Poppy (1935): A tangle of bad decisions and gold watches

Is this for you?

If you have the patience for 1930s melodrama and enjoy watching characters ruin their own lives for the sake of ego, you’ll dig Poppy. It’s not for people who need a fast-paced thriller. If you hate watching people act like absolute disasters, skip it. You will just be annoyed.

Watching this felt a bit like reading a diary that someone left on a train. It’s got that specific, stifling atmosphere where everyone is just a little bit too polite while they’re busy stabbing each other in the back.

Fujio is the kind of character you love to roll your eyes at. She has everything—money, a fancy fiancé, talent—but she just has to go after the tutor. It’s the classic case of wanting the one thing that isn't on the menu.

Small details that stuck

• The way they handle that gold watch. It feels like such a heavy, clunky symbol, but I kind of loved how much weight it carried in the frame.
• The dialogue feels sharp in a way that hasn't aged a bit. People are still just as petty today, they just use different words.
• There is a scene where someone is being taught English, and the tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife. It’s just lessons, but it feels like a duel.

It’s not quite as manic as Pierrot the Prodigal, but it shares that same DNA of people just completely failing at being normal humans. It doesn't have the grit of something like A Man of Honor, either. It’s much more concerned with the living room than the battlefield.

The ending, though. Without giving too much away, let’s just say that throwing a watch into the sea is a hell of a power move. It’s dramatic, it’s unnecessary, and it’s completely in character for this movie.

Sometimes the camera just lingers on a face for three seconds too long. You can see the actor thinking, 'Okay, is it my turn to look devastated yet?' It gives the whole thing this charming, slightly off-kilter rhythm that I actually really liked.

It’s not a perfect movie by any stretch. Parts of the middle sag like a wet sweater. But when it hits, it hits hard. It’s messy, a little bit cold, and strangely addictive. 🍿