Vladimir Paperny and Maya Turovskaya analyze 1930s Soviet and Hollywood comedies in new book excerpt
An excerpt from the 2023 book 'Cinema, Culture, and the Spirit of the Times' by Vladimir Paperny and the late film historian Maya Turovskaya delves into Ernst Lubitsch's 1939 film 'Ninotchka' and Grigori Aleksandrov's 1936 musical 'Circus'. While 'Ninotchka', featuring Greta Garbo, presents a subtly anti-Soviet viewpoint and faced various bans due to external pressures, 'Circus', starring Lyubov Orlova, strongly promotes Soviet ideals. Both films reflect a shared 'spirit of the time'. The analysis emphasizes themes of laughter and change, with 'Ninotchka' highlighting individuality and 'Circus' focusing on collectivity. This excerpt was released on May 7, 2023.
Key facts
- The analysis compares Ernst Lubitsch's 1939 film 'Ninotchka' and Grigori Aleksandrov's 1936 film 'Circus'
- Vladimir Paperny and Maya Turovskaya co-authored the book 'Cinema, Culture, and the Spirit of the Times' published in 2023 by NLO in Moscow
- 'Ninotchka' stars Greta Garbo as a Soviet envoy and was scripted by Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett, Walter Reisch, and Melchior Lengyel
- 'Circus' stars Lyubov Orlova as an American circus performer and faced script disputes with writers Ilf and Petrov
- Both films were banned in multiple countries due to political pressures
- The excerpt was translated by Vladimir Paperny and published on ARTMargins Online on May 7, 2023
- Paperny holds a PhD in Cultural Studies and is an adjunct professor at UCLA
- Turovskaya was a noted Russian film historian who passed away
Entities
Artists
- Vladimir Paperny
- Maya Turovskaya
- Ernst Lubitsch
- Greta Garbo
- Melvyn Douglas
- Grigori Aleksandrov
- Lyubov Orlova
- Sergei Stolyarov
- Melchior Lengyel
- Salka Viertel
- Billy Wilder
- Charles Brackett
- Walter Reisch
- Louis B. Meyer
- Mercedes de Acosta
- Isaac Babel
- Sergei Eisenstein
- Upton Sinclair
- Werner Heimann
- Ted Sennett
- Michael Strada
- Harold Topper
- Zinovy Paperny
- Ilf
- Petrov
Institutions
- NLO
- ARTMargins Online
- MGM
- Paramount Studios
- Stroganov Art Academy
- Russian State University for the Humanities
- USC
- UCLA
- Woodrow Wilson Center
- Bristol University
- Cambridge
- Arbor Vitae
- Artemide
- Ashgate
Locations
- Moscow
- Russia
- Paris
- France
- United States
- Poland
- Austria-Hungary
- Berlin
- Germany
- Sweden
- Latvia
- Vienna
- Austria
- Rome
- Italy
- Estonia
- Lithuania
- Bulgaria
- Los Angeles
- UK
- Czech Republic
- Mexico
- Constantinople
- Red Square