Sunrise
1927
SUNRISE chronicles the murderous desires--and ultimate repentance--of a wayward husband. Deeply attracted by a sophisticated vamp who worms her way into the couple's simple country existence, the man agrees to take his wife into the city by rowboat... with plans to drown her on the way. In the midst of their journey, however, .. Read more
| Starring | George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor, Margaret Livingston |
|---|---|
| Director | F.W. Murnau |
| Genres | Drama, Romance |
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Sunrise
SUNRISE chronicles the murderous desires--and ultimate repentance--of a wayward husband. Deeply attracted by a sophisticated vamp who worms her way into the couple's simple country existence, the man agrees to take his wife into the city by rowboat... with plans to drown her on the way. In the midst of their journey, however, he realises he cannot go through with the act. But the pure and innocent wife has already understood what he meant to do. Heartbroken, and with tear-filled eyes, she stumbles away from him through the city streets. Now he must find some way to win her back -- and prevent the fates from punishing him for his misdeeds... Director F.W. Murnau, and cinematographers Charles Rosher and Karl Struss, created stunning expressionist imagery that poignantly captures the characters' complex desires and points-of-view. This is one of the most visually gorgeous and emotionally rich silent films ever made.
| Starring | George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor, Margaret Livingston |
|---|---|
| Director | F.W. Murnau |
| Studio | EUREKA ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 31 mins Blu-ray: 1 hr 35 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama, Romance |
| Language | Silent |
| Subtitles | None |
| Released | DVD: 26 Jan 2004 Blu-ray: 21 Sep 2009 Production year: 1927 |
| Format | DVD |
Sunrise (1927)
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Critics' reviews
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Apart from its sheer poignancy, the main achievement of Murnau's classic silent weepie is how it puts pep into pap.... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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20 out of 24 people found this review helpful
An extraordinary film, unmissable
A winner at the first academy awards, 'Sunrise' still stands as one of cinema's greatest achievements. The tale of a farmer(George O'Brien) who is seduced by a visiting city woman(Margaret Livingston) and encouraged by her to murder his wife(Janet Gaynor).
Director FW Murnau tells this essentially simple tale with an incredible visual flair. It's hard to convey fully the wondrous imagery on show here. Murnau utilises every stylistic trick available to him but never overlooks the importance of the human drama.
The film effortlessly switches from the pre-murder tension to a beguiling sense of wonder as the couple rediscover their love for each other. The performances are first rate, with Janet Gaynor on spellbinding form. A masterpiece. -
Most recent members' review
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5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Murnau at his best
Far better than Murnau’s overrated Nosferatu. A silent about a country fella who plans to kill his wife and escape to the city with a holidaying floosy; he bottles it mid-murder and whilst apologising to his wife realises that he truly loves her. Next moment, they find themselves in the city (variously portrayed as nightmarish and dangerous, intoxicating and fantastic) and rediscover the magic that is missing from their marriage in a series of mini-adventures. This is one of the most watchable silents I’ve seen, even though it has hardly any captions. The central performances are capitivating – the lead is a dispicable ogre, but you’re compelled to watch him redeem himself. There’s always something going on, the humour is great – dreamlike logic mixed with slapstick - and it’s beautifully shot with lots of experiments with superimposition, melting title cards etc. The hilarious scene with the drunken pig was probably cruelty to animals, but like a second-hand fur coat, it's probably ‘okay’ seventy-five years on when the pig would be well dead anyway. The true proof of Murnau’s skill is the way the film seamlessly flows between genres – the opening segment of the dying marriage and murderous plot belie in tone and subject matter what is to be the main concern of the film: the couple’s screwball adventures in the city. The best films should be either a dream or a nightmare. Like a real dream, Murnau’s classic drifts illogically, unquestionably from one to the other.
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Sunrise - BLU-RAY Version
SUNRISE chronicles the murderous desires--and ultimate repentance--of a wayward husband. Deeply attracted by a sophisticated vamp who worms her way into the couple's simple country existence, the man agrees to take his wife into the city by rowboat...with plans to drown her on the way. In the midst ...
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Sunrise
SUNRISE chronicles the murderous desires--and ultimate repentance--of a wayward husband. Deeply attracted by a sophisticated vamp who worms her way into the couple's simple country existence, the man agrees to take his wife into the city by rowboat... with plans to drown her on the way. In the ...
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