Review of Sunrise (1985) by Jesse M — 27 Jul 2009
I can understand today's audiences detachment with silent films. In an era of instant information, to sit and watch people emote with real conviction must be insufferable. I've always felt to appreciate the present you must respect the past, and silent era cinema comes no greater than F.
W. Murnau's 1927 masterpiece "Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans". It's a simple tale of a simple farmer infatuated with a fast living city girl to the point of considering drowning his wife to be with her.
In this process the man realizes his foolishness and thus begins a rediscovery of his love for a woman we sense has always stood by him. The experimentation with the visuals and some actual audio in a traffic jam sequence add to the grandeur on display here.
The shadows, the light, the dreamlike atmosphere, very rich stuff indeed. Rivaled only by Dreyer's "The Passion of Joan of Arc" and the seminal works of Chaplin and Keaton as the ultimate silent film experience.
This review of Sunrise (1985) was written by Jesse M on 27 Jul 2009.
Sunrise has generally received very positive reviews.
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