Following the international success of F.W. Murnau’s DER LETZTE MANN (THE LAST LAUGH, 1924), Hollywood producer William Fox (born Wilhelm Fuchs in Austria-Hungary) signed the director to a four-year contract and brought him to Los Angeles. His first film for the Fox Film Corporation – later 20th Century Fox – SUNRISE – A SONG OF TWO HUMANS, earned widespread critical acclaim.
The New York Times hailed the film as a “cinematic masterpiece,” praising Murnau’s ability to preserve the artistic sophistication of his German productions while working within the Hollywood studio system. Owing to its sublime direction and extraordinary cinematography, SUNRISE is widely regarded as one of the greatest achievements of the late silent-film era.
Synopsis:
While spending time in the countryside, a sophisticated woman from the city begins an affair with a young farmer. She persuades him to leave his wife, abandon his farm, and move to the city with her. To achieve this, she encourages him to drown his wife in a nearby lake.
During a boat trip, the farmer attempts to carry out the plan. At the last moment, however, he cannot go through with it. His terrified wife flees from him, and he finally realizes the enormity of what he was about to do. The couple reconcile and travel to the city, where they spend a joyous day together that culminates in a visit to a bustling fairground.
That night, they begin the journey home across the lake. A violent storm erupts, their boat capsizes, and the farmer’s wife – with whom he has just fallen in love all over again – disappears beneath the waves. Despite a search by the villagers, she remains missing. When the city woman appears and assumes her lover has successfully completed the murder, events quickly spiral out of control.
The UFA Film Nights will present the German premiere of a new 4K-restored digital version of the film, created by the San Francisco Film Preserve.
Music: Ekkehard Wölk & The Silent Light Orchestra
