Sonnenaufgang

There are plenty of reasons for film buffs to watch 'Sunrise'. One is if they love, or at least appreciate, FW Murnau and his films and recognise their importance, that's applicable to me. Two is if they love, or again at least appreciate, silent films, have seen some fantastic silent films myself. Three is if one is interested in seeing what the hype is, with it being widely considered a cinematic masterpiece and milestone. Four is if one is interested seeing whether Janet Gaynor's Oscar win was deserved.

'Sunrise' in my mind absolutely deserves every ounce of the acclaim it garnered and still gets. Murnau was a truly fabulous and influential director whose (too few) films were watchable at their worst and amazing at their best, and while 'Faust', 'The Last Laugh' and 'Nosferatu' are wonderful films 'Sunrise' gets my vote as his best. Of the many fantastic silent films out there, in a list that includes 'Metropolis', 'The Crowd', 'The Last Laugh', 'Intolerance' and 'The Cabinet of Dr Caligari', 'Sunrise' is one of the very finest. Cannot say enough great things about it and Gaynor's Oscar win is easily one of the most deserving winners in the early years of the Academy Awards history (in a period with a fair share of questionable nominees).

In a period of exceptionally well made films and even for a director who was a visual master, 'Sunrise' looks exquisite. Not many films at the time and since had cinematography this level of stunning or full of wonder, with also a surprisingly witty style and chockful of images that actually tell a story. As always with Murnau, the sets are indicative of a lot of time, money and thought went into constructing them as they are very rich in detail and lavish. It is also one of the few films where back projection is used well and looks good, usually it looks cheap but here it is quite imaginative.

Murnau's direction was seldom more accomplished or more inspired than here in 'Sunrise', which is quite a feat from one of the more accomplished and inspired directors of the silent film era. A perfect example of why he is justifiably lauded in cinema. The music is beautifully done, it appeals on the ears and is not intrusively used or emotionally over-emphasised. 'Sunrise' is also sincerely written and doesn't ramble. The story is nothing short of timeless and of all the silent films in existence to me 'Sunrise' is the one that connects with me the most emotionally.

A lot of poignancy can be seen here and there are a fair share of memorable scenes, particular standouts being the hard hitting rowboat scene and the visually unforgettable trolley ride. It is one of the few rewatched films this year to uplift me and fill me with hope, sorely needed at a point where that was not felt very much. Simply put, 'Sunrise' is a masterpiece of complex range of emotion.

Wonderful acting can be seen here too, with Gaynor being perfectly cast and a revelation in the lead role, charming and deeply felt.

One can argue that masterpiece is thrown around a lot and too easily these days and personally have tried to avoid using it a lot, but 'Sunrise' deserves it. Amazing film and a fine example of a film that one should see before they die. 10/10.

Before the movie starts properly, Sunrise professes that life is sometimes bitter and sometimes sweet, and that is exactly what this film is; a bittersweet symphony of life and love. Flamboyant German director, F.W. Murnau directs this film with a great love and precision, his direction in the movie is flawless. Sunrise features very little story cards, and it almost totally told with just visuals and music. This is a testament to Murnau's talent for storytelling; to portray a story without dialogue is something that all silent films have to do, but to tell a story without many story cards either is something that many directors would struggle to do. The music in Sunrise is simply sublime; it fits what's going on in the film to a tee, and also succeeds in making the visuals' power more potent. Sunrise is a groundbreaking film, some of the techniques used by Murnau to tell his story are amazing, especially for the time. Techniques such as his use of flashback have had a major impact on cinema as a whole.

And the film isn't just a technical marvel either; there is more than enough substance here. The plot isn't massively substantial, but it's the subtext that is important. It follows the story of a man who, tempted by a woman from the city, gets talked into murdering his wife. Him and his wife used to be madly in love, described by their maid as 'being like children', but the love has since stagnated and so the man is easily taken in by an offer from a beautiful to move to the city. However, when it comes to doing the act; he can't do, and so the film moves into following the two falling back into love. Like life itself, the film is never plain sailing and that seems to be it's central message, along with the fact that love is more powerful than anything that life can throw at you. And those are welcome messages in any film, especially one as brilliant as this.

