"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!
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!