Underplayed Gems

Little Toys (1933)

Little Toys poster
Original title
小玩意
Directed by
Sun Yu
Genre
drama film, silent film
Country
Republic of China
Runtime
1h 54m
Rating
7.3 of 10 from 11 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A village toy-maker named Sister Ye encourages her community to keep making traditional toys even as foreign factories and modern industry threaten their way of life. The film shows the struggle to hold onto local culture during a time of war and rapid change.

heartfeltnostalgicmelodramaticpatrioticurgentpoignantbleakdramatic

What happens

Playthings (Chinese: 小玩意; pinyin: Xiǎo wányì), also known as Little Toys or Small Toys, is a 1933 silent film directed by filmmaker Sun Yu. It is one of two films Sun Yu directed in 1933. (the other film being Daybreak). This film was released on October 10th, which is on the eve of National Day and before WWII. Sun Yu is also famously known for the films Wild Rose (1932) and Daybreak (1933). The film stars popular Chinese actress Ruan Lingyu, and was produced by the leftist film production company Lianhua Film Company. The film contains the elements of drama, melodrama, war, westernization, motherhood and sacrifice. The story follows a village toy-maker, Sister Ye, who urges a group of villagers to continue making traditional playthings despite immense competition from foreign toy factories. Synonymous to many other films made during the same time period, Playthings is a patriotic propaganda film that expresses skepticism towards China's rapid urbanization and industrialization. Having been made after Japan's invasion of China, Playthings is considered a Marxist war melodrama that contains strong nationalist sentiment while still reflecting Western influences. Today, the film is recognized as one of the best Chinese films of the 20th century. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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