Cheap Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (DVD) (George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor) (F.W. Murnau) Price
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| ACTORS: | George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor |
| CATEGORY: | DVD |
| DIRECTOR: | F.W. Murnau |
| THEATRICAL RELEASE DATE: | 23 September, 1927 |
| MEDIA: | DVD |
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Customer Reviews of Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
Touching and simple "Sunrise" is a simple, touching story, beautifully told, about betrayal and redemption. A farmer, tempted by his sophisticated mistress from the city, tries to kill his wife, but at the moment of truth he cannot do it. The farmer and his wife rediscover their love, but then Nature throws in a surprise twist to test their happiness. Within this framework, Murnau throws in bits of humor and imagination-- the knocked-down statue which they think they have broken because it doesn't have a head, the drunken pig which the farmer chases through the carnival. Throughout, Murnau hardly needs intertitles because the visuals are so effective.
About the DVD: I received it through Fox Studio's free offer in 2003. The quality of the print is uneven and much more grainy than Fox's restorations of later films. Sometimes it appears to be free of artifacts, but often you can see the scratches and blotches from the film negative. There are two soundtracks. The original score is in mono and the sound quality is decent. The new score is in Dolby 2.0 and sounds much clearer. Both scores match the movie very well and are worth listening to.
The DVD also has a lot of extra features. The audio commentary by the cinematographer John Bailey is technical but informative. For writers, you have the original scenario by Carl Mayer, along with the final screenplay. Most uniquely, Fox has also included what remnants are available from Murnau's "lost film" called "The 4 Devils." The narrated essay pieces the film together from production stills, drawings from the art director, and the screenplay, which is also on the DVD.
Overall, a masterpiece of visual storytelling and an oustanding DVD. Kudos to Fox Studios.
Murnau's extraordinary humane tale is a breathing painting
A farmer has been led astray by an very attractive city woman who wants him to kill his wife and sell the farm so they can move to the city. The city woman charms the farmer with the pleasures of the city as she advises him to drown her and make it look like an accident. On the way home the farmer is heavily burdened by his morals as he confronts an inner battle between right and wrong as he prepares to kill his wife. When he wakes up he suggests that they should go on a little trip across the lake, but can he go through with his evil plans as he dwells on this moral predicament?
Sunrise is a beautiful film even if it has been worn by years of exposure to air that has degenerated the films quality. The beauty is created by the director, Murnau, who displays a cinematic extravaganza as he tells his story of the pain and pleasures of human life. The cinematography is brilliant and is still used today by many filmmakers. Also, the special effects demonstrates creativity and inspired artistic skills as they are effortlessly interwoven into the story. Lastly, the story itself is meticulously detailed as each scene brings depth and affection to the audience in esthetically pleasing manners, which in the end offers a brilliant cinematic experience.
Not as Good as Promised
I have a theory as to why the studio has kept this in such limited release to date: the film just isn't that great! Murnau's first American film has the dark ambiance of his last German one, Faust. The narrative is well strung together: this is the sterotypical morality play in silent melodrama at its absolute peak; hence a probable reason for its high ranking by so many. But Murnau's storytelling lacks the poignancy of a Rex Ingrahm, King Vidor, or even G.W. Pabst. And it has none of the fun that Clara Bow or Mary Pickford brought to "It" or "My Best Girl". Its just a drama, perhaps about family values, but I really don't feel that Murnau was as interested in any relevent message as he was in simply perfecting the artful but mechanical process of recording narrative though moving pictures. Perhaps with great screen performaces (like a Valentino) this film could have been truly great. But for me, the perfection of artful narration thru imagery is still not enough by itself to make a great film. Fire away, but I rank Murnau's Tabu and Nosferatu well above this film.