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.
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.