Ninotchka: Capitalism over Communism
The film from 1939, Ninotchka, the comedy-drama directed by Ernst Lubitsch shows how the culture and attitude was towards Soviets and follows an underlying political issue about whether communism is better than capitalism and vice versa. Ninotchka was made during a turbulent time in history. It was released during the second World War, not long after Hitler had invaded Poland. In Europe, the year of the film’s release, World War II had broke out and the foreign market for movies was waning. Mussolini had also said that Italy would be entering the war in that year. The release of Ninotchka had different reactions in different parts of the world. The Russians really did not like it. It was even banned in Soviet
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Ninotchka portrays the theme of capitalism overcoming communism. This can be seen most evidently through the Soviet Russian envoy, Ninotchka. It is portrayed as she changes from a cold, unfeeling, all business woman who talks coldly, and never smiles, to a woman who smiles more often and who is happy, carefree. At first, Ninotchka seems to be a very cold and unfeeling woman who really believes in the beliefs of communist Russia, but does not seem to be happy or find anything humorous and is always working or studying something in order to better Russia. However, after she meets the Count Leon d’Algout, she starts to gradually change. Ninotchka starts to smile and laugh more after the scene at the restaurant where the count falls off his chair. She also is not so meticulous in her work as she starts to daydream while the negotiations about the jewels are being made. She even loses the jewels because she is so distracted and in love that the Grand Duchess gets them from her suite through a loyal former servant of the Grand Duchess. Also through the perspectives of the three comrades one can see the discontent they feel against all the rules and regulations in Soviet Russia after having a taste of the capitalist life in Paris. There is the one specific scene when all the comrades have returned to Russia and Ninotchka is back to her sullen self that shows just how different the circumstances are in Soviet Russia. One can also …show more content…
Ninotchka was made during a very integral part of history and shows some key historical aspects and cultural aspects of the time period. This film reverses gender roles through the character of Ninotchka and shows how sexuality was becoming more and more overt in films and regulations becoming more lax on it because people wanted to see more overt sexuality. Ninotchka was released just as World War II was starting. The theme of the film was also very important because it explored the different aspects of the capitalist system versus the communist system while portraying the capitalist system in a more favorable light. However it makes a joke out the communist system through its portrayal of the three comrades and their behavior. It addresses a major issues and takes a stand against it while also doing so in a comical way. For these reasons, the film, Ninotchka had a very significant political meaning because of the time period it was released and the risk it was taking against Russia who was a much needed ally. It also shows the culture of the time period and how people were feared the threat of communism and the influence it might have on their country. Ninotchka was able to encompass all of these aspects and was able to portray it in a way that was enjoyable but was also very persuasive in showing why capitalism is more favorable than
In their lives a distant and cold character exists. When the war began in Sarajevo the men on the hills cut off the city’s water. Kenan’s elderly neighbor Mrs. Ristovski thrusted her plastic bottles towards him when he opened the door and all she said was “A promise is a promise.” and left him standing at the doorway. Even before the war Mrs. Ristovski had always acted abrasively; knocking on their door early in the morning and complaining about their first born’s crying. Not once has she shown
As Marx’s states in his theory, when the working class becomes aware of their exploitation, this will result in a revolt lead by the proletariats. The major theories studied by Marx can be used to analyze the characters and situations presented in the film.
As dictator, Mussolini’s top priority was “informing” the Italian people with propaganda. According to the entry “Benito Mussolini” on Newworldencyclopedia.org, “Press, radio, education, films — all were carefully supervised to manufacture the illusion that fascism was the doctrine of the twentieth century, replacing liberalism and democracy.” Not only did Mussolini control what was said, he also controlled who said it. Mussolini took it upon himself to choose all newspaper editors. He inserted himself into all aspects of Italian life, even education. It was required “that all schools, newspapers, etc. had to not write, for example, ‘the 13th of June 1933’ but instead had to write ‘the 13th of June of the 11th year of Mussolini's power’” (“Benito Mussolini”). Mussolini also spent a great deal of money on large, expensive projects to further his reputation. “Those projects earned respect from some countries, but the economy suffered from Mussolini's strenuous efforts to make Italy self-sufficient. A concentration on heavy industry proved problematic, perhaps because Italy lacked the basic resources” (“Benito Mussolini”). Overall, Mussolini’s need for propaganda ultimately did more harm than good for Italy and
In a broader sense, the movie tells us something about what it meant to be a communist, it was not about Russia, it was about seeking civil rights for African Americans and fighting for workers rights. This is seen through
To say this movie is an indictment of Communism or even of the antiquated customs persistent in the Shaanxi province of pre-WWII Northern China would mean seeing only part of the overall picture. The panoramic shots that the movie opens with create a sense of desolation – barren hills, desert landscape, and shoddy buildings housing poor farmers clawing their way through existence. The message of this movie is received not just from the characters and their actions, but from the setting and period as well. This use of the concept mis en scene achieves a certain impact on the viewer. The soil is dry and bland; the sky often mixes with the earth surrounding the characters in permanent gloom; the river is murky and slow. It was Bazin
Popular descriptions of Alexei Karenin label him as a cold and passionless government official who doesn’t care about his wife or family. Indeed, he is viewed as the awful husband who is holding Anna hostage in a loveless marriage. However, this is a highly exaggerated description, if not completely false, analysis of Karenin. Upon careful analysis of Karenin’s character and his actions, it is clear that he is not the person Anna makes him out to be. In fact, with thorough examination of the passage on pages 384 and 385 of Anna Karenina, it is clear that Alexei Karenin can be considered the hidden tragic hero of the novel.
