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While it's a given that Greta Garbo was the most enigmatic of film stars during Hollywood's golden age, it's also fair to state that she may be the least relevant today for her austere beauty and cool, sometimes unapproachable demeanor. Yet, all that is erased with this 1939 comedy masterwork which brilliantly teams her with the master of innuendo-filled scintillation, Ernst Lubitsch. With a laser-sharp, witty script by Walter Reisch, Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder (before he became a master director himself), this classic is one part political comedy, one part screwball farce and one part romantic whimsy, all blended impeccably with the famous Lubitsch touch.

The plot involves Nina Ivanovna Yakushova, a Soviet envoy sent to Paris to ensure that the government receives the proceeds from the sale of jewels once owned and still coveted by the Grand Duchess Swana, now an expatriate. The cold, emotionless envoy goes about superseding the three lesser envoys who have been assimilating themselves into the frivolous, capitalistic world of Paris thanks to Count Leon, a tuxedoed dandy and the duchess's constant escort. It is Leon who dubs the envoy Ninotchka, and after initial resistance, the two find themselves falling in love but not at the expense of her convictions about the omnipotence of Communist values. The jewels become a negotiation ploy that complicates their affair as does the Grand Duchess herself. The plot develops in unexpected ways and through such clever observational humor that the ending comes all too soon.

While she is deified by many for the operatic tragedy of "Camille" and the mannered mystique of "Mata Hari", Garbo seems at first to be a parody of her sullen screen image with witty one-liners delivered in hilarious deadpan, but she, like her character, blossoms into a warm, comically romantic presence as the film progresses. It's a wondrous transformation and the one performance that assures Garbo her lasting stature more than any other. As Leon, Melvyn Douglas specialized in William Powell-knockoff roles like this one and while he does get a bit excessive in his 1930's-style romantic gestures, he is sophisticated and genial enough to have us believe Ninotchka may give up Mother Russia for him.

At first, stage legend Ina Claire seems like she will play the Grand Duchess Swana as a dotty ninny, but when her talons show, she is an excellent match for Garbo in their scenes together. As the trio of envoys ensconced in the good life, Sig Ruman, Felix Bressart and Alexander Granach make a merry chorus to the proceedings. I particularly like the scenes back in Russia when they share an omelet dinner with Ninotchka in her Soviet-sanctioned, multiple-occupant room. The print transfer on the 2005 DVD is pristine and brings out William Daniels' sparkling, black-and-white cinematography, though the only extra is the film's original trailer. This is truly a must-see.

The only word to describe this Ernst Lubitsch comedy is: sparkling.

Tremendously sweet and funny in that gentle way that was unique to Ernst Lubitsch comedies, "Ninotchka" features a winning Greta Garbo as a Soviet envoy dispatched to Paris to check up on the work of her comrades. They have been sent to sell the confiscated jewels of a Russian countess, played haughtily by Ina Claire. She refuses to let them go without a fight, and enlists the help of her attorney and playboy (Melvyn Douglas) to win them back. Unfortunately for her, he falls under the charms of Ninotchka, as do we.

I have never been a fan of Garbo or the moody brooding she was always asked to do in her films. Lubitsch completely understood the image she had in the public's collective mind, and so for the first half of this movie, Garbo presents a parody of herself, refusing to crack a smile despite Douglas's herculean efforts to make her. But then Ninotchka gradually begins to fall under the spell of Paris, its good food and fashionable hats, a pratfall involving Douglas is finally enough to make her laugh, and from that moment on, she's a delight. For an example of just how good a comedienne Garbo could be, watch Ninotchka's face as Douglas's character tells her corny joke after corny joke in an attempt to win a smile from her; or the scene set in a nightclub when Ninotchka discovers the capitalist wonders of champagne.

