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George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor, Margaret Livingston, Bodil Rosing, John Farrell MacDonald ... see more see more... , Jane Winton , Arthur Houseman , Eddie Boland , Edward Arnold , Sidney Bracey , Gino Corrado , Sally Eilers , Gibson Gowland , Bob Kortman , Barry Norton , Phillips Smalley , J. Farrell MacDonald , Arthur Housman , Ralph Sipperly

Considered by many to be the finest silent film ever made by a Hollywood studio, F.W. Murnau's Sunrise represents the art of the wordless cinema at its zenith. Based on the Hermann Sudermann novel A T... read more read more...rip to Tilsit, this "Song of Two Humans" takes place in a colorful farming community, where people from the city regularly take their weekend holidays. Local farmer George O'Brien, happily married to Janet Gaynor, falls under the seductive spell of Margaret Livingston, a temptress from The City. He callously ignores his wife and child and strips his farm of its wealth on behalf of Livingston, but even this fails to satisfy her. One foggy evening, O'Brien meets Livingston at their usual swampland trysting place. She bewitches him with stories about the city -- its jazz, its bright lights, its erotic excitement. Thrilled at the prospect of running off with Livingston, O'Brien stops short: "What about my wife?" Drawing ever closer to her victim, Livingston murmurs "Couldn't she just...drown?" (the subtitle bearing these words then "melts" into nothingness). In his delirium, the husband agrees. The plan is to row Gaynor to the middle of the lake, then capsize the boat. Gaynor will drown, while O'Brien will save himself with some bulrushes that he'd previously hidden in the boat; thus, the murder will look like an accident. The next day, the brooding O'Brien begins slowly rowing his unsuspecting wife across the lake. Halfway to shore, he makes his intentions clear, but is unable to go through with it. As his wife cringes in terror, O'Brien rows to the other side of lake. Once ashore, she runs away from him in terror, as he stumbles after her, trying to apologize. Gaynor boards a streetcar bound for the city, with O'Brien climbing aboard a few seconds afterward. Upon reaching the city (a renowned set design), O'Brien continues trying to make amends to his wife. They sit disconsolately at a table in a restaurant, unable to eat the plate of cake that is set before them. Slowly, Gaynor begins overcoming her fear. The couple wander into a church, where a wedding is taking place. Breaking down in sobs, O'Brien begins repeating the wedding vows, thereby convincing Gaynor that she has nothing to fear. Together again, the couple embraces in the middle of a busy street, oblivious to the honking horns and irate motorists. Anxious to prove to each other that all is well, the husband and wife spend a delightful afternoon having their pictures taken and "dolling up" in a posh barber shop. They cap their unofficial second honeymoon at a joyous festival in an outsized amusement park. More in love with each other than ever before, O'Brien and Gaynor head back across the lake in the dark of night. Suddenly, a storm arises. Pulling out the bulrushes with which he'd planned to save himself, O'Brien straps them onto Janet, telling her to swim to shore. The storm passes. Washing up on shore, the unconscious O'Brien is brought home. But Gaynor is nowhere to be found, and it is assumed that she has died in the storm. Half-insane, O'Brien strikes out at Livingston, the instigator of the murder plan. Just as he is about to throttle the treacherous temptress, he is summoned home; his wife is alive! As Livingston stumbles out of the village, O'Brien and Gaynor cling tightly to one another, watching the sun rise above their now-happy home. Together with Seventh Heaven, Sunrise earned Janet Gaynor the first-ever Best Actress Academy Award, while Charles Rosher and Karl Struss walked home with the industry's first Best Photography Oscar. The film itself was also in the Oscar race, but lost out to the more financially successful Wings. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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92% liked it

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98% liked it

40 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 50 min.

Directed by: F.W. Murnau

Release Date: September 23, 1927

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DVD Release Date: December 9, 2008

Stats: 826 reviews

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Margaret Livingston George O Brian Margaret Livingston George Margaret Livingston Janet Gaynor and George O'Brien Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans Sunrise F.W. Murnau Janet Gaynor in Sunrise Margaret Livingston Janet Gaynor in Sunrise
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Flixster Reviews (826)

