Credible Credits
Year: 1927
Director: F.W. Murnau
Starring: George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor, Margaret Livingston, and a drunken pig (don't ask)
Tagline: N/A
Synopsis: A wayward husband reconnects with his long-suffering wife, falling in love with her all over again.
Synopsis: A wayward husband reconnects with his long-suffering wife, falling in love with her all over again.
Review
It is time again for another film school flashback. This time we're going all the way back to the silent film era. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans is often cited as being not only one of the best films of that era, but one of the greatest films of any era. I watched quite a few silent films during my time as a film student, and Sunrise was hands down my favorite. It is simply a beautiful film.
Cinematic storytelling has changed a lot over the decades. Just to put this in context, Sunrise came out the same year as The Jazz Singer (the first "talkie"). And although it is a silent film, it was one of the first to incorporate a proper soundtrack with sound effects. But what little dialogue there is comes from title cards.
The director, F.W. Murnau, was a master of German Expressionism and this film is simply a Hollywoodized version of that movement. What that means is, if you are looking for realism, this isn't the film to choose. Sunrise isn't about reality in the sense of being a completely realistic story set in the world as it literally is. It is expressive by design and an exaggerated portrayal of reality. What's truly real are the emotions.
The film's subtitle is A Song of Two Humans, and that is an apt description. The story is kind of like a song, or perhaps a fable, rather than the normal narrative structure you'd see today. The main characters are more archetypes than fleshed out people. They are never even given names. They are simply the Man, the Wife, and the Woman from the City. But just because the Man could be any man and the Wife any long-suffering wife doesn't mean you don't connect with them as humans with genuine feelings and emotions. The beauty of the film is that you do connect with them. Perhaps it is not that the characters are realistic portrayals so much as they are true portrayals (if you want to have a nice philosophical discussion on the difference between real and true let me know).
Since there is hardly any dialogue in the film, the brunt of the storytelling and character development comes from body language and facial expressions. The Man's change is the most dramatic. At the start of the film he is beaten down by life and having a fling with the visiting Woman from the City. He doesn't walk, he trudges. His entire frame bespeaks his guilt and shame and turmoil. As he hits rock bottom, he is hunched over with downcast eyes. But then things change. He realizes he still loves his wife and is horrified by what he has done (and almost done). I can't help but smile as I watch him transform.
The bulk of the film is dedicated to that transformation, as the Man comes to his senses, seeks forgiveness from his wife, and rekindles their romance. It is a beautiful portrayal of repentance/forgiveness as you see the burdens fall from the Man. He begins to walk taller and straighter. He gets a shave and a haircut. He laughs and dances. For her part, the Wife goes from worn down to terrified to forgiving to flirtatious and joyous. And you can believe every moment of it just from her body language and face.
But the film doesn't end with the couple's reconciliation. They must first weather one more storm, literally. It isn't so much a final test for the Wife as it is for the Man. And there is a dramatic irony to the situation that unfolds. As the title implies, after the long and stormy night is over, a new day dawns for the Man and his Wife. And the seductress heads scowling back to the city from whence she came.
There are so many wonderful moments in this film that make it a joy to watch. The scene in the church, where the couple watches another couple exchange wedding vows is a brilliant and believable catalyst for the Man's continuing change of heart. But my favorite scene is probably when they go to a photographer to have a portrait done. It's just a wonderful, playful scene that helps lighten the mood and shows why the couple fell in love in the first place.
So there you have it, my favorite silent film. I know it isn't a movie for everyone. Silent films require a lot more patience than modern ones. But if you do decide to hunt down this film (which just got easier since it came out on Blu-ray), remember, this isn't a story about the roaring 1920s, it is a story from the 1920s. Trying to impose modern sensibilities would be a disservice to the film.
Cinematic storytelling has changed a lot over the decades. Just to put this in context, Sunrise came out the same year as The Jazz Singer (the first "talkie"). And although it is a silent film, it was one of the first to incorporate a proper soundtrack with sound effects. But what little dialogue there is comes from title cards.
The director, F.W. Murnau, was a master of German Expressionism and this film is simply a Hollywoodized version of that movement. What that means is, if you are looking for realism, this isn't the film to choose. Sunrise isn't about reality in the sense of being a completely realistic story set in the world as it literally is. It is expressive by design and an exaggerated portrayal of reality. What's truly real are the emotions.
The film's subtitle is A Song of Two Humans, and that is an apt description. The story is kind of like a song, or perhaps a fable, rather than the normal narrative structure you'd see today. The main characters are more archetypes than fleshed out people. They are never even given names. They are simply the Man, the Wife, and the Woman from the City. But just because the Man could be any man and the Wife any long-suffering wife doesn't mean you don't connect with them as humans with genuine feelings and emotions. The beauty of the film is that you do connect with them. Perhaps it is not that the characters are realistic portrayals so much as they are true portrayals (if you want to have a nice philosophical discussion on the difference between real and true let me know).
The bulk of the film is dedicated to that transformation, as the Man comes to his senses, seeks forgiveness from his wife, and rekindles their romance. It is a beautiful portrayal of repentance/forgiveness as you see the burdens fall from the Man. He begins to walk taller and straighter. He gets a shave and a haircut. He laughs and dances. For her part, the Wife goes from worn down to terrified to forgiving to flirtatious and joyous. And you can believe every moment of it just from her body language and face.
But the film doesn't end with the couple's reconciliation. They must first weather one more storm, literally. It isn't so much a final test for the Wife as it is for the Man. And there is a dramatic irony to the situation that unfolds. As the title implies, after the long and stormy night is over, a new day dawns for the Man and his Wife. And the seductress heads scowling back to the city from whence she came.
There are so many wonderful moments in this film that make it a joy to watch. The scene in the church, where the couple watches another couple exchange wedding vows is a brilliant and believable catalyst for the Man's continuing change of heart. But my favorite scene is probably when they go to a photographer to have a portrait done. It's just a wonderful, playful scene that helps lighten the mood and shows why the couple fell in love in the first place.
So there you have it, my favorite silent film. I know it isn't a movie for everyone. Silent films require a lot more patience than modern ones. But if you do decide to hunt down this film (which just got easier since it came out on Blu-ray), remember, this isn't a story about the roaring 1920s, it is a story from the 1920s. Trying to impose modern sensibilities would be a disservice to the film.
Quotable Quotes
- "For wherever the sun rises and sets, in the city's turmoil or under the open sky on the farm, life is much the same; sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet." -- Title Card
- "Forgive me!" -- The Man
ISFS
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