01/14/2003 Entry:
"Ninotchka - Ernst Lubitsch (1939)"

I had never seen any Lubitsch before, but this month Film Center is doing a retrospective of his American films. So hopefully I will see several more. I already plan to see The Shop Around The Corner on Thursday and The Marriage Circle on Sunday. Unfortunately I already missed Trouble In Paradise which seemed really great.

Ninotchka was a lot of fun. A very warm, funny romantic comedy with Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas. I also think this is the first time I've seen Garbo, although I understand this is an atypical role. Billy Wilder co-wrote the script and you can really feel his hand in a couple sections, most particularly in the final shot - Iranoff and Buljanoff unfair to Kopalski. That cracked me up, he obviously picked up on these characters later for One, Two, Three. Although I have often read that Lubitsch was a major influence on Wilder, so maybe instead of feeling Wilder's influence in the Lubitsch film it is the other way around. Regardless, I very much look forward to as much as I can get in of the rest of the Lubitsch series.

Replies: 1 Comment

As great as Ninotchka is, I can't help but wonder how much better it might have been with Cary Grant or William Powell in the Melvyn Douglas role (both of whom were considered). Douglas does a fine job, though. Don't miss To Be or Not to Be. Posted by stennie @ 01/16/2003 10:37 PM CST