Its Valentines Day and the movie “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans” A 1927 cinematic masterpiece that transcends time. Its themes of love, forgiveness, and human frailty remain universally resonant, making it one of the most poetic and visually stunning films in the history of cinema. is as tragic as it is romantic. It has all the good and bad components of love. Lies, attempted murder and intrigue and inuendo. The film is almost 100 years old and the same story could be told today.
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (also known as Sunrise) is a 1927 American synchronized sound romantic drama directed by German director F W Murnau (in his American film debut) and starring George O’Brien, Janey Gaynor and Margaret Livingston. The film’s plot follows a married farmer (O’Brien) who falls for a woman vacationing from the city (Livingston), who tries to convince him to murder his wife (Gaynor) in order to be with her. While the film has no audible dialogue, it was released with a synchronized musical score with sound effects using the Movietone sound-on-film process. The story was adapted by Carl Mayer from the short story “The Excursion to Tilsit”, from1917.
Murnau chose to use the then new Fox Movietone sound-on-film system, making Sunrise one of the first feature films with a synchronized musical score and sound effects soundtrack.
Sunrise won the Academy Award for Unique and Artistic Picture at the 1st Academy Awards in 1929. Janet Gaynor won the first Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in the film (the award was also for her performances in 1927’s 7th Heaven and 1928’s Street Angel. The film’s legacy has endured, and it is now widely considered a masterpiece and one of the greatest films ever made. Many have called it the greatest film of the silent era. In 1989, Sunrise was one of the first 25 films selected by the U.S. Library of congress for preservation and for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”
Although the original 35mm negative of the original American version of Sunrise was destroyed in the 1937 Fox vault fire, a new negative was created from a surviving print.
Doors and bar open at 11am offering tea coffee, refreshments and snacks. Tickets are $15 and free for kids 13 and under. No need to book. Get your ticket at the door.
Film duration 1 hour 34 minutes.