Directed by F.W. Murnau
Starring George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor and Margaret Livingston
Produced by Fox Film Corporation
In a small coastal farm community, summer comes and with it, an influx of vacationers. At the end of the season, the tourists all head back to the city.
All, that is, except one woman. She has spent her vacation fooling around with a married farmer.
The man (no one here has a name) makes an effort at discretion, but the entire town knows, and his wife spends her evenings sobbing into a pillow in their child's room.
The time comes for the mistress to head back to the city and she asks the man to sell the farm and come with her. The man asks what should happen to his wife. The woman suggests a drowning made to look like an accident.
The husband is initially distraught by the idea, but some kisses get him on board. He returns home and suggests a romantic excursion across the water. The previously ignored wife is so thrilled with the attention she agrees immediately and off they go.
The husband rows the boat vigorously into the water and seems crazed as the moment approaches. He drops the oars, stands and slowly approaches wife. He lunges for her as her face turns from joy to horror. She realizes what is about to happen. And then...
He can't do it.
Whether it's love or simply knowing it's wrong, he stops himself. He grabs the oars and heads for the closest shoreline.
No sooner does he beach the rowboat, then his shaken wife takes off with the husband in pursuit. They board a trolley and he implores her not to be afraid of him.
They disembark in the city and he directs his shell-shocked wife through the busy street to a nearby restaurant. He offers her a sandwich and she hesitantly accepts, marking the beginning of a magical evening.
Over the course of their hours in the city, they rediscover their love. He buys her flowers They happen upon a wedding which reminds them of their vows. He gets a shave and feels pangs of jealousy as another man hits on his wife while he is confined to a barber's chair. They engage in common rites of dating: he trying to win a prize for her at the carnival, she pulling him onto the dance floor.
In the end, he is recommitted to his wife, and she has forgiven him. They head back to their boat and row for home.
Unfortunately, storm clouds are on the horizon. Literally. A squall capsizes the boat and the husband finds himself alone on the shore.
Did his wife survive? And what will become of the woman from the city?
There is a saying critics throw around with regard to directors they like. They'll say "Fill-in-the-blank could direct the phone book."
It's an expression I hate, but after watching Murnau direct The Last Laugh and now Sunrise, I am convinced the man could turn the yellow pages into a suspenseful drama.
There is almost no story here. Once the husband doesn't kill his wife, the trajectory of the story goes on autopilot. We know what happens to this couple. It's just a matter of how we get there.
With Murnau directing, we take the most interesting route possible. His city is a fantasy world in every way. At every turn, the couple receives exactly what they need to mend their broken relationship. None of it feels real, but here that's a beautiful, whimsical thing.
The film is also not so syrupy that it forgets who its characters are. The man was capable of violence against his wife and we see that dangerous side of him throughout the film. He threatens the man who hit on his wife with a knife. And he almost kills his former mistress in his rage near the end of the film. The fact that he gets a happy ending doesn't mean his fundamental nature has changed.
As you'd expect with Murnau, there is a technical virtuosity here unmatched by most silent films. The camera swoops above crowds and follows the couple through bustling city streets, the cars just missing the lovers and the camera. And when the man is pondering the prospect of murder, his mistress appears as a ghostly apparition to caress and kiss him.
As much as I love the film, it has problems. The middle act of the couple rediscovering their love could have been edited down. There's a scene of the husband chasing down a piglet and being treated as a hero when he catches it that seems too nonsensical. Because we know where these scenes are going, the pacing could have been a little more brisk.
I also came to hate George O'Brien as the husband. His acting has the subtlety of a hammer to the head. How his wife stuck it out is a mystery.
Sunrise has a reputation as one of the greatest silent films ever and its esteem is well-deserved. As with The Last Laugh, it's a story told with minimal title cards, but you never feel lost. Everything you need is right there on the screen. I cannot recommend this one enough.
***** out of *****
