2:00 pm | live accompaniment by Marta Waterman | 1927 | Drama/Romance ‧| 1h 46m
Bored with his wife (Janet Gaynor), their baby and the dull routine of farm life, a farmer (George O’Brien) falls under the spell of a flirtatious city girl (Margaret Livingston) who convinces him to drown his wife so they can escape together. When his wife becomes suspicious of his plan and runs away to the city, the farmer pursues her, slowly regaining her trust as the two rediscover their love for each other in this award-winning silent classic.
“The film is electric: overwhelmingly passionate and sexual.”
Antonia Quirke, London Evening Standard
“Murnau brought a slender story to life with a breathtaking display of cinematic virtuosity, creating one of the masterworks of the art form.”
Richard Brody, New Yorker
“Murnau, raised in the dark shadows of expressionism, pushed his images as far as he could, forced them upon us, haunted us with them. The more you consider “Sunrise” the deeper it becomes — not because the story grows any more subtle, but because you realize the real subject is the horror beneath the surface.”
Roger Ebert