Don’t let the sentimental factor fool you, SILK STOCKING, Rouben Mamoulian’s film adaption of the namesake 1955 stage musical, a reiteration of Ernst Lubitsch’s NINOTCHKA (1939), starring Astaire in his last musical role for MGM, at the age of 57, it is high time for this iconic hoofer to hang up his dancing shoes, is a clunky dud.

Viewed today, reunited with Cyd Charisse from Minnelli’s THE BAND WAGON (1953), Astaire’s American film producer Steve Canfield is too wizened to pass off as a romantic suitor to Charisse’s prim-faced, blunt-spoken but rigidly stunning Russian envoy Ninotchka Yoschenko. Steve’s courtship is cringeworthy and condescending, and the whole affair’s denigration and mockery of the Soviet Union’s “robotic” personality is simply offensive and mean-spirited, that is the awful reminder of Cold War dichotomy, which makes SILK STOCKING far more difficult to stomach than NINOTCHKA, but, yes, there is always a “but”, since it is a musical, why not throw its repulsive plot out of the window, and rejoice in the razzle-dazzle.

Fo’ shizzle the razzle-dazzle doesn’t disappoint, Charisse spellbinds us with an improbable transfiguration from a hardened collectivist to a girl succumbing to occidental decadence, i.e. getting togged up in gossamer gowns and other fineries, but her acting bent is nil. A glamorous fashion plate who is only enlivened when she moves, that reflects one major hindrance for a musical film, if it has a rather dramatic plot arc to bring off (here is Ninotchka’s proselytization), it scarcely works because of the jovial nature of the genre and the technique requirement of its players (who should be able to act and entertain, like Judy Garland), SILK STOCKINGS is guilty as charged.

A nimble-footed Astaire (his feet is the first thing we see) doesn’t really bring down the house until his final number "The Ritz Roll and Rock”, ended with a symbolic gesture of smashing his top hat, for audience then, it is a nostalgic capper. While the rest of the cast is composed of three buffoons (Peter Lorre sticking out like a sore thumb) and a simpleton Russian composer (Sonneveld), Janis Paige has a field day when she can steal the limelight from the ill-sorted leads, her all-out va-va-voom is just what the doctor has ordered.

Cole Porter’s show-tunes are in his usual frou-frou register and Mamoulian isn’t particularly enthused to show off his directorial virtuosity, as if getting wise the dawn of its own genre, for most of its duration, SILK STOCKINGS is conspicuously tame and self-consciously chipper, a relic to reminisce about rather than knock you socks off.

referential entries: Ernst Lubitsch’s NINOTCHKA (1939, 7.3/10); Vincente Minnelli’s THE BAND WAGON (1953, 7.9/10); Mamoulian’s QUEEN CHRISTINA (1933, 7.9/10).

Title: Silk Stockings

Year: 1957

Genre: Musical, Comedy, Romance

Country: USA

Language: English

Director: Rouben Mamoulian

Screenwriters: Leonard Gershe, Leonard Spigelgass

based on the book by George S. Kaufman, Leueen Macgrath and Abe Burrows

Music: Conrad Salinger

Cinematography: Robert J. Bronner

Editing: Harold F. Kress

Cast:

Fred Astaire

Cyd Charisse

Janis Paige

Peter Lorre

Jules Munshin

Joseph Buloff

Wim Sonneveld

George Tobias

Rating: 6.3/10

单单从Ninotchka的视角来欣赏这部电影，我个人还是很喜欢的。前期配合人物形象，穿搭虽然并不华丽，但是很有气质，大部分都是大地色和莫兰迪色系的针织衫、衬衫、风衣，可以参考借鉴喔~

后面思想松动后，她尝试了更加华丽的服饰，尤其是在房间里把黑丝袜换成透明的玻璃丝袜，穿上丝，绸蕾丝吊带和蓬蓬的粉白纱裙，简直惊艳极了。

而且Ninotchka是-个非常有想法、有独立思考能力、又非常能干的女性。她会在领导有偏见的时候，不卑不亢地予以回应，也会对一直接受的观念进行反思。

另外，饰演Ninotchka的赛德.查里斯(Cyd

Charisse)是科班出生，经过专业的芭蕾舞训练,虽然身高不到1.6米，却是出了名的好莱坞长腿美女。

所以强烈推荐所有女孩们看-下这部电影，不管是从审美气质提升还是衣品、穿搭、搭配，又或是到内在修炼，相信都能给你带来启发喔~