Grade: A+

An expertly-played and presented comedy that continues to be dogged by detractors for the oddest reasons. Some feel NINOTCHKA suffers compared to Lubitsch's earlier work, finding it formulaic alongside 1933's TROUBLE IN PARADISE. (I hadn't known Lubitsch had been given 'do-what-thou-wilt' privileges from the Hays Office - I'd labored under the delusion he faced the same restrictions in content and tone every other moviemaker did in 1939.) Other nay-sayers decry the film's jabs at Soviet collectivism as 'dated' if not 'unenlightened'. (Huh? You mean show trials and forced starvation of kulaks were GOOD things that a truly witty screenplay would celebrate?) Still other kibitzers squawk over the casting, of all things! (While it IS fun to picture William Powell or Robert Montgomery in the role of Leon, the boulevardier, Melvyn Douglas was never better than he is here. If he has his spotty moments, it's in those scenes where he must swoon with ardor, reciting dialogue that rings a tad purple to the ear; it's quite possible Powell or Montgomery would have fared even worse reading those lines.) Okay, enough defense - now let's go to NINOTCHKA's numerous strengths. Garbo is magnificent; she has a real knack for comedy (her deadpan entrance is hilarious) yet, as always, is able to break your heart with a look, a word, a gesture. Her three 'stooges' (Sig Rumann, Alexander Granach & Felix Bressart) are broadly funny and genuinely endearing. Ina Claire is everything her legend always claimed she was - though her character is icily calculating, you can't hate any woman who can make dialogue bristle like this. Lubitsch is in complete command throughout; his staging and pacing of the proceedings, masterful in its seeming effortlessness. Even the storied Metro glitz shines in NINOTCHKA, right down to the brilliant artifice of Cedric Gibbons' art direction (the Eiffel Tower sets especially). Last but not least is the superb screenplay by (among other hands) the team of Charles Brackett & Billy Wilder. Wisely, their satiric darts are dipped in a curare leavened by wit and sentiment, and while they are thrown with accuracy, their sting is never such that the satire sinks into the mire of political ideology. NINOTCHKA, after all, is about the triumph of love over politics, and to those who feel trapped in the prevailing toilet-ethic of the Farrelly Brothers' blood-poisoning of modern comedy, represents a much-needed antidote. Inoculate yourself at your earliest opportunity.

This is a fantastic movie. I can't understand why some people have problems with it. Makes me wonder if we don't have some people recoiling at some innocent cracks made at the Soviet Union's expense. As a romantic comedy it has very few peers and is a great introduction to black and white films for those used only to color. There are a plethora of interesting secondary characters. Garbo is wonderful, of course, and Dougless is as good as I've seen him any film. Lubitsch's direction is masterly, but not 'ground-breaking', a fault for which some are willing to run him under the harrow -- a case of holding someone to impossible standards. Nobody can break new ground in every film -- sometimes we have to settle for mere masterly competence. See this film! Unless you happen to romanticize the former Soviet Union, you will enjoy it.

I see that Billy Wilder collaborated on this. Was it a studio decision that Garbo wasn't cast as a comedienne? From the evidence in this film, she should have been. Her timing is excellent, her delivery very special. This is a gem I'd never seen that deserves its National Registry status. In 1939 the Soviet Union had sympathizers in the US, and during the coming World War it was an ally. This gentle spoof of Soviet seriousness and self-conscious worker ethics foreshadows the arguments that were later trotted out after the War to begin the Cold War, but here the humor and satire are soft, more Noel Coward than propaganda.

My lament is not seeing more comedy from Garbo. She made such serious and tragic films, when she could have been making us laugh. The film is dated, yes, but Garbo herself shines through along with her three Russian accomplices. I think that Billy Wilder and Garbo would have been a great team

Ninotchka has been making a hit with audiences since she hit the screen in 1939. A fascinating, yet little known, "second life" of the film was played out during the Italian Elections of 1947-48. The U.S. was most anxious that the Communists not be elected and pulled out all the stops to prevent it. One was to approach MGM and request prints of Ninotchka - to be shown widely to working class audiences in Italy. Since no 16mm prints of the film yet existed, MGM Labs did "print downs" from the original nitrate negative. The resulting prints are astonishingly beautiful (I have one) and they estimate five million Italians viewed it and other propaganda films each week before the elections - in spite of the efforts of the Communists to prevent its showing. One pro-Communist worker said afterward "What licked us was Ninotchka!" (See "Killing Hope" by William Blum). To paraphrase Carl Denham in King Kong, once again "Beauty Killed The Beast!"

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.

Three comrades seek to sell expensive jewels, they'd been taken by the state, when it changed rules, now they're peddlers in Paris, pestered by a wealthy heiress, who's determined to get back, family heirloom. Ninotchka's sent to sort out all the mess, a stern and rigid woman in grey dress, but her fascia slowly falls, with the crumbling of her walls, as Leon opens doors, and gains access.

An absolutely delightful 1930s movie, sees Greta Garbo playing the hardnosed Ninotchka sent to resolve the mess created by three comical communist comrades, all brilliantly performed, while falling for the charms of Count Leon, a Paris playboy and a bit of a chancer.

