Love and Duty (1931) is a total heartbreaker

If you have a free afternoon and don't mind feeling a bit depressed, you should definitely put this on. It is a long one, though. I mean, really long for a silent movie.

People who love old-school dramas where everyone suffers will eat this up. If you hate slow pacing or reading title cards, you’ll probably want to skip it. Honestly, it's not for everyone.

The main thing here is Ruan Lingyu. She plays the main character, Yang Naifan, from when she is a teenager all the way to when she's an old woman. It’s kind of a magic trick. 😲

In the beginning, she’s so bouncy and light. Then, as the years go by in the story, her whole body seems to just... sag. Not just because of the makeup, but the way she holds her shoulders. It’s heavy.

There is this one scene where she’s older and she is looking through a window. Her eyes look like they’ve seen too much. It reminded me of the lead in The Foolish Virgin, but way more intense.

The plot is basically her paying the price for 'following her heart.' Back then, leaving your husband was a huge deal. The movie really wants you to know she made a mistake, even if her husband was a total bore.

• Ruan Lingyu’s acting is 10/10.
• The sets look surprisingly detailed for 1931.
• That one scene with the letter... I almost cried. 😢
• The way they show time passing is actually pretty clever.

I noticed the film quality gets a bit grainy in the middle. Like the camera was struggling with the light in the small room. It makes it feel more real, though. Like we are spying on her being poor.

The guy she runs away with, Li Zuofang, is... okay? He’s fine. But he feels a bit like a cardboard cutout compared to her. He just doesn't have that same energy on screen.

Some of the side characters feel like they wandered in from The Town Scandal. They are a bit loud and cartoonish. It’s a weird contrast to how serious the main story is.

"I have sacrificed everything for love, and now love is all I have left."

That quote isn't exactly in the movie, but that’s the vibe. It’s very melodramatic. Everything is the end of the world. Every look is a tragedy.

The kids in the movie are kind of funny. They have these bowl cuts and they stare at the camera sometimes. You can tell they were told to just 'stand there and look sad.'

I found myself checking the time around the two-hour mark. It drags a little bit when they get into the legal stuff. I don't really care about the contracts, I just want to see more of Ruan’s face.

The ending is a real gut-punch. No spoilers, but don't expect a happy Hollywood hug. It’s more like a 'life is unfair and then you die' kind of vibe. Very different from something like Seven Days Leave.

One thing that stuck with me was the fashion. The dresses she wears as a young girl are so pretty. Then she ends up in these rags that look like they actually smell bad. The costume department did a great job there.

A few weird things I noticed:

• There is a dog in one scene that seems very confused about where it is.
• The lighting in the garden scene is way too bright, you can barely see their faces.
• The title cards are sometimes written in a very fancy way that takes a second to read.

Is it a masterpiece? Yeah, probably. But it’s a tiring masterpiece. You have to be in the right mood for it. If you want something light, go watch The Little Intruder instead.

I kept thinking about how this movie was lost for a long time. They found a copy in Uruguay or something? That’s wild. It makes watching it feel like you’re looking at a ghost. 👻

The music they added to the version I saw was a bit much. A lot of screechy violins when things got sad. I ended up turning the volume down and just watching the faces. It worked better that way.

Ruan Lingyu actually died not long after this, in real life. Knowing that makes the movie even harder to watch. You see her character suffering and you know the actress was going through it too. It’s heavy stuff, man.

Anyway, if you like history and want to see one of the best actresses to ever do it, watch Love and Duty. Just bring some tissues. And maybe a snack because it's long. 🍿

The way the story spans decades is really the best part. You feel like you've lived a whole life with her by the time the credits roll. Even if that life was mostly just a series of bad breaks and crying in the rain.