Ninotchka

Play trailer

Ninotchka

Released Nov 9, 1939

1h 50m

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

41 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

A no-nonsense diplomat of the Soviet Union, Nina Ivanovna Ninotchka Yakushova (Greta Garbo) arrives in Paris to ensure the sale of jewels seized during the Russian Revolution. Meanwhile, carefree bachelor Count Leon d'Algout (Melvyn Douglas) attempts to intercept the valuables on behalf of their former owner, the Grand Duchess Swana (Ina Claire). Despite their conflicting allegiances, the icy Ninotchka soon warms to Leon's charms, reluctantly going against her better judgment.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

With Greta Garbo proving her comedy chops in the twilight of her career, Ninotchka is a can't-miss classic.

Read Critics Reviews

Richard Brody

The New Yorker

The romantic roundelay, linking fine emotions with fine lingerie, is shadowed by the brutality of Soviet tyranny.

May 9, 2016

Full Review

Whittaker Chambers

TIME Magazine

This one is neither crude clowning nor crude prejudice, but a literate and knowingly directed satire which lands many a shrewd crack about phony Five Year Plans, collective farms, Communist jargon and pseudo-scientific gab.

Jan 15, 2013

Full Review

Joshua Rothkopf

Time Out

Ninotchka is delicate flirtation and political satire made into a perfect whole, and a reminder of skills that studio writers have largely lost.

Rated: 5/5

Dec 27, 2012

Full Review

Tony Sloman

Radio Times

This is without doubt one of the funniest, most original screen comedies ever made, and from the greatest year in Hollywood's history.

Rated: 5/5

Aug 22, 2024

Full Review

Pare Lorentz

McCall's

The picture itself might have been a very amusing satire at the expense of the Russians if it had been made with any thing lighter than a loaded baseball bat.

Oct 30, 2023

Full Review

Zita Short

InSession Film

Ninotchka continues to enchant viewers all over the world and it hasn’t lost any of its charm in the past 82 years.

Feb 1, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Steven

Fantastic, amazing, the more you think about it the better it gets

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/08/25

Full Review

alan g

Greta Garbo at her best.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/25

Full Review

Russ G

"There will be fewer but better Russians!" Nothing better encapsulates the Soviet attempt to "perfect" man as that line, delivered in absolute deadpan by Miss Garbo! Fun Fact: While Melvyn Douglas played the witty, urbane, and lecherous lead in this film, about two decades later he'd give a completely different performance as a God-fearing Texas cattle rancher opposite Paul Newman in the drama "Hud."

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/01/25

Full Review

Tamara K

The chemistry between all the actors is great and Garbo is fabulous.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/07/24

Full Review

Alec B

Its not false advertising to claim that "Garbo laughs" in this film (it happens on more than one occasion) but she's also endlessly charming and surprisingly funny.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/10/23

Full Review

Red T

All Time Classic. Douglas & Garbo steal the show and have incredible chemistry and charm in every scene they are in. The film starts out solid enough the whole way but once Garbo arrives the film takes a big jump and never lets up with the incredibly smart, witty, and politically charged humor that hits pretty much every time. Even whne Garbo is playing it straight she is really funny somehow. The camera knows also Douglas & Garbo are the best asset in this and doesn't need to get super fancy. Most of the time it just is long takes focused on the two and its amazing to watch the chemistry and witty lines exchanged. The only real issue is the music is good but isn't that memorable on its own and isn' used that much throughout, but this somehow never feels dry either. This blends a Rom-Com with a politically charged backstory/humor beautifully. As much as this makes fun of Communism for 60% of the time, it also suprisingly makes fun of Capitalism also and is just as funny. This is super witty, clever, and even though the plot is ridiculous it never really matters because its very clear this isn't meant to be taken as a serious political thriller and succeeds big time at it. Anyone should give this a try once.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/18/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Ernst Lubitsch

Director

Greta Garbo

Ninotchka (Nina Ivanovna Yakushova)

Melvyn Douglas

Count Leon d'Algout

Ina Claire

Swana

Sig Ruman

Michael Simonavich Iranoff

Felix Bressart

Buljanoff

The Women

94%

87%

The Women

Watchlist

Two-Faced Woman

30%

25%

Two-Faced Woman

Watchlist

Libeled Lady

86%

87%

Libeled Lady

Watchlist

A Day at the Races

95%

89%

A Day at the Races

Watchlist

Bombshell

90%

76%

Bombshell

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

A no-nonsense diplomat of the Soviet Union, Nina Ivanovna Ninotchka Yakushova (Greta Garbo) arrives in Paris to ensure the sale of jewels seized during the Russian Revolution. Meanwhile, carefree bachelor Count Leon d'Algout (Melvyn Douglas) attempts to intercept the valuables on behalf of their former owner, the Grand Duchess Swana (Ina Claire). Despite their conflicting allegiances, the icy Ninotchka soon warms to Leon's charms, reluctantly going against her better judgment.

Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Producer: Ernst Lubitsch
Screenwriter: Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, Walter Reisch
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp., Loew's Inc.
Production Co: Loew's Inc., Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 9, 1939, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Runtime: 1h 50m
Sound Mix: Mono

Most Popular at Home Now