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Ninotchka

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Ninotchka

Released Nov 9, 1939

1h 50m

Comedy

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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.

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Critics Consensus

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Steven

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

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/08/25

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alan g

Greta Garbo at her best.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/25

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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

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Tamara K

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

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/07/24

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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

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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

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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

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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: Loew's Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp.
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

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