Review of Sunrise (1985) by John P — 15 Mar 2009
These days, it seems like most directors have it in their contract to be billed as "visionary".
"From the visionary director of 300.".
"From the visionary director of Pan's Labyrinth.".
"From the visionary director of Rush Hour.".
After seeing a movie like this one, though... You begin to truly appreciate the term "visionary", and know absolutely that it should apply to F.W. Murnau.
This movie is 82 years old, but it's still breathtaking. The cinematography is fantastic. Every single shot is a masterwork, and the depth (both in space and in thematic content) is absolutely astounding. There are tracking shots here that made my jaw drop. It's a technical achievement that... Well, fucking obviously there are more impressive movies by today's standards, but you're a dickhead if you're going to be unimpressed by this moofie's technical stuff.
The story is compelling, and even though there's barely any "dialogue" in this silent film, you still get to know the characters well enough that you genuinely care about how things turn out at the end.
Yeah, 100 minutes is long for a silent film, but watch it anyway. You'll be rewarded with something truly.... Visionary.
This review of Sunrise (1985) was written by John P on 15 Mar 2009.
Sunrise has generally received very positive reviews.
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