MovieChat Forums > Ninotchka (1939) Discussion > TIME says best movie of '39

TIME says best movie of '39


TIME magazine named this as one of the 100 greatest movies ever. It was the only one on the list from '39. That means no Gone.., no Wizard.., no Mr. Smith..., etc.. WTF??

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well, i'm watching it right now and i can't say that they are wrong on that one:)

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TIME Magazine had their list assembled by only two men, whereas lists of similar stature (such as the AFI series) are made up of hundreds or thousands of voters. With only two men deciding on the films that should be included, they were bound to make plenty of unpopular choices. (The inclusion of A Hard Days Night, for example. There are so many films that should have been included over what was basically nothing more than Beatles propaganda.)

But I suppose the could have reasoned that the list needed more diversity of film genres, so that lead to Ninotchka's inclusion. If they already had several fantasy, epic, and courtroom drama films but only a few romance, that could have influenced their decision.

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Oh come on, "A Hard Day's Night" gave birth to the genre of music videos. And to call it "Beatles propaganda" seems a bit thick - was Ninotchka Garbo propaganda because it starred her?

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[deleted]

I don't think the Beatles needed "propaganda" to make them popular. :)


Actually, they did. Beatlemania was manufactured.

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*beep*

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'A Hard Day's Night' is a favorite of many film critics, including Roger Ebert, and is studied for its innovative approach to film making in many film schools. Hardly an unpopular choice, not to mention an exceptional comedy from Richard Lester. Maybe you're thinking of 'Help!'?


"You want to save humanity but it's people that you just can't stand". - John Lennon

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As a regular on The Classic Film Board we have periodic votes on the greatest films in a given year.

When 1939 came around my #1 vote went to Ninotchka. It is Ernst Lubitsch's finest film.



"I am embarrassed. I never made love in Technicolor before."

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dizexpat, sorry but I don't agree with your contention that it is Lubitsch's finest film. I would certainly place both Trouble in Paradise and To Be or Not To Be over this and I have seen nowhere near all of his films. I would also add that of the 3 Garbo films I have seen I far prefer her playing it straight in Queen Christina and Camille.

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The IMDB ratings:
(8.20) - To Be or Not to Be (1942)
(8.19) - Trouble in Paradise (1932)
(8.10) - The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
(7.90) - Ninotchka (1939)
They are all great. My personal favorite is The Shop Around the Corner.

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Great selection; I have always loved THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER; but Ninotchka gets high points for being the best anti-Communist comedy ever. 1-2-3 Written by Billy Wilder is close. Most anti-Communist movies are thrillers and concentrate (rightly so perhaps) on horror and repression. This is clearly one of Garbo's great performances.

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it's got his touch.



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well, if I had to pick just one film from 1939 it would probably be this one.

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GWTW isn't even one of the top 100,000 movies of all time.

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well, such lists are always very subjective. My favourite film of 1939 is Ask A Policeman. But if I was making a list of my favourite 100 films Ninotchka would be on it too. i tend to preger comedies.

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