George O’Brien

Janet Gaynor

Margaret Livingston

Bodil Rosing

J. Farrell MacDonald

Ralph Sipperly

Jane Winton

Arthur Housman

Eddie Boland

Herman Bing

Sidney Bracey

Gino Corrado

Vondell Darr

Sally Eilers

Gibson Gowland

Thomas Jefferson

Bob Kortman

F. W. Murnau

Barry Norton

Robert Parrish

Sally Phipps

Harry Semels

Phillips Smalley

Leo White

Clarence Wilson

Hermann Sudermann

William Fox

Hugo Riesenfeld

Charles Rosher

Karl Struss

Harold D. Schuster

Rochus Gliese

Carl Mayer

R. H. Bassett

Carli Elinor

Erno Rapee

Willy Schmidt-Gentner

Charles Dudley

Gordon Wiles

Edgar G. Ulmer

Maurice Baron

Frank D. Williams

Alfred Metscher

Max Munn Autrey

Frank Powolny

Drama

Romance

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

Fox Film Corporation

United States of America

No Language

adultery

lake

love triangle

marriage crisis

country life

indian summer 

redemption

rural area

storm

silent film

farmer

troubled marriage

german expressionism

preserved film

Andres Gomez

Interesting but much more for how the movies were done back in 1927 and how the relationships between men and women were understood.

CinemaSerf

Wow! Friedrich Murnau really did pull out all of the stops for this gorgeously complex and beautiful story - that is entirely based on human character flaws that ordinarily might make one squirm... None of the characters actually have names, but George O'Brien is contentedly married to Janet Gaynor, living on their farm with their young child. One day, he happens upon the visiting Margaret Livingstone - an urban sophisticate with whom he is soon captivated. Conscious of his duty to his wife, he is reluctant to join her in the big city, so she rather malevolently suggests that he and his wife fake a boating accident in which she drowns and he survives... Disgracefully, he agrees and so the couple set out on their trip, but when he tries to push her overboard he bottles it and she flees in terror into the city where he finally catches up with her, and craves her forgiveness. Luckily for him, she agrees and the couple spend a charming day together experiencing all the luxuries the metropolis can offer before being caught in the mother of all storms as they head home at the end of their day. Try as he might, though, he cannot put the memory of the other woman behind him, and his thoughts take a much darker turn... The story is basically a tale of good vs. evil, temptation and sin - and not always presented in any clear cut scenario. Despite being a thoroughly odious and selfish man, I didn't hate O'Brien's character - weak and fickle is it was; and the temptress Livingstone isn't hateful either - it's all about human nature and what makes us tick - warts and all. The photography is super - especially in the salon where they are both pampered and seduced, and the storm sequence at the end is also very effective. By 1927, silent films had learned the art of condensing their stories - and this is done really well here, too. The film has a pace that doesn't linger long, and is really a joy to watch.

Sunrise (1927) Original surviving trailer

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans( 1927)

"An artistic masterpiece and also a joy to watch."

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A review by Andres Gomez

Written by Andres Gomez on Sat May 17 2014

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