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Ninotchka (1939)


Interesting to pair this one with a reading or viewing of 1984, which I've been studying and teaching to students at the time I watched this one. 

It's frustrating watching Ninotchka (Greta Garbo) for the first 50 minutes of the film. She's so monotone, so lifeless, so robotic. This is all on purpose, of course, but as a viewer, it's not very much fun to watch. 

Ninotchka is a special Soviet agent, sent to Paris to check on three Soviet agents sent there to sell the former jewels of a Russian duchess. She arrives, and the men are surprised that Razinin (Bela Lugosi) sent a "female comrade." She tells them not to see her womanhood, and she clearly tries to see herself simply as a "comrade," not as a woman. 

Nevertheless, Leon (Melvyn Douglass) immediately becomes attracted to her. He's close with the duchess, but neither he nor the duchess believe in love. Later he suggests to the duchess that he always thought love was "too middle class." It's just interesting that the upper class in France is presented as having the same attitude about love as Ninotchka and the communists. Nevertheless, he's fallen for Ninotchka, and he tries everything to crack her hard exterior, to get any sort of human emotion out of her. 

Eventually, they are having lunch at a restaurant meant for workers. He's telling her jokes. She stonewalls and won't laugh at anything. He gets so frustrated that he leans back in his chair and accidentally falls over backwards. All of the workers laugh. She laughs and keeps laughing. He laughs. 

Ninotchka is immediately transformed. The laugh did it. She keeps smiles. She shows emotion. She puts on lipstick. She wears a silly French hat. And she embraces being in love, living for herself (and for love) rather than for the Party and political ideals. 

I don't know if the transformation is very "realistic," but it's definitely a pleasure to see Garbo laugh and come to life. 

As noted, Bela Lugosi is in this one as her boss, Razinin. This is actually his top-rated film on IMDb (7.8/10 -- second being Dracula at 7.3/10). Unfortunately, even though he has 4th billing in the credits, he only has one scene. It lasts for about 3 minutes. So it's neat to see him interact with Garbo, but he doesn't have much to do in the movie. 

Rating: 5/5

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