GerÂman direcÂtor F.W. Murnau’s silent masÂterÂpiece SunÂrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) is a rare examÂple of a forÂeign auteur who manÂaged to keep his vision in the face of the HolÂlyÂwood machine.
PriÂor to this movie, F. W. MurÂnau was arguably the most imporÂtant film direcÂtor of his time. He directÂed a string of GerÂman ExpresÂsionÂist works that were as bleak and broodÂing as they were techÂniÂcalÂly brilÂliant. Murnau’s eeriÂly, halÂluÂciÂnaÂtoÂry NosÂferÂatu (1922) redeÂfined the horÂror movie. The specÂtacÂuÂlarÂly depressÂing Der LetÂzte Mann (1924) feaÂtured a rovÂing camÂera, douÂble-expoÂsure and forced perÂspecÂtive to brilÂliantÂly evoke the shame, humilÂiÂaÂtion and (in one tour-de-force sequence) drunkÂenÂness of a proud doorÂman demotÂed to a washÂroom attenÂdant. And his adapÂtaÂtion of Faust (1926) was the most lavÂish, expenÂsive movie GerÂmany had ever proÂduced at the time.
Enter William Fox, a JewÂish-HunÂgarÂiÂan immiÂgrant who foundÂed the Fox Film CorÂpoÂraÂtion. Though his stuÂdio was modÂerÂateÂly sucÂcessÂful proÂducÂing Tom Mix seriÂals, he aspired to someÂthing greater; he aspired to art. Fox conÂvinced MurÂnau to make the jump to HolÂlyÂwood, in part by agreeÂing to build a $200,000 set for the movie — an astroÂnomÂiÂcal sum in those days.
SunÂrise opens with a series of title cards that announce just what this movie is about:
This song of the man and his wife is of no place and every place; you might hear it anyÂwhere at any time. For wherÂevÂer the sun risÂes and sets in the city’s turÂmoil or under the open sky on the farm, life is much the same; someÂtimes bitÂter, someÂtimes sweet.
MurÂnau and his screenÂwriter Carl MeyÂer (who also wrote Der LetÂzte Mann) made the plotÂline so simÂple, so uniÂverÂsal that the charÂacÂters don’t even have names.
A strugÂgling farmer is smitÂten with a femme fatale from the city. She inveiÂgles him to drown his young wife and run off to the city with her. But when it comes time to do the deed, he realÂizes that he can’t do it. When the wife flees from him, he folÂlows her into the city, apolÂoÂgizÂing proÂfuseÂly. EvenÂtuÂalÂly, he and his remarkÂably forÂgivÂing wife recÂonÂcile and rekinÂdle their love for one othÂer. The stoÂry is so eleÂmenÂtal that it could be a fairy tale.
Yet Murnau’s abilÂiÂty to spin absoluteÂly dazÂzling images — using techÂnolÂoÂgy perÂfectÂed in GerÂmany – is what makes SunÂrise so memÂoÂrable. At one point in the movie, the camÂera seemÂingÂly floats over a crowd in an amuseÂment park; at anothÂer the lovers walk down a city street that, withÂout a cut, transÂforms into a flowÂerÂing meadÂow. ComÂpared to his HolÂlyÂwood conÂtemÂpoÂraries – D.W. GrifÂfith for examÂple – Murnau’s movie seems vital, modÂern, and surÂprisÂingÂly poignant.
Though the movie earned a few Oscars – includÂing one for Best Unique and ArtisÂtic ProÂducÂtion and one for Best Actress for Janet Gaynor — SunÂrise sufÂfered the fate of many cinÂeÂmatÂic masÂterÂpieces: It flopped. Yet over the years, its critÂiÂcal repÂuÂtaÂtion has only grown. In 2012, it was named the 5th best movie of all time by Sight and Sound magÂaÂzine just ahead of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Unlike Kubrick’s sci-fi saga, howÂevÂer, you can watch SunÂrise for free on Archive.org. Check it out. Also find the clasÂsic on our list of Great Silent Films, part of our largÂer colÂlecÂtion, 4,000+ Free Movies Online: Great ClasÂsics, Indies, Noir, WestÂerns, DocÂuÂmenÂtaries & More.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Free: DziÂga Vertov’s A Man with a Movie CamÂera, Named the 8th Best Film Ever Made
Watch Ten of the GreatÂest Silent Films of All Time — All Free Online
Watch NosÂferÂatu, the SemÂiÂnal VamÂpire Film, Free Online (1922)
Jonathan Crow is a Los AngeÂles-based writer and filmÂmakÂer whose work has appeared in Yahoo!, The HolÂlyÂwood Reporter, and othÂer pubÂliÂcaÂtions. You can folÂlow him at @jonccrow.













