Sunrise

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) this silent film starring Janet Gaynor and George O'Brian was overall quite enjoyable. It had parts in the middle that got a bit long, but the scary parts (leading up to a murder) were still very intense. The music helped this feeling a lot and was Fox's first movie with a recorded score . The romance was sweet and the acting wasn't over done. So often a movie from the silent era seems over-acted and it's hard to get into the mood of the film because you're watching something practically for another world. This film however, holds up well. One thing about silent movies that some people don't realize, is that often the scenes are just that....silent. We don't know what they said. The cards slipped in with lines are often just one sentence like "I love you," while the lovers on screen are actually deep in a conversation of admiration for one another. Good acting has to carry these scenes. We have to feel like we know what is being exchanged between two people even though we're only told a little of what is said. I think Gaynor and O'Brian had a chemistry that did this wonderfully. Janet Gaynor reminded me quite a bit of Olivia de Haviland (one of my favorites). The movie had some cool and artistic camera tricks involving double exposures (all done in-camera). In 1927 the Best Picture oscar went to "Wings" but "Sunrise" won the top prize in the category of "Artistic Quality of Production" This was the only year that award was given out. Though "Sunrise" wasn't a huge commercial success, the Academy did recognize it's beautiful and artistic qualities.