Movie Analysis Essay on Ninotchka Film and From Russia With Love

Introduction

Additionally, two of the most significant Hollywood films that were shot and released during this period are the "Ninotchka Film (1939)" and "From Russia with Love (1963)." Both films, however, set an atmosphere of the cold world war or the pre-world war II and typically features a portrayal of Russia and the Russians during this time. Therefore, the primary point of discussion of this essay is not on the emphasis of the quality or significance of the films but instead on how they represent Russia and the Russians or more specifically the society, people and nations within what was then referred to as the Soviet Union. In Ninotchka Film (1939), the transformation of the strict Russian is substantially portrayed through Greta Garbo while the film From Russia with Love (1963) is a British spy film and one of the best of James Bond film series that gives a clear representation of Russia, its citizens and culture (Strada, Troper & Troper, 1997). As a result, films have primarily been considered as important documents that are serving an educational purpose by providing significant knowledge of the world and the cultures that they present.

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Ninotchka Film (1939), as compared to the numerous Hollywood anti-Soviet movies set in the 1920s and 1930s, is a funny film that starts during the aftermath of the Russian revolution. Consequently, the film was widely perceived as a useful communist propaganda tool by the American authorities during the cold war era and was circulated mainly in Western Europe (SLST 450 Lecture 2, 2019). A group of Russian representatives are directed to go and sell imperial Jewels for cash in Paris while at the same time the Soviet Union sends a special envoy namely Greta Garbo 'Ninotchka' who is also tasked with the responsibility of jewellery sale and come back with three Russians. However, the amount earned from the jewels would be used to purchase the agricultural machinery that would be used by the Russian government to cultivate more crops for the hungry population. At the end of the movie, the Russian diminutive of Ninotchka's name symbolises the authentic contraction of her once-towering character. As the film portrays the continuing emotional and sexual awakening of Ninotchka, it also reveals the end of her socialists' convictions (SLST 450 Lecture 2, 2019). Besides, the pleasures within Paris completely distract her dedication to the welfare of her people that had always dominated her consciousness before visiting Paris.

However, the film also effectively contrasts the romance and fun of Paris with the gloominess of the Russian communal living, whereby the plan to cook an omelette in a party is a massive strain for most families. Also, leisure time in Russia mainly involves regimented parades whereas, in Paris, people spend their leisure in great restaurants and luxurious balls of endless amusements (SLST 450 Lecture 2, 2019). The movie is more of Ninotchka's defection to the West and her great admiration of both the Hollywood style romance and Western fashion. But it also portrays Leon's greedy passion for a humourless and a stern revolutionary, a fact that is criticized mainly by Ninotchka. D'Algout on the other hand, rejects the opinion of Duchess Swana who represents the Russian nobility and decides to support the problematic ideological challenge posed by Ninotchka. Whereas Duchess just like Elsie is grasping and self-centred, Ninotchka sacrifices her love for the nation and goes back to the Soviet Union and in the end, Leon rescues the three Russians defected to the West (SLST 450 Lecture 2, 2019). At the end of the last episode, Carrie goes back to New York independent and available since it's hard to transform Petrofsky into an American husband who is dependable. Besides, both his accent and exoticism remain unchanged and remains as a Russian intelligent till the end of the film. The compelling images of the Russians within the movie play a prominent role in helping the viewers to understand the cultural propaganda represented in the film.

"From Russia with Love 1963" is an exciting movie produced by the renowned producer James Bond that is mainly a British Spy film where the Russians used the Bulgarians, a communist state of the soviet union to spy on people of Istanbul during the era of the cold war. At the beginning of the film, Bond who acts as Sean Connery is forced to walk through a death trap and British intelligence is contacted by a young Soviet clerk namely Tatiana using a highly decoding machine known as Lektor (SLST 450 Lecture 5, 2018). The malicious SPECTRE organization comes up with a plan to forcefully grab the decoder that will be used to access the Russian state secrets. Bond is tasked with the responsibility of seizing the device although he is fast to learn that he is getting himself into a deadly trap that requires him to gather up all his courage and ability to use technology to conquer the forces that want him dead.

However, "From Russia with Love" film has a lot of noteworthy aspects representing the state of Russia and the Russians. For instance through the use of the Russian accent through various distinctive features of the Russian language including the pronunciation of (r) that is most pronounced as a Scottish burred (r). It is apparent that throughout the film, the characters talk in the Russian language to put more emphasis on the primary theme. A specific example of this from the film is in the scene where Tania responds to Bond that "You look sup(r)ised, you look just like your photograph (SLST 450 Lecture 5, 2018)." Also, the main characters in the film all effectively represent Russian identity and culture. For instance, Kristatos is a double agent who is on a mission to use Bond in conducting the evil work for him while Grant is depicted as a destructive paranoiac. Therefore, the Russian male characters are mostly undermined by their associations with smugglers and murders who they commonly refer to as friends throughout the movie.

Nonetheless, unlike Russian male characters, who are primarily associated with threats and power, the female characters in the movies are associated with the art and mainly based on their physical appearance. For example, in the film, Tania is portrayed as one of the most beautiful girls that James bond has ever come across who is well trained for the ballet and has three lovers. Even though the Russians are not the only people featured in the Bond's film "From Russia with love" the Russians from the Soviet Union are featured in a considerable number of film scenes as antiheroes to the British Empire (SLST 450 Lecture 5, 2018). Also, as a result of the characters displayed by the main characters of the film including deception and deceitfulness its apparent that the film significantly demonstrates the bureaucratic rigidity and totalitarianism associated with Russia and the Soviet Union during the Cold war.

Conclusion

In conclusion, from the analysis of both "Ninotchka" and "From Russia with love" films, it is evident that movies play a significant role in representing the general social attitudes and culture of any state and its citizens. In particular, the representation of Russia and its citizens throughout the films has an enormous influence on the audience in helping them to understand the principal themes of the movies.

References

SLST 450 Lecture 2, 2019. "The West Laughs Back at the Soviets. Ninotchka (1939)"

SLST 450 Lecture 5, 2018. "A Recipe for a spy Saga: James bond, Film from Russia with Love (1963)"

Strada, M. J., Troper, H. M., & Troper, H. R. (1997). Friend Or Foe?: Russians in American Film and Foreign Policy, 1933-1991. Scarecrow Press.