.
Even though Leon and Ninotchka are opposites, they are greatly attracted to one another and despite what Ninotchka believes is best for her and her country, she cannot resist him. Leon continues to pursue Ninotchka, and slowly he is able to thaw her. In the meantime, Leon’s girlfriend, Duchess Swana, tries to drive away Ninotchka using blackmail once she learns of Leon’s interest in her. A waiter steals the jewels, and the three corrupted Russian envoys decide to stay and open a restaurant. In the end, Leon persuades Ninotchka not to return to Russia but instead to marry him.
Significance
The film was one of the first to use Communist Russia as a subject for comedy. The Russian Revolution of 1917 resulted in a flood of tzarist Russians into Paris to escape the communist Russians who had led the revolution to overthrow the tsar and put in place a communist government. The film commented on the stark differences in ideologies (Soviet communism vs. capitalism) at a time when Europe (and later the United States) was going to war in World War II. The Soviet Union and its satellite states banned the movie when it was released, around the time that Germany and Britain and France had declared war on each other. In addition, the Soviet Union and Germany had signed the Non-Aggression Pact just prior to the release of the film.
The film takes a satirical and light approach to the Soviet political system. It paints a picture of the poor innocent Russian people who are deprived and suffering as a result of their political system. It also shows no bias in the political debate between communist and tsarist Russia. Yet capitalism triumphs in the film, and capitalism and love are what bring the worlds of Ninotchka and Leon together
The leading women in the film, especially Ninotchka and the Duchess, are portrayed as strong and intelligent women, as well as successful, which was a forward-thinking statement on gender equality. MGM’s film marketing department used the slogan "Garbo Laughs!" to change audience’s perceived notions that Garbo could entertain in a comedy as well as a drama. The slogan worked. The film grossed more than $1.1 million in the United States and slightly lower internationally.
Leonard Rosenman wrote the film’s musical score. Like the film’s use of color and light, Rosenman shaped the film’s musical score to reflect the emotion of the scene and the characters. The score is complex and at times raucous. The film was remade into a musical in 1957, called Silk Stockings. Fred Astaire starred in the film with Cyd Charisse playing the role of Ninotchka.
Awards and nominations
Nominated
- Academy Award (1939) Best Picture
- Academy Award (1939) Best Actress: Greta Garbo
- Academy Award (1939) Best Original Story: Melchior Lengyel
- Academy Award (1939) Best Screenplay (Adapted): Charles Brackett, Walter Reisch, Billy Wilder
Bibliography
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Hopp, Glenn. Billy Wilder: The Cinema of Wit 1906–2002. Italy: Taschen, 2003. Print.
Smedley, Nicholas. A Divided World: Hollywood Cinema and Émigré Directors in the Era of Roosevelt and Hitler, 1933–1948. Chicago: Chicago UP, 2011. Print.
Upton, Bryn. Hollywood and the End of the Cold War: Signs of Cinematic Change. London: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014. Print.