Three Russian employees of the Communist State arrive in Paris to sell the jewels that belong to Countess Ina Claire (Swana) who has been deposed and exiled. As it happens, she is now living in Paris and gets wind of the fact that her jewels have arrived in the city. She wants them back and a scheme is hatched by her boyfriend Melvyn Douglas (Leon). I'm not sure if he is a boyfriend or husband as he is referred to as a Count. I assume there are many Counts in Russia just as there are numerous Viscounts in France and the title is meaningless. Is he a Count that is married to the Countess Ina Claire? His position is unclear but his behaviour is that of one big sleazeball as he effortlessly drops his girlfriend/wife and starts pursuing the Russian bureaucrat who is next sent to monitor proceedings of the sale - Greta Garbo (Ninotchka). He is not a particularly pleasant character for doing this.

We follow a love story until Claire pulls a scam that determines the outcome of what happens to the jewels and it is up to the 3 original bungling Russian employees to rekindle romance for Garbo and provide a happy ending for all as defection from the Communist territory is the order of the day.

Keep a look out for Bela Lugosi (Razinin). I noticed his name in the beginning credits and completely forgot about him until I noticed his name again at the end credits! I thought he must have been edited out. No, he's in there. He appears late and only has one scene so doesn't deserve his placing so high up the cast list.

The film is funny and succeeds as a comedy - so much better than those ghastly quickfire attempts at humour where everyone shouts over each other. This thankfully is no screwball uncomedy, but a sophisticated attempt at romance and humour and it ends well. I still don't like Douglas and his caddish behaviour. Claire grew on me and comes across with dignity in her resolution. I was on her side.

Does anyone know what happened to MacIntosh and McGillicuddy?

Three Russian traders come to Paris to negotiate the jewels of a former Grand Duchess of the Russian empire. The former owner of the jewels, Grand Duchess Swana (Ina Claire), is exiled in Paris, and try to retrieve the possession through the French justice. Her lawyer and lover, Count Leon d'Algout (Melvyn Douglas), advises the Russians to wait for the sentence of the justice. Meanwhile, the Russian supervisor Nina Ivanovna Yakushova "Ninotchka" (Greta Garbo)" is sent to Paris to survey and evaluate the performance of the negotiators, and incidentally meets Count Leon d'Algout. They feel initially attracted for each other, and later they fall in love for each other. However, the Grand Suchess becomes jealous and their love become impossible due to the Russian closed political system. "Ninotchka" is a delightful romantic comedy and funny satire to the fight of classes. The chemistry between Melvyn Douglas, who has a magnificent performance, and Greta Garbo, gorgeous as usual, is amazing. The confrontation between the capitalism and socialism systems is exaggerated, labeled and caricatured, but very funny, provoking many laughs. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Ninotchka"

When I saw this 10-15 years ago, it was my first look at the famous Greta Garbo and I was impressed She was a pretty woman who exhibited class and intelligence, reminding me of Ingrid Bergman, although not as pretty.

There are a number of subtly-funny lines in here which kind of characterizes the film: okay bit a little slow-moving and not what it could be if it just had a little more a spark to it. The dialog from Melvin Douglas and Ina Claire really date the film. Douglas, as he was in a lot of movies I've seen with him, is not a likable guy. He can be very annoying, but some of that is because he's doing such a fine acting job.

"Ninotchka" develops into a nice romance story in the second half of the movie with a short, satisfying ending and a pointed comment about living in Russia, at that time, as opposed to a free country. I don't own this movie but it was worth the rental.

I had heard much about this movie but I only saw it recently on VHS. Its premise, a Soviet comrade who falls for a dilettante in pre-War Paris, has potential. But the 1930s requirement for evening dress scenes, a bedroom scene or two, always with lavish studio sets, suddenly makes the plotline seem foolish. When the third act moves to a communal apartment in Moscow, the movie becomes ludicrous.

Garbo is both sultry and radiant and when the camera moves in for a closeup, she glows under the special lens. And true, you get to see Garbo laugh. But since I never bought into the love affair between Garbo and Douglas, I found the remainder of the film concocted. The ending is atrocious and unsatisfying.

There is no one to blame for this. This is a period movie that hasn't survived the period. Ironically, there is a good Russian film 'Sluzhebnyj roman' which deals with similar characters: a strait-laced, hard, professional woman who meets a man and opens up to love. No doubt the theme is universal. It's just that "Ninotchka" misses the execution, at least to modern eyes.

