Catalogue · No. 59 · Class of 1927
Sunrise
F. W. Murnau · 1927 · United States · 94 min
Synopsis
A farmer living in a quiet rural community becomes emotionally entangled with a sophisticated woman from the city who encourages him to abandon his wife and former life. As temptation, guilt, and reconciliation unfold over the course of a single day, ordinary experience acquires the emotional intensity of dream and fable.
Critique
F. W. Murnau unites German expressionist atmosphere with the visual fluidity of late silent Hollywood, creating a work of remarkable lyrical precision. Elaborate camera movement, layered lighting, and carefully constructed urban spaces transform simple melodrama into poetic cinema. The film remains celebrated for its emotional delicacy and for demonstrating how visual form alone can convey profound psychological complexity.
Technical sheet
- Director
- F. W. Murnau
- Year
- 1927
- Country
- United States
- Running time
- 94 min
- Genre
- Drama, Romance
- Written by
- Hermann Sudermann, Carl Mayer
- Cinematography
- Karl Struss, Charles Rosher
- Cast
- George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor, Margaret Livingston, Bodil Rosing, J. Farrell MacDonald, Ralph Sipperly
- Production
- Fox Film Corporation
- Music
- Newly composed original score
Licensing
Screening availability
- Theatrical screenings
- Non-theatrical screenings
- Festivals and cinematheques
- Educational screenings
- Television broadcasting
- Digital platforms and streaming
- Promotional and editorial use
- Licensing of graphic and visual materials
Available formats
- DCP
- DCP with subtitles
- Apple ProRes
- MP4 Screening File
- MP4 Rehearsal Copy for Musicians (silent films)
- Blu-ray
- High-resolution archival masters
Promotional materials
- Posters
- Press stills
- Promotional assets
- Screening support materials
Available subtitles
- English
- Spanish
- French
- Portuguese
- Italian
- German
