Ninotchka (1939)

 Ernst Lubitsch’s “Ninotchka”

Thematic Elements: 

Ernest Lubitsch’s Ninotchka is a film that displays a divide between individuals and their respective society and then shows us how that separation can become more melded. The film focuses on relations between east and west, communism and capitalism, and love and politics. Ninotchka starts the film a total representation of Russia, Communism, and all their sensibilities. She views Western society and its culture and economics with great disdain. She is trying to assist her comrades in the selling of jewels that were seized by the state during the revolution. She believes that the jewels are the property of the state and the money from the sale belongs to the Russian people. She abhors capitalism and all the extravagance and affluence that the West is accustomed to. She criticizes the fashion of the west, confused as to why someone would wear something so frivolous with no tactile use. She criticizes the economic structure, commenting on the servant’s position below Leon. She sees the Eiffel Tower as technical structural marvel, rather than an artistic beauty like Leon does. Leon starts the film a total representation of the West, Capitalism, and its sensibilities. He is wealthy, he has a playboy persona, he lives life with frivolity, and he actively participates in capitalistic machinations as he circumvents the sale of the Russian state’s jewels because he believes they do not belong to the state or it’s people but rather to the individual who owns them. As Ninotchka and Leon begin to fall in love with each other, their society, culture, politics, and economic systems begins to rub off on each other. Ninotchka, through Leon, begins to develop more Western sensibilities. She muses on the beautiful weather and climate, she starts to develop a sense of humor, and she begins to like the fashion that she previously called ridiculous in the beginning. On the flipside, Leon through Ninotchka, begins to develop more Eastern/Russian sensibilities. He begins to do things like make his own bed, read Karl Marx’s Das Kapital, and he asks his servant why he is not more upset at the power hierarchy between the two. However, the two never lose their original values and ideas. Ninotchka still is proud of her country and way of life and continues to be dedicated to her values, she simply applies a more carefree and romantic perspective on the world around her. Likewise, Leon does not lose his original values and way of living, he simply adopts a more everyman and rugged sensibility.  This romantic affair displays the compromise individuals, countries, and societies can obtain through mutual understanding and compassion. On an individual level, the two have their own distinct personality and values at the beginning of the film. As they become more acquainted and enamored with each other as the film progresses, they start to shed their original selves and become someone different, each sharing their original values with their newfound perspective that was given to them by the other. On a societal level, the two demonstrate the meshing together of ideas that can be achieved through collective compromise. Lubitsch shows that Russia is not without its flaws, as he shows us the dreariness and cold nature of the individuals living in the country, most of whom are poor and are relegated to censorship from the outside world. However, he shows the joys of Russian ideals, as the ideas of community and togetherness that creates a strong bond and a sense of sharing among the collective that Ninotchka is proud of throughout the film. Lubitsch also demonstrates the flaws of the West and their overindulgences. Where the East was shown to have a sense of community, the West is shown as having selfishness for the individual and its ego. The Western characters live life frivolously and use their abundant affluence to display their haughty material possessions. However, as Leon shows Ninotchka, there can be great romance and beauty that comes from living life freely without being tied to more tactile and controlling methods brought about by Russian philosophies. Ninotchka makes Leon appreciate a more tactful way of living and Leon makes Ninotchka appreciate a more carefree way of living. 

Camerawork: 

To utilize the two distinct cultures and their eventual melding, Lubitsch utilizes contrast in imagery to great effect. The Russians at the start of the film are all dressed in darker clothing with more messy and untidy hair and facial hair. Their very appearance displays a sharp contrast to the interiors and white glistening walls and materials of the palace-like hotel. The visual divide creates a philosophical divide between the characters and their environment. Likewise, the Western characters are dressed in much more affluent clothing, full of color and brightness, with their hair done up nice or slick and pristine. As Ninotchka becomes more akin to Western sensibilities, she begins to dress more in line to match its environment. She wears that funnel hat she made fun of earlier in the film and during the dinner sequence, she wears a bright white silky dress, thusly matching the bright lushness of the world around her, fitting in perfectly. As the image of her begins to meld with the environment, so does her mentality. When she does go back to Russia, we see her marching with her comrades, all wearing the same uniform. She has now blended back in with her original society, as it is suggesting visually. The dark gloominess of the room and her roommate occupy shows the inner nature of the Russian society, one of a more un-romantic and tactile way of life and thinking. As she gets out her white dress from her suitcase, the visual contrast between the beautiful white dress and the dark coldness of the room visually displays the contrary way of thinking she has brought back with her. Lubitsch utilizes these visually meshes and contrasts to uniquely show the divide between these two ways of life.

Best Shot: 

One of the two best shots in the film is when Ninotchka and her Russian colleagues are discussing the sale of the jewels. The initial shot shows all them sitting at the table, until the camera begins to zoom in on Ninotchka, whose mind is elsewhere. As the camera zooms, the shot slowly eliminates the other men from the shot, showing only Ninotchka smiling. This zoom and the removal of the other men from the shot displays Ninotchka’s internal state of mind, as she begins to zone out what is happening around her as she thinks about her romantic pursuit Leon and the laughs they had at lunch. 

Another great shot is when Ninotchka returns to Russia and is marching with her comrades. The visual chaos of the streets of Paris are replaced with visual order of the Russian people. The Parisian city illustrated the individual, different and distinct - unique clothes and people. Back in Moscow, the distinct individual is now replaced with the collective. All wearing the same thing, all look alike and are all representative of a communist way of thinking. The visuality of Lubitsch’s shots remarkably represents the political and societal philosophies at the center of the film.