Silk Stockings

In Paris, American producer Steve Canfield secures Boroff to compose the score for his next picture. He launches a plan to keep Boroff from leaving by challenging his Russian citizenship with an affidavit, hoping a court will resolve the issue in Paris. This move kickstarts the central conflict between artistry, politics, and national allegiance.

Three Soviet commissars—Brankov, Bibinski, and Ivanov—attempt to take Boroff back to Russia. Steve counters by producing an affidavit that disputes Boroff's parentage, aiming to stall his deportation in court. The maneuver ties Boroff's fate to legal and diplomatic maneuvering.

Steve persuades the commissars that Boroff's collaboration with Hollywood will bring them promotions in Moscow. After initial resistance, the commissars consent to the collaboration. The alliance blends cinematic ambition with Soviet ambitions.

In Moscow, Vassili Markovitch is named the new commissar of art and immediately orders Nina Yoschenko to retrieve Boroff from Paris. The mission sets up a cross-border pursuit that requires loyalties to be weighed against personal feelings. The power shift signals a tighter Soviet grip on culture.

Nina Yoschenko meets the commissars in the Paris hotel lobby and faces the charm offensive. Steve shows Ninotchka the affidavit and tries to sway her with the city’s glamour, but Ninotchka resists being swayed by bourgeois comforts. Her duty remains paramount in her mind.

Hollywood star Peggy Dayton arrives at the hotel and is questioned by reporters about her turn in War and Peace. The presence of a glamorous actress adds a friction between Boroff and Ninotchka’s evolving relationship. The mood heightens the film’s meta-commentary on fame and culture.

Steve escorts Ninotchka through Paris, alternating between boiler rooms and beauty salons, as they get to know each other. The tour allows their relationship to blossom beyond professional boundaries. The city’s backdrop amplifies their budding attraction.

Back in Steve's hotel room, he crafts a romantic mood with lights and music, but Ninotchka argues that attraction is electro-chemical. After a tense exchange, they share a kiss during a waltz, blurring the lines between duty and desire.

Peggy interrupts with an insult to Boroff, causing Ninotchka to leave. She considers backing out of the project, and Steve proposes persuading Boroff to adapt his music for the film. Boroff's feelings for Peggy complicate his commitment to the project.

At a costume fitting, Boroff, infatuated with Peggy, initially resists but eventually agrees to musicalize his compositions. He agrees to rewrite his score to fit the film’s popular mold. The shift marks a turning point toward Westernizing the score.

Ninotchka locks herself in her room and dresses in Parisian lingerie, signaling a deeper surrender to the city's mood. Later that night she joins Steve for a romantic evening, reinforcing their bond. The lovers’ connection grows at the expense of rigid duties.

Ninotchka returns to the commissars' room and they reveal Boroff's piece is being rewritten into popular music. Ninotchka is surprisingly delighted by the update and dismisses their concerns. The menacing potential fallout is washed away by her growing trust in the collaboration.

On the soundstage the next day, Steve admits the affidavit was fake and proposes to Ninotchka. They dance across stages to the film's production, symbolizing a union of love and career. The moment redefines the power balance between Hollywood and Moscow.

Months later, Boroff and the commissars visit Ninotchka at her apartment; Boroff plays his new Western-influenced composition as tenants dance. Markovitch then sends Ninotchka back to Paris to fetch the commissars, who perform in a new Russian cafe with Steve's top hat routine. The sequence underscores the ongoing tension between art and ideology.

Back at the hotel room, Ninotchka announces she will return to Russia that night, but Steve reveals he wrote the anonymous report to drive her out. He reminds her of the marriage proposal in his censored letter. In a decisive moment, Ninotchka tears up her plane ticket and embraces him, choosing love over duty.