AFI Top 100: #82
Disclaimer: for the first ten minutes of this film, I couldn't stop thinking about the John Mulaney bit where he talks about old-timey people filming themselves waving at boats because that is EXACTLY how this starts. Regardless, F.W. Murnau's Sunrise is an absolutely phenomenal, romantic film that touched on my every tender emotion better than I ever could have expected something from this era to do. Not that I don't ever feel anything about characters from this period, but the sheer brilliance in this filmmaking greatly exceeded what I thought was going to be a much flatter experience. From the incredible performances to the resplendent production design, every element of this movie is crafted to pure perfection and there exists so many obvious influences to the genre of romance today. I adored how complex these characters were and while many of this story's plot points seem typical today, the way they were utilized must have left the audiences of 1927 in tears.
After a local farmer (George O'Brien) begins an affair with a slick, city woman (Margaret Livingston), she convinces him to run off with her and drown his current wife (Janet Gaynor). The journey within the man's mind changes, however, as he realizes how in love with his wife he actually is and they take the night to rediscover their passion for one another. While this film does not have a traditional script but is instead based on a scenario by Carl Mayer, the translational direction from Murnau is impeccable. This film never tries to be anything too pretentious or anything that it's not. Many films of this era, especially silent ones, rely on haughty writing to carry their religious themes through to their "dignified" viewers but Murnau never treats his audience like they are below him. Everyone adores a good, romantic story and that simple idea is all that Murnau focuses on. From today's standards, this film is really nothing special, as it contains your typical three-act structure and climax to really draw the audience in. However, that was not very prevalent in stories of this time and Murnau utilizes this to his advantage to make such an engaging and genuinely thrilling story. The heightened focus on physical storytelling and the visual language of this world is also what makes this film really stand out. Title cards only appear very rarely and never even during dialogue from our two leads. The use of silence in this film and focus on what the characters are actually doing weres some of the smartest choices Murnau could have made. It is so easy for the audience to get mad at the farmer in the beginning before he begins to redeem himself and the way that he develops purely through loving actions and epiphanies is spectacular. Just like many silent comedies of this time, the meaning behind the film is derived from what happens on screen and it is as easy to fall in love with this romantic story as it is to laugh along with the likes of Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin.
The performances from the two leads are also what makes this film really pop. George O'Brien is fantastic as the farmer and the way he carries the duality of his relationships with him is portrayed excellently. It is very easy to dislike his character in the beginning, for very good reason, but the way that O'Brien's acting changes with the likability of his character is fascinating. The greater standout, however, is Janet Gaynor as the farmer's wife. She embodies this role incredibly well and so much of the pain she is going through needs nothing more than a simple look from her. Many actresses and actors of this time do not focus on the emotions or their body language but rather their actions and Sunrise might be the earliest example I have seen of properly using both. Gaynor is especially great at this and while some scenes could be rightfully considered over-acting, she definitely gives this film her all. Along with the great casting choices, the cinematography from Charles Rosher and Karl Struss is just gorgeous. The iconic shot of the farmer and his wife crossing the street while cars swerve around them was breathtaking and it was really interesting to see how well these new techniques were used. The early kind of green-screen to the overlaying of other images to exaggerate the farmer's internal struggles was incredibly clever. There are also a lot of vast shots showing off this film's production design, which continuously floored me. From the homely farm to the big city to the raucous fairgrounds, this movie really builds its environment in the grandest of ways. I really did feel like I was there with these characters and it felt lovely. All of these technical elements come together in the most satisfying ways to literally put me on the edge of my seat, particularly during the exciting twist towards the end. Never would I have predicted that I could relate to the hopeful longing for love as much as characters from a 1927 film but here we are.
Released the same year as the more famously-known The Jazz Singer, Sunrise honestly succeeds more silently than it would have with the innovation of sound. The sheer excellence shown in Murnau's craft of early filmmaking here is something to absolutely gawk over and from the cinematography to the physical storytelling, I was glued to the screen every step of the way. For as simple as this story is, it might be one of my favorite romantic movies of all time, as it has set the bar for films in the genre for many years to come.
My Rating: ★★★★★
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