FW Murnau's Sunrise is an Early American Masterpeice
Written: Aug 08 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Tells a story with few title cards. Great performance from Gaynor. Interesting use of juxtaposition
Cons: None.
The Bottom Line: Sunrise is a must see for anyone who considers themselves a film buff. This is classic cinema at its best.
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| briankrakow's Full Review: Sunrise |
FW Murnau's Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans was considered by many people to be a major omission from the original AFI greatest movies list published in 1998, and much criticism was levied at the list for leaving the silent film era almost completely unrewarded. When updating the list for the 10th anniversary, not much was really done as only two silent films were added. It should be notable then to see that Sunrise was one of the two inclusions (the other being Buster Keaton's The General, which we'll get to later), and it is a much deserved choice, because this is one of the true masterpieces of American cinema.
The story concerns an unnamed married couple, known simply to us as The Man (George O'Brien) and The Wife (Janet Gaynor). The marriage isn't going so well, as The Man has been avoiding his wife to spend time with another woman, known to us as The Woman From the City (Margaret Livingston). We know she's evil from the outset because she has short, dark hair and she smokes. The Woman tries to get The Man to come live with her in the city, but he's reluctant to leave his wife. She hatches a plan for him to kill his wife by drowning her on a boat trip, making it look like an accident.
So far the film has followed a logical series of narrative elements, but it is at this point where Murnau's style shifts. The Man attempts to go through with the plan, but he realizes he can't go through with it. The Wife is understandably unsettled because of his actions and runs from him when they hit land, ignoring his apologies. They eventually find themselves in a church in the city, where they witness a marriage ceremony. The exchange of vows causes the man to break down and realize what he's done wrong. The rest of the movie follows the couple's adventures in the city, as they fall in love all over again.
The most striking thing about Sunrise is the minimal use of title cards. There are only a handful throughout the film. Everything else we are to infer from visual images and the expressions of the actors. This is nothing new for Murnau, as three years earlier, he made The Last Laugh, which does not contain a single title card. It takes a director not only completely confident in his own skills, but also the skills of his actors to be willing to try this. Murnau was rightly confident, because the technique works so well that it's not even noticeable, and not one moment is the viewer at a loss to what's going on.
The story in this film may be a bit simplistic. After all, the bulk of the movie is just following the couple as they enjoy big city life. They go to a barber shop, have their picture taken by a professional photographer, and enjoy the carnival. Still, there's nothing wrong with simplicity when it's portrayed as beautifully as in this film. Anyways, there are hints (especially a scene at the barber shop) that there may be some darker undercurrents to the story. It is eventually time to leave the city and that's when the tone of the film changes. The last couple scenes of the film are marked by an almost jarring juxtaposition, which suggests that the ending shouldn't be taken as literally as it might seem.
Just in case anyone thought this film was humorless, there is a memorable moment at the carnival where they chase down an escaped drunk pig, and it's not hard to see how this sequence could exist in the best of Chaplin or Keaton's films. Also, Murnau's energetic shots of city life are very exciting to watch, as the couple crosses the street almost unaware of the cars hustling around them. It's not hard to see why the film won the award for Best Cinematography at the very first Academy Awards ceremony. Janet Gaynor also received the Best Actress award for her splendid portrayal of The Wife as a lonely and then frightened woman who is rejuvenated by her husband's newfound love for her.
Sunrise is unfortunately a very hard film to find. It is not currently available on DVD in the US, which is an absolute crime. Your best bet is to look for it on TCM, which plays it fairly frequently. This is an amazing film that is definitely worth not only the time you'll spend watching it, but also the extra time you'll have to spend to find it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
briankrakow
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Member: Larry McGillicuddy
Location: Atlanta, GA
Reviews written: 114
Trusted by: 59 members
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