Overall, Sunrise is a masterpiece. It easily ranks as one of the best, and most important silent films ever made and it is as brilliantly technically as it is on the substance front. A must see for all fans of cinema.

I am a big fan of the silent era, especially the German expressionist films, and I would have to say that although there are many great silent films-- Metropolis, Pandora's Box, The Wind, etc.-- this film is my favorite. I feel that it is Murnau's greatest film. While it does not have the social implications of his films such as "Nosferatu" or "Faust," the cinematography, acting, and Murnau's unabashed belief in the power of love helps this film to rise above the rest.

The acting is sterling, with a 21-year-old Janet Gaynor looking incredibly similar to Drew Barrymore, and delivering a layered performance that reveals her character's strong but tenuous emotional state. I suspect that George O'Brien wasn't exactly what Murnau wanted for his lead actor, due to the lengths that Murnau went to to extract O'Brien's performance, but credit is due the actor for a performance which was brave at times and never ego-centric.

Murnau's use of symbolism and metaphor are suppressed compared to the standards of his other films. In this film their use is more to augment the story rather than actually being the story under the narrative. One example is the fish nets waving the wind as O'Brien returns home from his tryst with the dark seductress, a terrific metaphor for his entrapment and helplessness.

The story itself is one that can appeal to many audiences, as it has its fair share of melodrama, comedy, sap, and suspense. I saw this film with my 17-year-old nephew, who is your typical disaffected digital generation teenager, and he was awful quiet during the dramatic sequences and awful loud during the comic portions. It is amazing how I my own emotions were manipulated by the film without Murnau ever being manipulative or obvious.

The true star of this film, of course, is the cinematography. It is simply awesome. I have done a lot of work with old film cameras, and I have no clue how Strauss managed some of the shots he did. Murnau was one of the first directors, if not the first, to use camera motion during a film. This was no small feat in the days where the camera was not motorized and had to be hand-cranked. The camera movement is amazing. There is a shot where O'Brien moves through the swamp, with wet, muddy, and uneven ground, to meet the woman from the city, and the camera tracks along with him. It looks like a steadicam shot! No track could have performed this shot as it exists, and I have no explanation on how he did this other than that he must have suspended the camera from the ceiling of the studio. Shooting a swamp scene with fog and a full moon in a studio is a feat in itself. There are also other feats of cinematography. There are several shots where the city is the typical cardboard cutout, there are people milling around in the street, yet the trains and trolleys are obviously models. HOW????? If you are able to get the DVD with the cinematography commentary, it is well worth the investment.

To the king of the silents... 10/10

This silent movie was absolutely amazing. It was so moving and technical and just well produced. Its amazing how a silent film can make you feel so many emotions without words. It was suspenseful and refreshing from all the movies I've seen that aren't silent. I can see myself watching more silent films because of this one.

I am not a big fan of domestic melodramas but I have to give some credit to this one. Some shots in this movie would be difficult to film even today.

The movie uses two women - one from the city and the rural wife - to expose the man's internal feelings. The city woman portrays corruption and modernity while the rural wife is quite opposite - she's virtuous with good intentions and portrays purity. Throughout the process, the city is shown to corrupt the marriage between the man and his wife and then serves to renew and even mature their relationship. As the man spends time with the city woman, he becomes corrupted and zombie-like but when he spends time with his wife in the city, their love is renewed with positive change as their relationship blossoms again.

The two of my favorite scenes got to be the first boat ride when the man attempts to murder his wife, and when the man walks out with his wife out of the chapel where a tracking shot follows the couple as their walk through the city and several film layers. The boat ride seemed really peaceful, even with the cruel intentions behind it, and you can only admire the camerawork here. The shot, when they walk out the chapel is so romantic - the city is moving around them and they don't even notice. They only notice the presence of each other. Both of these scenes are visually fascinating and the production like that it rarely met in films today.