Ninotchka is a 1939 American romantic comedy featuring Greta Garbo in the lead role of Nina Ivanovna Yakushova, a no-nonsense Soviet envoy. Nina is sent to Paris to supervise the sale of jewelry confiscated from aristocrats during the Russian revolution.
In Paris, Nina meets Count Leon d'Algout, a charming Frenchman who shows her the joys of the city. She feels an unexpected attraction to him, despite her ideological reluctance to embrace bourgeois pleasures. However, her boss, Commissar Iranoff, arrives in Paris and orders her to return to Moscow without further delay.
Leon, smitten by Ninotchka, vows to win her heart before she leaves. With the help of his friend Gaston, he arranges to meet her at a nightclub, where they drink champagne and dance together. Nina begins to enjoy herself, but she is torn between her duty to her country and her growing love for Leon.
Meanwhile, Iranoff has fallen under the spell of a seductive French woman named Swana, who tries to sabotage the sale of the jewelry. Nina is furious when she discovers this, but Leon convinces her to forgive him and let them be happy together. In the end, Nina decides to stay in Paris with Leon, and they walk off into the sunset.
Ninotchka was highly acclaimed for its witty dialogue, Garbo's performance, and its subtle commentary on Soviet politics. It was directed by Ernst Lubitsch, and also starred Melvyn Douglas, Ina Claire, and Bela Lugosi.
