Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

Spielzeugland

2007 13m History Drama List
Tomatometer 0 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
A German mother lies to her son about where the Nazis are sending their Jewish neighbors.

Audience Reviews

View All (26) audience reviews
paul d Jochen Freydank's Tayland is a wonderful movie and fully deserved its Oscar for best short film. It's shot evocatively, the acting is genuine and believable, and the editing is superb. That special skill of telling a story in a short film - this one is 14 minutes - is fully on display here. The plot twist is divine and thought-provoking. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member I didn't expect to be so intensely moved by a short film of merely 12-minute runtime. I knew that it'd be sad just by judging from its description, but the way it achieved to capture the entire story in such a short duration was surely remarkable. I also admired how it used flashbacks to cement the relationship of the boys while also carrying the plot forward by showing the moments leading up to the present at appropriate intervals. The scenes of the present benefited from the cinematography and cold colours which helped in building an air of urgency and desperation. On the other hand, the flashbacks employed warmer colours and more relaxed images while also offering an air of the silence before the storm. Certain scenes of interaction between the characters definitely stood out, notably those involving Henrich and David. Speaking of the kids, I particularly loved their friendship, and it easily made the entire thing even more emotionally touching. There is a twist towards the end, which thoroughly surprised me because I was too involved in the story. Also, while others may find the music a little too on the nose, I really did like it. Overall, I really liked the short, and it drove me to tears. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member a maternal instinct.. Spielzeugland 4 And A Half Out Of 5 Spielzeugland is a plot driven short feature about a kid whose dream to visit an imaginative land and the catastrophe it breeds for the mother. The combination of fragile and destructive energy had never blended or compared to this extent, especially when it is fueled by the unseen force which is depicted metaphorically in multiple ways. It is rich on technical aspects like production design, editing and background score although the cinematography could have been a lot better, but it's a minor and a feasible flaw in this stunning masterpiece. The writing is smart, layered and adaptive that grows as it starts aging on screen and something that won't leave the audience even after the curtain drops; a though-provoking concept. The stunning camera work, morale conflicts, unfathomable intense drama and its eerie perspective are the high points of the features the helps elevate the momentum of the sequence. The screenplay by Bunners and Freydank is poetic with just the right amount of emotional touch that never overpowers the essential plot on screen and still manages to drive the whole feature with it. Jochen Alexander Freydank; the co-writer and director, has done an amazing work on executing the anticipated vision on screen whose impact leaves an endearing scar among the audience. It is scored majestically on the performance objective by Julia Jager whose portrayal helps convey the emotions out fluently. Spielzeugland is a maternal instinct gone wrong, projected at such a critical point, that no one possesses the potential to question it. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Una fantastica leccion de guion y direccion. Soberbio trabajo. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review thomas a One would expect this movie to have a sad, depressing ending, but it doesn't. This short movie ends on a happier note. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a wonderful Oscar winning short. Check it out here: http://www.shortoftheweek.com/2011/02/09/oscar-short-film-winner-toyland-presented-by-the-sf-jewish-film-festival/ Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Spielzeugland

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A German mother lies to her son about where the Nazis are sending their Jewish neighbors.
Director
Jochen Alexander Freydank
Producer
Jochen Alexander Freydank
Screenwriter
Johann A. Bunners, Jochen Alexander Freydank
Production Co
Mephisto Film
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
German
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 22, 2017
Runtime
13m