On Sunday night/Saturday morning I watched F.W. Murnau’s 1927 silent film, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans. I never know what to expect from him. His Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens from 1922 (otherwise known simply as Nosferatu) still stands as the greatest vampire movie ever made (followed by the ingenious fictional movie about the movie, Shadow of the Vampire, from 2000), whereas his Phantom from the same year (apart from a single brief scene with spectacular visual effects) stands as one of the most agonizingly dull and woodenly acted movies I have ever endured.
Sunrise is notable for being the first and only recipient of the Academy Award for Best Picture, Unique and Artistic Production. In addition, it won for Best Cinematography, and Janet Gaynor won Best Actress in a Leading Role for playing The Wife. It certainly was unique, and I am a little surprised its style of storytelling wasn’t more influential. It had a fairy tale quality balanced by the little details of mannerisms and personality quirks that I think lent itself well to the medium. Initially, I was skeptical of the plot as it was presented, with its fidelity versus infidelity and rural versus urban themes, but as it progressed, I couldn’t help being drawn into the plot beyond the parable and, more importantly, the characters and their plight. The characters are more complex than one would guess at first glance, and at the same time serve as powerful allegorical symbols. It is not without its controversial elements, some of which I still find troubling, and I wouldn’t say the film is flawless, but it is worth watching for its directing, its impressive visual effects, and some good performances. Janet Gaynor, in particular, is outstanding.
Tags: silent movies