by Jon Hillman
Guest
By 1927, German expressionist director F.W. Murnau was a very prominent figure in the world of cinema, known for his wide variety of films ranging from the 1922 horror classic Nosferatu, one of the first adaptations (unofficially) of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, to The Last Laugh (1924), the story of a hotel doorman demoted to restroom attendant looking for some form of respect and dignity, to his last German film, Faust (1926), based on the play by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. However, it was not until late 1926 that Murnau immigrated to the United States and directed what many consider to be his masterpiece.
1927 was an interesting year in film. It saw the release of The Jazz Singer which is considered to be the first “talkie” film, a feat that was honored at the first annual academy awards the same year. The first ever Academy award for Best Picture actually went to two films that year, Wings for “Most Outstanding Production” and Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans for “Most Artistic Quality of Production”, although Wings is usually considered the first official winner. Wings, about a group of fighter pilots during WWI, is no doubt an epic film greatly deserving of this honor. However, it is also very easily forgettable. Sunrise, on the other hand, I defy any of you to try to forget.
It is a very simple story of a farmer (George O’Brien), simply referred to as “The Man”, his wife (Janet Gaynor), simply referred to as “The Wife”, and his mistress (Margaret Livingston), simply referred to as “The Woman from the City”. It is claimed that this was done to add to its feeling of symbolism. His mistress persuades “The Man” to murder his wife by throwing her from a boat and drowning her so that he could sell the farm and move to the city. Attempting to rid himself of his wife, he is overcome with sadness cannot bring himself to end her life. Upon rowing back to shore, she runs from him out of fear. She jumps onto a trolley for safety but he manages to catch up with her, and persuades her to forgive him.
Upon coming into a town, the two happen upon a wedding, where he is reminded of the vows that he took many years previous. The remainder of the film takes place over the course of the rest of the day where the two enjoy each other’s company, having their picture taken, and enjoying themselves at a carnival, which involves a quite funny scene with a drunken pig. On the way home, a near fatal boating accident reminds the man once again how special his wife really is to him and takes their love to a level he never imagined possible. The film ends with “The Woman from the City” sadly heading back to the city with the sunrise in the distance.
Murnau was never a fan of title cards in his films, most noticeable in The Laust Laugh which is famous for the use of no title cards at all, with the exception of one explaining the end, leaving it’s story to be told through the use of picture only. While title cards do exist in Sunrise, they are very few. The few that do exist, Murnau decided to have a little fun with and amuse the audience, such as when the mistress is asking the man to drown his wife and the words seem to float. Most notable in this film, as well as many other film of Murnau’s, is his use of camera movement, which at times seemed to do the impossible including taking the audience directly through obstacles. The use of camera movement, as opposed to a stationary mount, became quite popular in the later part of the silent era, but was then lost in the beginning of the “talkies” since the cameras used for them were so loud that they had to be kept in a sound proof box during filming. Added to its technical achievement is its use of some sound effects, such as the sounds of car horns honking and people screaming, and it’s use of overlapping images, including a scene of the man sitting in his room while his mistress appears all around him, edging him on to commit an act he is reluctant to do.
While Sunrise is considered a classic in the film world (“They Shoot Pictures Don’t They?” listed it as the 12th greatest film of all time, the second best silent film after Sergei Eisenstein’s The Battleship Potemkin at number 10) and was a even a critical success upon its release, it was a box office failure. To try to keep up with the changing times, Murnau made an attempt at two sound films, the now lost Four Devils (1928) and City Girl (1930), both of which were both poorly received, even by critics. Going back to silent films, his preferred style, Murnau directed his last film, the very successful and highly regarded Tabu, in 1931. He would not live to see the film’s premiere, dying in an automobile accident later that same year.
Despite his many successes, few come close to matching the beauty and artistry that is considered his masterpiece. It is a simple story, but at the same time is a very sweet portrayal of temptation causing love to go astray, only to come back, and realize what is truly important. Few kisses in cinema history are as great as that between the husband and wife, which fades to the morning sunrise, signifying their new beginning, and the hope that still exists between them.