First, the proletariat is responsible for tearing down the statue of Alexander III. Thus, the revolutionary body of the working class itself is responsible for the first step towards socialism rather than being directed by a revolutionary leader. Secondly, the Provisional Government, appears counter revolutionary and comparable to the tsar. According to Eisenstein, the Provisional Government’s resemblance to the autocracy is simply the inevitable result of an incomplete revolution. Thus, montage is used to convey political ideology, but also forms the content of the film. Eisenstein’s use of montage lets the statue become more than a simple symbol representative of the tsarist rule, but rather as a means of expressing the need for complete revolution. Without the use of montage, the statue’s meaning would have been far more limited, and thus far less prominent within the film. In this case, Eisenstein’s use of montage influences the film’s visible content as well as its meaning in a way that political ideology alone would not
The parallels between the theme of the film and rising fears of communism and related topics of concern during that time are captivating. Communism was an ideology originating in the Soviet Union with the ideas of establishing a
We will begin with an analysation of his family situation. Praskovya, his wife, had been a love constructed from the start of an economic and sociological expectation rather than that of a true courtship. The happiness therefore of the union was derived solely of a necessity to fulfill a desire on the part of others for a “success” of sorts, surely her desire as well. “Ivan Ilyich could have counted on a more illustrious match, but even this one was quite good. He had his salary, and her income, he hoped, would bring in an equal amount. (Tolstoy, 56)” Tolstoy goes on to make several remarks on the benevolent nature of the relationship between he and his wife. The arrival of his children creates no great marker in his life, and proves to be little more than a factor in his ever-lengthening retreat into his life of solitude and work.
The Tragedy of Macbeth is full of well tragedy with 9 on stage deaths and many more mentioned. Death in courts and battles, this is the setting of Macbeth. Death is honorable to some such as the king; “Nothing in his life/Became him like the leaving of it” (I, iii, 9) however there is never honor to those who murder. The deaths also hurt the reputation of murderers if the noble courts were to find out. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, maintaining the reputation of nobles is what motivates the characters Macbeth, his Lady, and MacDuff to conquer and murder.
'I want to make Italy great, respected and feared' said Mussolini in 1925. Mussolini's foreign policy included a number of positive and negative factors which all contributed to the rise, and the ultimately to the downfall, of both Mussolini and the Italian empire. Mussolini was intent on revising the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles and was very keen to show off Italy's power. He felt that Italy had been hard done by at the end of world war one and sought to claim what he felt Italy deserved. Mussolini's foreign policy clearly reflected his ambition to reinstate the Italian empire.
While Bauer’s “The Revolutionary” is a story about a revolutionary who after returning back from Siberia to a democratic Russia is determined to fight FOR the new government, we see that “Strike” is the riveting tale of how the death of a factory worker serves as the rallying call for the workers to unite in a strike against the corrupt managers and government that oppresses them. In this regard we see that Strike has a much more bold and riveting tale, there is also no happy ending in the film as
"The construction of Manchevski's story is intended to demonstrate the futility of ancient hatreds. There are a few moments in the film in which hatred of others is greater than love of one's own. Imagine a culture where a man would rather kill his daughter than allow her to love a man from another culture, and one will have an idea of the depth of bitterness in this film, the insane lengths to which men can be driven by belief and prejudice" ( Ebert 3).
Revolutions has long been a common event for Europeans living during the 1820’s through the 1840’s. All walks of life engaged in these revolutions. From proletariats to young army officers to professors and even to the common unemployed peasants. These citizens ensured a future for their countries by way of bloodshed and protest.
The death penalty is not constitutional as it violates the eight and the fourteenth amendments. The eighth amendment says that there shall not be cruel and unusual punishment. Cruel was defined as excessively painful or brutal (Thisnation n.d.). The supreme court has ruled before that the penalty was not excessively painful. They have however, said that the death penalty was unusual (Thisnation n.d.). The fourteenth amendment is about equal rights of life, liberty, and or property. The death penalty deprives one of their right of life as well as their right of freedom before they are executed.