Sunrise (1927)

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) is a lyrical, silent-era drama about love, temptation and redemption. The story follows a country farmer whose attraction to a glamorous vacationing city woman drives him to the brink of murder: she urges him to drown his neglected wife so they can run off together. Over the course of a single day and night, he is torn between the corrupting promise of the city and the simple devotion of his wife. He cannot go through with the murder, and what follows is an emotional rollercoaster — a reclaimed day of tenderness, a visit to the city’s fair and dance halls, and a terrifying return by boat through a violent storm that tests their bond. Seeing Sunrise is primarily a visual, immersive experience. As a silent film told through expressive camerawork, lighting and editing rather than spoken dialogue, it feels like a fable or modern fairy tale: allegorical, intimate and cinematic. You’ll be drawn into powerful, wordless performances, haunting urban-versus-rural contrasts, and striking, often poetic images — from the sunlit fields and a joyful fair to the shadowy, seductive city and a harrowing nighttime storm. The film builds suspense from the farmer’s inner conflict and delivers a moving emotional payoff as forgiveness, jealousy and fate collide. Expect to leave the movie moved by its romantic intensity and moral complexity. Sunrise is both a tender human drama and a masterclass in silent filmmaking: spare in words but richly expressive in mood, rhythm and visual invention.

Actors: George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor, Margaret Livingston

Director: F.W. Murnau

Runtime: 94 min

Genres: Drama, Romance

8.4 /10 95 /100 8.1 /10 8.7 /10