My all-time favorite comedy! All right, I am a Garbo fan regardless of the role, and I happen to think that Melvyn Douglas was perfectly cast here. In fact, the entire cast excels, without exception, in one of Lubitsch's finest and most elegant films. Those who think that lines like "The show trials were a great success...there are now fewer, but better, Russians" are dated, or that making fun of totalitarianism is tasteless and politically incorrect need to lighten up. Garbo is not only very funny in this classic, she is inexpressibly lovely (as always). A must-see for any lover of beautifully crafted and entertaining film comedies.

"Garbo Laughs!" was the tagline splattered on posters of Ninotchka, regardless of whether or not she'd actually laughed in other movies. She had, but if you want to see her guffaw and pound the table, you'll have to rent this one. It's a classic silver screen comedy, and one of the few old movies that are still known to modern audiences. It's tailor-made for the Swedish star, who famously rattles off, "Don't make an issue of my womanhood," during her entrance. Greta Garbo was such a mannish star, yet in her earlier films, she was always cast as a sex symbol. Ninotchka is a perfect and hilarious change of pace for her; she's a Russian Communist without frills or romance on her mind, and her natural masculinity can finally be showcased. This was the first of her movies I saw, so I always thought she was a homely actress. When I finally saw her in Camille, I was shocked that she looked so pretty! Melvyn Douglas plays a Parisian playboy who likes all the things Greta doesn't. He tries flirting with her as she asks directions to the Eiffel Tower, and after a few rebuffs, she asks, "Must you flirt?" "Well, I don't have to, but I find it comes naturally," Mel smirks. The perfect tamper on his impeccable timing, Greta shuts him up with the order, "Suppress it." While his role could have been ably played by any number of Hollywood's leading men, Robert Montgomery, Robert Young, Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, it's Melvyn Douglas who's immortalized as Greta's counterpoint, and it's part of the reason he's so well-remembered from his leading man days in the silver screen.

Technically, the film is categorized as an adapted screenplay. However, the source upon which it was based was a three-sentence idea from the MGM studio: "Russian girl saturated with Bolshevist ideals goes to fearful, capitalistic, monopolistic Paris. She meets romance and has an uproarious good time. Capitalism not so bad, after all." That's it, folks; that's what the screenwriters had to work with. Thankfully, that's not at all how the movie comes across; it's not a political commentary. This is a romance between an innocent girl who's never been treated to the high life and a playboy who learns to see life through her eyes.

In a movie showcasing Greta Garbo, with the endless comic talents of Melvyn Douglas, with a hilarious screenplay, it's amazing that the person who runs away with the movie has nearly the smallest part. Felix Bressart, a German actor who fled to the United States during the Nazi rise to power, made his American splash in Ninotchka and made several movies per year for the next ten years. His unique look, his sweet, soft voice, and the sincerity of his emotions wins the audience over in any given scene. In one scene, Melvyn is getting the three silly sidekicks-Felix Bressart, Sig Ruman, and Alexander Granach were ironically all German actors playing Russians-drunk while trying to trick information out of them. "Why are you so good to us?" Felix coos, embracing Mel. "Yes, why are you so good to us?" the others chime in, covering Mel with kisses. It's such an adorable moment in an adorable movie, one that will instantly make you a fan of the new German star.

There are so many great scenes, sweet moments, and hilarious one-liners that will have you popping in Ninotchka time after time. My VHS copy from high school is nearly worn through, I've watched it so many times. When Greta Garbo tastes champagne for the first time, such an adorable expression passes across her face. She insists she should be punished for being so happy, so Mel pretends to execute her in the firing squad via a champagne bottle. The silly hat, the goat milk, and the cigarette girls all leave you smiling and wanting more. Why is the movie so good to us? Lots of reasons, so if you haven't found out yet, watch it tonight!

One terrific film in so many ways. Billy Wilder had a hand in writing this magnificent adventure, and it shows, all about a straight as an arrow Communist (played by Greta Garbo), meeting the avant-garde Capitalistic playboy (Melvyn Douglas) of her nightmares... making one heck of an impression. Wait and seeeeee.

The ads of the day wrote, GARBO LAUGHS, and she sure did, thus marking a refreshing turnaround in her career, departing from the melodramatic to something on the lighter side, add a message between the lines.

Unfortunately, one of her last films, but one of her all time best. More over, Garbo's supporting cast is impressive, notably Sig Ruman as a lively Russian emissary and post Dracula Bela Lugosi, who telegraphs an excellent performance (as the gentleman in charge), without being too ominous.

A classic that has become an addiction. Later remade as a musical, SILK STOCKINGS, starring Cyd Charisse as the Russian agent who also dances, opposite Fred Astaire.

