Review of Sunrise (1985) by Micah M — 17 Feb 2008

This piece of experimental (for the time) filmmaking is an exceptional example of German Expressionist cinema. Put in context, this film must have really been cutting edge at this time. The story seems pedantic to moderns because it's been replayed time and again after this point. This film made good use of sets and costuming to create the weird twilight mood of Weimar Germany. It was a weird weird time and Murnau's films definitely reflected that: hardcore partying in Berlin while people in the villages beyond starved. That dichotomy is clear here.

A good score can really affect a silent film. Keep in mind that there was not a standard score. They arrived and the musician/s just wrote something. Sometimes there was rehearsal, sometimes not. If you can see this with a good ensemble or organ player, it makes it. Watching it on TCM or the disk with the corny organist kills me.