F.W. Murnau's Sunrise - (2 Disc) The Masters of Cinema Series

There are few films that, having passed their 80th birthday, still pack an emotional punch in the way that F.W. Murnau's 'Sunrise' does. Arriving at the tail end of the silent era, 'Sunrise' was a remarkable achievement, telling its tale with poetic ease with no need for fancy dialogue.  It was one of the few silent features in production when the major studios started bringing out movies with sound, so it was one of the first to get a music soundtrack, and its original movietone score still sounds great today.

This 'Masters of Cinema' series DVD edition from Eureka really is something special, released simultaneously with a Blu-Ray edition that may be even more breath-taking. With cleaned up prints, and copious and relevant extras, this should become a compulsory purchase for film course students, as well as an essential purchase for anyone with even a passing interest in the origins of great cinema.



I can't think of any occasion,  in the years that I have been reviewing DVD's, that I have watched a film no less than four times prior to putting the proverbial pen to paper.  Of course, this was necessary, as there are no less than four versions of the film to enjoy on this set. The first uses the original Movietone mono soundtrack as well as the original captions, added by Fox after Murnau left the US for his native Germany. Murnau felt that the film needed no captions, and he may well have been right. A universally themed picture completely language free.

The second version included on Disc 1 is with an alternative stereo score from the Olympic Chamber Orchestra, which brings a greater degree of melancholy to the tale with its rich washes of sound.



The third version is with audio commentary from ASC cinematographer  John Bailey which is amongst the most informative commentaries I have ever enjoyed, encouraging a closer look and greater appreciation of the remarkable technical and creative achievements made by Murnau and his crew years before CGI meant you could 'sort it in post'.  (It's essential that you watch this AFTER you watch the feature as it is an incredibly thorough dissection of the film and its constituent ingredients).

The fourth and final version is an original silent version unearthed in Czechoslovakia, probably issued in a region without the facilities for audio playback back in the day. This is replete with Czech captions though subtitles are laid on for those of us who can't read the original. This version is by far the cleanest version (little used) unearthed to date and is a welcome inclusion here.







'Sunrise' was the result of German film-making ingenuity (Murnau) with American Producer William Fox's money and resources. The sheer scale of the movie is breath-taking with huge purpose built sets, tram-lines, rails tracks and hundreds of extras (including midgets in the far distance to add to the sense of distance and scale). All its innovative visual montage effects had to be achieved 'in camera' and added to the enormous extravagance of the picture.

But Murnau's vision, reflected perfectly by his hand-picked (and mainly German) crew, was one that still looks great today. The composition of every shot has been thought through. There are no accidents of creativity here. All has been considered and rendered to get the desired effect.

The film won three Oscars on its release, and deservedly so, becoming an instant classic which, far from looking dated as cinema technical know-how has improved, seems to look more remarkable with each passing year.



The first time I saw 'Sunrise' I was half expecting a dated silent movie that would have little to say from a modern perspective. (Don't we all have those unfounded prejudices?) But its theme is so universal that it is as relevant today as it's ever been. How little has changed in eighty years!

F.W. Murnau was invited to the USA by William Fox who promised complete artistic freedom (and a considerable sum to realise that freedom). Murnau had enjoyed considerable success with his expressionistic visions of 'Nosferatu' and 'Faust'  and 'Der Letze Mann'. As production started, 'talkies' were emerging to replace the silent film which had become, by then, something of an art form.  So to many, 'Sunrise' was not only the swansong for the art, but it was also considered the artistic zenith of many years of film-making.  When you watch 'Sunrise' now, it's not impossible to imagine a renaissance of the silent movie as an art form. There's something sublimely poetic about the way the story is told.






The idea for the film was Murnau's ('A Song of Two Humans') though it was writer Carl Mayer who created the narrative structure. Essentially it's a 'modern day' fable ...setting the temptations of modernity and city living aside the values of the simple country life. 

The story involves a married couple living in a remote hamlet which is visited (during a vacation) by an out of town city dwelling seductress who takes a shine to 'the husband'. (The characters get no names and are referred to as 'The Husband' 'The Wife' and so on in the credits for the film).  Unable to resist her charms he begins to sell off elements of his farm whilst neglecting his young wife and child, and falling into the seductresses web. The seductress persuades the husband that he must kill his wife and sell the farm in order to really live; with her in the city. At first he hates the idea and attempts to strangle the city woman, but she soon wins him over with her seductive kisses and before long he is setting off in a boat with the intention of drowning his own wife.



Half way through a boat journey from the remote island hamlet to the city he makes his attempt but his conscience gets the better of him and he rows to safety at the city's harbour. Here his wife runs from him, and he does all he can to console her and beg forgiveness. Set against the madness and modernity of the city they are soon lost amongst the cars and traffic, noise and people.

Happening upon a church, they see a young couple take their vows which seems to be an epiphany, bringing the two emotionally together again. At last they are free to enjoy the city like a pair of young lovers.

On the way back from a day spent at hairdressers, cafe's and carnival's a storm brews and by some cruel twist of irony their boat capsizes and the man is washed ashore, assuming his wife has drowned.  Blind with madness and rage, when the seductress calls he attempts to strangle her and only stops when a cry goes up that his wife is alive and well.



We see the two lovers reunited with their child as a sunrise signals the opportunity for a brand new start for them.

It's an emotive and action packed 90 minutes which rattles by.

For a 1927 movie, the image quality is superb, though not entirely without signs of irreparable wear and tear.

As mentioned earlier, the disc is brimming with extras. Of particular note is a 40 minute video-essay (by Janet Bergstrom) on Murnau's follow up to 'Sunrise'; a talkie melodrama called '4 Devil's' about an acrobatic troupe. Sadly, despite a release at the time, no print seems to have survived, so this 'essay' pieces together the best of the remaining footage, production stills and storyboards to paint a vivid picture of what the film was like. It's a slightly dry, academic piece but well constructed and highly informative, though really should remain the reserve of the Murnau fan.  



Apparently the released DVD edition also comes with a 68 page illustrated booklet with various essays including a reprint of a piece by Dudley Andrew.

You'll also find a PDF buried on the disc that is a 150 page original photo-play script by Carl Mayer with Murnau's original hand-written annotations. The set is a virtual museum in a box and sets the bench-mark for important releases like this one.

I loved this film and this release gives it  the package it richly deserves. I suspect the Blu-Ray version will be even better. (The first ever Blu-Ray release of a silent film anywhere). Highly recommended.