Is SUNRISE the greatest silent film ever made? Many polls consider it so but to me comparing it with a handful of other silents such as NAPOLEON or BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN or GREED (not to mention the comedies of Chaplin and Keaton) is like comparing apples and oranges. What is without question is that SUNRISE: A SONG OF TWO HUMANS (to give the film its complete title) is one of the greatest movies of all time sound or silent. The fact that we still have it is a miracle as the original negative was destroyed along with virtually all of the pre-merger Fox Films (except for Shirley Temple and Will Rogers) in a horrific warehouse fire in 1937. That is why there are so few Fox silents available. Fortunately more and more are being discovered in foreign archives like the John Ford film recently discovered in New Zealand.
A simple story of love, betrayal, and redemption is transformed and elevated into a work of art captured on film thanks to director F.W. Murnau and cameramen Charles Rosher & Karl Struss. There are so many things to savor in this film, such as the breathtaking cinematography in the village scenes which is reminiscent of the 17th Century Dutch Masters, the Bauhaus influenced set designs of the City, or the remarkable performances by George O’Brien and Janet Gaynor (who won the first Best Actress Academy Award), that trying to compile a complete list of them here would take up too much space. It is the first film to officially feature a soundtrack (as opposed to sound on disc) and is the only movie to win an Oscar for “Unique & Artistic Production”. The first Best Picture award went to WINGS.
The new U. S. Fox Blu-Ray / DVD combo pack is a cause for celebration as it provides us with the best surviving American version which looks remarkable considering its age and history. It also comes with a Czech version of the European release (which is 79 minutes instead of 94) as well as valuable audio commentary and your choice of the original Fox Movietone soundtrack (which has been sonically remastered and sounds fantastic) or a newly recorded score by Timothy Brock and the Oympia Chamber Orchestra. There are also outtakes, the original script, and promotional materials as well. If you are truly a lover of cinema then you need to see SUNRISE and decide its status for yourself. Like all truly great films, it can be watched over and over again and that is the highest compliment I can bestow.
The Capsule Critic 