COMM 380: Media Criticism
by Kaeley A. Brady, '17
Communication, Public Relations
Toyland, directed by Jochen Alexander Freydank (2007), threw me into a paradox. A film I thought would begin by taking me to a magical, fairytale land of toys took me to the murky, dejected land of Nazi Germany, which immediately captivated me. I was further lured into the mysterious ambiance of the film by the lighting and tune of the piano. This short film touches on the struggles present during the Holocaust by highlighting the blood brother bond of two young boys, Heinrich and David. Despite their different religious backgrounds the two boys relate through their love of playing the piano. However, with the deportation of David’s family to a concentration camp comes adversity.
This Oscar winning Short Film for Best Live Action enables the viewer to get a glimpse of Germany during the horrific times of WWII through a creative lens, while also bestowing a whirlwind of emotions in a few short minutes (IMDb, 2015). Jochen Alexander Freydank tells Moving Pictures magazine that, “shooting this film was one of the most rewarding experiences of my film life” and it tells a story of “ignorance and truth” (jweekly, 2009). Throughout this paper I will explore the implicit meanings the film presents and provide critical analysis of equality and innocence using the semiotic theory.
Innocence, a very powerful theme, is used numerous times to portray a sharp contrast between the Holocaust and childhood. Specifically, this theme is conveyed amongst Heinrich and his mother, Marianne; who wants to preserve Heinrich’s youth by placing him in a fairytale. For example, Marianne tells Heinrich that David and his family is heading to a place called Toyland, a place with enormous teddy bears. She is hiding the realities of the Holocaust, shielding Heinrich from the darkness of the world; protecting his innocence. Not only is innocence portrayed through the interactions or split-second decisions of Marianne and Heinrich, but also through prominent symbols. For instances, the teddy bear, Heinrich’s companion, eludes comfort and trust. The teddy bear is there to listen to Heinrich’s thoughts as if he is real. When Heinrich asks his mother to turn the light on he tightly squeezes his bear portraying a young soul, once again, hiding from the darkness. Another repeated image throughout the film is the toy train in Heinrich’s room and the trains headed for the concentration camps. Once again, the viewer sees the juxtaposition between childhood and the Holocaust. Furthermore, by the end of the film we see a loss of Heinrich’s innocence. Heinrich curiosity of Toyland and to be with his friend David arises an attempt to go this mysterious place. The day Heinrich realizes his blood brother is leaving, he takes his teddy bear and runs to catch him, but accidently drops his bear. The dropping of this bear symbolizes Heinrich losing his innocence; it is foreshadowing him finding out the unknown. This unknown is revealed when David pushed Heinrich away and tells him there is no Toyland.
Another theme present throughout the film is equality. The viewer is immediately exposed to this through the harmonizing sounds of the piano and the small hands that tap the keys in unison. Like the teddy bear and the train, the piano plays as a prevailing symbol throughout the film. The piano portrays an alliance between a Jewish boy and German boy, as well as their families, during a time of religious turmoil. In a review by Erin McGlothlin (2015) called, “Rewriting the Fantasy of the ‘Wrong Victim’ in Jochen Alexander Freydank’s Spielzeugland,” she further depicts the symbolism of the piano. She says that, “ the recurring image of the black and white Piano keys, which are a reminiscent of equally iconic Holocaust trope- the striped uniforms of camp inmates” (McGlothlin, 2015, pg. 117). Furthermore, at the end of the film the same image is shown to the audience, however, now the hands are large and wrinkled. The hands reflect a passage of time and the unbreakable bond of their friendship.
Equality is also depicted through the relationship of Marianne and the Silberstein’s, David’s parents. For example, Marianne, in search of curious Heinrich, makes the decision to claim David as her own son before the departure of the train to the concentration camps. Once again, Marianne has to make split- second decisions that have long term effects in order to save David. After taking David from the train a Nazi guard looks at David and says, “Such a good looking boy, just like his mom.” The Nazi guard treated him as an equal because he was unaware of his true religious beliefs, which infuriated me. Marianne was also treated this way in the beginning of the film. As she was looking for Heinrich she confronted a Nazi guard for help and he called her a Jewish scum while asking to see her identification card. Jochen Alexander Freydank uses this technique, dramatic irony, to catch the many emotions of the viewer and convey the ignorance of the time. Although equality is seen a prominent theme because of the relationship between the two families, inequality and the brutal treatment of Jews is still in the foreground.
Lastly, the audience sees equality when David’s parents when make the decision to let David go with Marianne. Before letting David go with Marianne, the Silberstein’s tightly hold their son for the last time. They make a split-second decision to let their son live a happy childhood, knowing they will lose him forever. They put their trust into the opposing force because of the sense of equality between the two families.
Toyland presents many different perspectives allowing the viewer to understand all the emotions behind the Holocaust. The film twists many tragedies by reflecting the underlying love that humankind embodies. We see the unbreakable bond of two piano playing boys and how their innocence is protected, but also so easily ripped away. The audience also perceives how equality is present during a time of extensive inequality through the relationships of the families. Furthermore, throughout the film the audiences were never told “what to think, but rather what to think about” through semiotics or interpretations (Hanson, 2014, pg. 38). The agenda-setting theory allows the viewers to observe the many themes and symbols, like equality and innocence, and conceive their own notion about the holocaust. Many people would say this short film dilutes the realities of Nazi Germany in 1942 where as others might depict this film as a heartwarming story of friendship beyond differences.
References
Leon, M. (2009, February 12). Salon Series Celebrates 20 Years. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
McGlothlin, E. (n.d.). Rewriting the Fantasy of the 'Wrong Victim' in Jochen Alexander Freydank's Spielzeugland. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
Oscar night has a few Jewish winners. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2015.
