Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (F.W. Murnau, 1927): USA

Reviewed by William Conlin. Viewed on DVD.

Up until today, I have always considered Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror to be F.W. Murnau’s masterpiece, but I have been convinced otherwise. After one viewing of Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, it has immediately gone on my list of the greatest silent films ever made.

This beautiful film begins with a small town farmer (George O’Brien) shunning his wife (Janet Gaynor) and having an affair with a vacationing woman (Margaret Livingston) from the big city across the water. When the woman suggests that the man kill his wife by drowning her on a boat ride to the big city, he is consumed with the thought of escaping his life in the village. Once he is on the boat and ready to commit his horrid act he looks into his wife’s eyes and realizes the love that she holds for him is more powerful that the fling he is having with the woman. After reaffirming their love for each other they embark upon a “second honeymoon” through the city, but when a storm hits as they are crossing the water back to their home, their new found love could be washed away before it can blossom.

Sunrise was F.W. Murnau’s first film after his emigration to Hollywood in 1926. Using the newly developed “Movietome” synchronous sound system it is the first feature length film to utilize sound effects, but is still considered a silent film due to its lack of dialogue and use of intertitles. One can instantly see the leaps Murnau makes in filmmaking between Nosferatu and Sunrise. He significantly expands his use of camera movement (first seen in 1924’s The Last Laugh) while his dream sequences and montages featured throughout the film give it a quality not easily matched in films of the same time.

It’s understandable to see why Sunrise won three statues at the first annual Academy Awards in 1929: Best Picture (Shared with Wings), Best Actress – Janet Gaynor (for this and two other films), and Best Cinematography. This film has everything needed to be a success. It has moments that will make you laugh and cry. It shows us the power of love and the value of honesty. If you wish to see a beautiful and touching love story, Sunrise is the perfect film to watch.