  • hunterjt13
    April 7, 2013
    hunterjt13
    At his mistress's command, a man takes his wife on a boat ride in order to kill her, but he decides against it, and they have a lovely afternoon together.
    While the cinematography is quite charming and the superimposed images were probably revolutionary and striking in their time... read more, the story of Sunrise is streamlined and not that interesting. We know early that the man isn't going to kill his wife, so there isn't any suspense on the boat, and what follows lacks any real, compelling conflict.
    Overall, for its technical achievements, Sunrise has been rightly praised, but its emotional effect is pretty close to nil.
  • blacksheepboy
    July 3, 2012
    blacksheepboy
    The ultimate silent film, released right after the talkies had already become a reality. Featuring some splendid superimpositions and impossible camera movements, this wonderful movie is not only an impressive achievement for all its masterful technique but also a beautiful and i... read morencredibly sincere story about love.
  • shauna1354
    December 10, 2011
    shauna1354
    Quite simply beautiful. One of very few honest and poignant true love stories in cinema. It is very slow paced but highly worthwhile for its moments of romance, humour, tragedy and beauty. Murnau created a timeless silent film that stands up as perhaps one of the greatest films e... read morever made.
  • axadntpron
    November 13, 2011
    axadntpron
    Did you say 1927? Are you kidding me?
    Murnau's first American film is a visual masterpiece and decades ahead of it's time. From the expressionist influenced set designs, to the use of superimpositions, and the masterful use of the camera, this film is a visual feast. The story i... read moresn't strong enough to keep one enthralled throughout the entire picture, but is a testament to the supreme visual power of silent cinema.
  • ajv2688
    April 6, 2011
    ajv2688
    This movie is an incredibly simple romantic drama, with a predictable ending, and it's really slow too. I was expecting more, but that was all there was to it. If you really like romantic dramas, you'll like it better than I did, but still I want to say that it could have been ... read morebetter.
  • MovieGeek13
    March 13, 2011
    MovieGeek13
    Sunrise is so timeless because it is, quite simply, one of the most beautiful films ever shot. Every frame is so expertly composed, and I guess that's what makes the film so engaging. Much has to be told within the frame since it is, for the most part, a silent movie.
    The story i... read mores such: a man plots to kill his wife because he hates her, and has fallen for another woman. In following through with his plot, he has a sudden change of heart, but not before his wife realizes his intentions. The tone of the film often shifts from disturbing, to sad, to wonderfully joyful, and occasionally forays into slapstick comedy. Yet, all these emotions are woven together so effortlessly thanks to the editing and the shot composition.
    The film progresses like a poem. Murnau allows the viewer to become engrossed with the action in the frame. He emphasizes close ups, creating an active relationship between the film and its audience. We experience every emotion felt by the two lead characters. Sunrise is an absolute masterpiece, a gem of its era, and is still an important cinematic milestone even today.
  • webalina
    May 22, 2010
    webalina
    A breathtaking example of early cinema courtesy of F.W. Murnau. A young married farmer is having an affair with "a woman from the city." She talks him into a murder plot with his wife as the victim. The story isn't anything special, but the performances are excellent, particularl... read morey in the scene where the wife realizes what horrible deed her husband is contemplating. But that's not what makes this film so extraordinary. Murnau embues this film with such magic and beauty that even though it's B&W, you'll swear later you saw it in color. A special Oscar category was created just to honor this film. An artistic masterpiece.
  • JonathanHutchings
    April 16, 2010
    JonathanHutchings
    Held aloft by director F. W. Murnau's visual genius, Sunrise is one of the greatest silent films ever made, and a wonderful example of the medium's capabilities, then and now. Beautiful, dark and luminous, and astonishing even today, it has exerted a profound influence on countle... read moress subsequent films, and represents an undisputed pinnacle of the art form. The only thing inhibiting this film is its rather pedestrian, thinly plotted story -- but that's about the only critique to be found here.

    Murnau's visual mastery, his marriage of expressionism, visual lyricism and the daring technological ambition of pre-sound Hollywood, shows silent cinema at its absolute pinnacle. Christopher Null wrote that Sunrise is the film for people who tend to avoid silent films. I think he's right. This film is so sophisticated in terms of style, formal technique, and innovation that it feels remarkably modern. Much like Amelie is the gateway drug into foreign film, maybe Sunrise is the gateway drug into silent film. If you're usually put off by these kind of films, check out Sunrise -- it may serve as an excellent entry point into the incredible world of silent cinema.
  • pier007
    December 13, 2009
    pier007
    Majestic, lyrical, endlessly beautiful tale of redemption. Murnau was one of the few gifted artists capable of translating all the intensity, horror, magic and mistery of human sentiments on celluloid as perfect as this.
  • rubystevens
    November 22, 2008
    rubystevens
    the age old story of the evil city woman lol. the film is really quite stunning. it starts off full of dread but continues through humor and pathos very artfully. the city scenes are priceless. definitely one of the best silent films i've watched

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Critic Reviews

Michael Atkinson
March 31, 2010
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice

F.W. Murnau's career-peak nova, the crowning film from that sacred, edge-of-the-abyss year of 1927. Full Review

Variety Staff
February 20, 2008
Variety Staff, Variety

In its artistry, dramatic power and graphic suggestion it goes a long way toward realizing the promise of this foreign director in his former works, notably Faust. Full Review

January 22, 2008
TIME Magazine

Picturesquely soporific. Full Review

Dave Kehr
February 13, 2007
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Released in 1927, the last year of silent film, it's a pinnacle of that lost art. Full Review

Geoff Andrew
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

An example of True Love styled to cinema perfection. Full Review

Mordaunt Hall
March 25, 2006
Mordaunt Hall, New York Times

Mr. Murnau proves by Sunrise that he can do just as fine work in Hollywood as he ever did in Germany. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 20, 2006
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

F.W. Murnau's Sunrise (1928) conquered time and gravity with a freedom that was startling to its first audiences. To see it today is to be astonished by the boldness of its visual experimentation. Full Review

J. Hoberman
September 7, 2004
J. Hoberman, Village Voice

Reckless, romantic, and extravagant. Full Review

James Berardinelli
September 23, 1927
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Sunrise is often rightfully noted for its technical achievements but what is often overlooked is its emotional power. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
July 23, 2011
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Sunrise may not be the greatest film ever made (as the French critics once declared), but it certainly is one of the most lyrical, stunning, and influential works in cinema history. Full Review

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