Ruan Lingyu
Produced during the Golden Age of Chinese cinema among Sun Yu’s other prominent works, Playthings has been regarded by contemporary critics and scholars as a classic film of notable cultural significance. Its focus on hardship, perseverance, patriotism, and resourcefulness portrayed by actress Ruan Lingyu helped progress the development of the “New Woman” archetype; a conceptualization that itself continued to gain prominence throughout 1930s-era Chinese discourse.