Oscar nominations, Best Actress (Garbo), Best Picture, Best Story, Best Screenplay. In 1954, Greta Garbo did receive a special Oscar for unforgettable screen performances. Director Ernest Lubitsch also earned a special Oscar in 1937 for a 25 year contribution to motion pictures. Had he not won the award, he probably would have won for Best Director here.

Always on dvd and remastered blu ray for generations to come.

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.

If you want just to relax and enjoy charms of true stars of old in dignified comedy, this is a perfect choice for you.

7,5/10

Ninotchka is a great film classic with great acting by Melvyn Douglas, who really supports Greta Garbo. Garbo is an actress with class and great abilities not found in movie stars today, she was ahead of her times, deep and spiritual. Her supporting actors, Sig Ruman used every expression he could to portray a fumbling Russian and Bela Lugosi showed the movie industry that he had great acting abilities he was never given a chance show to his many fans.

This film shows aspiring actors just how to perform to the highest level of their art.

Given Lubitsch, Garbo, and all the hype, I expected a lot more of this film. And actually, the first act was brilliant.

And then there was that restaurant scene. Garbo was portrayed as a woman who killed for her beliefs, but as soon as Melvyn Douglas tells a couple of lame jokes and falls off a chair--poof, Garbo's a capitalist. She's wearing silly hats, and being another typical silly moony Hollywood female. I didn't buy it.

The movie goes slack in the second act. There's no story, really, no dramatic or comic punch, it's just scenes of Garbo in love. And though it's not bad, it's nothing particularly special, which I suppose is what I was expecting. Things do pick up a bit in the third act, but not enough to recover from the long slow middle.

Worth watching, and has some individual moments that are classic--usually involving the characters Iranoff, Buljanoff, and Kopalski--but overall, a let down, and not the best of either Lubitsch or Garbo.

7/10

There are few films with a script as witty and literate as "Ninotchka". There's beauty in every line. This is when people really talked in films instead of getting in car chases or climbing over buildings.

Garbo could have evolved into a real comic actress if she had given herself the chance. Not unlike Katharine Hepburn she shows a comic flare that is equal to her dramatic flare. But she "vanted to be alone".

In "Camille" she spent the entire film dying. In "Ninotchka" she spends the entire film coming to life. And it's a joy to watch.

Watching this movie in 2020 and it's still funny as hell, the acting was amazing, the lead actors' chemistry was cute, there are many really funny moments even that it's old but comedy is timeless i guess, i watched it with 0 expectations and it turned out to be really enjoyable.

Here Garbo plays a Soviet official sent to Paris to oversee three Marx Brother type Soviet loons who have bungled their attempts to sell a priceless bit of jewellery which, it turns out, belonged to an exiled Russian royal now in Paris, who wants them back.

Garbo speaks Russian in a dour, atonal voice tapering down at the end, like Lotte Lenya's Klebb in From Russia With Love. She has the hooded eyelids and joyless expression of Macca's Linda when made to shake the tambourine to Mul of Kyntyre in Wings.

All the Parisians are American actors. The one who woos Garbo's inscrutable Red is Melvyn Douglas, unrecognisable from his later role as Paul Newman's father in Hud.

Sadly Douglas sank the film for me. It starts off very well, it's Top Hat territory really: mistaken identity, a suspicious hotel concierge, art deco apartments: all shiny surfaces and those big pannelled doors that slide open and shut. But Douglas is too sexless to be a leading man; you need a roguish charmer like Fred Astaire and once I realised how perfect he would have been in the role, I grew to loathe Douglas who put me in mind of the actor who played Watson opposite Rathbone in the Sherlock Holmes films, or even the headmaster in Ferris Bueller -certainly not leading man material. You want the woman to submit in a battle of sexes comedy because she'll be on to a winner, but here I found myself hoping she'd hold out against him. Why not ask Maurice Chevalier to do the role? I guess they needed an American lead.

Also, the credit crunch and the UK's current drift to bankruptcy makes this not such an amusing watch: when Garbo's dour Russian shakes her head and says: "Any culture that allows women to wear such a silly hat cannot be long for this world!", or words to that effect, it's an uncomfortable moment. Because it really is a silly hat... Later, Garbo is seen wearing it once she 'sees the light' regarding Western capitalist ways. It's like having an Iranian woman deciding that Heat magazine is actually a jolly good read on her visit to the UK...

When Douglas is off screen, I enjoy the film, but otherwise I had to skip to the end. He talks to Garbo like he's a father indulging a daughter, really quite irritating. Garbo is very good, though her thawing is a bit quick when it happens.