Sunrise . . . =/

Sunrise also known as a song of two humans came out in 1927. This is an American film directed by German film director F.W.Murnau is known as the most beautiful and brilliant movies that came out during the silent era. This movie is really old, and it’s interesting how silent movies can be so understandable. How the director can make us distinguish so many things to things such as special effects. None of the actors speak. The director allows us to see everything, their movements/acting, allowing us to understand what’s happening or letting us feel the impact. Everything the director does is done for a reason. Silent movies aren’t really silent. They have many special affects that provide us with other type of languages besides speaking. Body movement, lighting, acting style, camera movements, set design, and special effects, letting us differ good from evil.

Body movement can mean a lot, how the director places his actors is very important. In the beginning of the movie when he was going to meet up with the woman from the city, the fact that once he got there . . . she kissed him, then laid on the floor she was on top of him which meant so much more then what it may seem. She was in control, or had a lot of control towards him. This wasn’t a positive thing since what she doing or trying to persuade him to do was evil. The parallel effect that they kept showing between him and his wife could let us know what was going on. His wife knew what was going on. Once he got home and he was leaning against the wall, we can imagine what he was thinking. The husband wasn’t excited to be home or to see his wife or his kid. He was already thinking about leaving especially since the woman from the city had already signaled him to. His face expression and the way he was looking around let us into that. To let us know he also felt guilty. Once his wife enters the scene/sequence and leans where he was leaning by the wall, showing that she knows something. She knows he was there and has left to meet up with the woman from the city. She then sinks into the chair with a gloomy and embittered look. It was obvious that she was disappointed but she knew it was happening, by her gestures and the way she looked.

Just because we aren’t listening to them talk doesn’t mean it’s silent or non-understandable. We have many other things that we are listening to, well paying attention to. The music for example, it allows us to understand the moods. What the character is feeling. It also allows us to differ good from bad. With sound we can predict many other things. We are aware when something lovely/good is about to happen, or when something dangerous/bad is about to happen. The cross cutting from the first sequence: the lady from the city to the wife, the music was letting us know his wife agony. His confusing of not knowing what he wants and showing us his sexual attraction and his guilt. The suggestion the woman from the city had made of killing her, and moving to the city. The flash card that came up with the words “couldn’t she drown?” F.W Murnau puts a special effect on the word drown making it fade into view and also different type of music while showing this effect. The director shows a dissolving picture how there life in the city would be, her showing it as everyday enjoyable. After she lets him picture that she tells him to go to the city and His reaction was to choke his mistress. The music the director was playing while the farmer was picturing the murder we knew he wasn’t too happy about what the woman had mentioned which resulted in him choking her then her stealing a kiss.

When it something more intense is about to happen the music lets us know. Since once he was about to kill his wife, the music was more fast and sounded more like mysterious. This is because the director wanted us to feel what’s was about to happen. To make us more eager into knowing what he was going to do. Around 1920’s they didn’t have much effect in movies but the ones they did have spoke for themselves. It described all the cuts and the different feeling from each scene. Another example can be when they “fell in love again” how the music represented their happiness, how he was sorry, the music was slower and lighter. We even got to hear the bells from church ring. Representing marriage, peaceful, happiness.

With a sophisticated use of light, dark and shadows, moods and the contrast between rural 'country' life and urban 'city' life are emphasized through sun-lit and studio-lit exterior and interior shots. Silent movies use light to let us know the difference between days and nights. It can also help us differ dangerous and un-dangerous moments. First example can be how the lighting lets us see how the wife is blonde; she’s faithful, farmer meaning she’s a peasant. We can also see how the city woman, is dressed in heels [more high-class] she has dark hair [more dangerous] and wears a black dress with heals. Another example can be how they meet up in the beginning; the woman from the city getting ready to meet up with him. How she resembles some type of vampire, pale face [lighting] full moon, goes out in the dark [night time] making some lighting by showing the full moon , which would also be consider as dangerous [evil] in some cases. Since monsters usually come out at night, we can also come to the conclusion that what he’s doing isn’t right. Another part where lighting is used to let us know something evil is happening is where the shadow of him is shown, when he was walking back to the house to get his wife. This also represented a lot, the angle the camera was in we couldn’t see him, and we only saw the shadow, meaning he was about to do something that wasn’t really him. The lighting seem a little mysterious, showing us that what was about to happen wasn’t good, but showing a nice lighting in the interior , of how happy his wife was about the trip they were going to take. Thinking they were going to make up. How innocent she was. Using close ups to see her smiling and happy. The director also uses long shot to show us his wife twirling around. Dancing. Perfect lighting used to show happiness and morning time.

In the movie it shows how from being evil he turns into being a good person. His change of character, he was shown as angry, the lighting was more gloomy and grey towards his area. Then the shown how he felt bad about what he was about to do. How she was afraid of him and when she realized what was going to happen to her, she started running. The lighting when he was chasing her shown everything in their surroundings. There wasn’t any more evil in him.

The lighting was also shown once they went back to being good. How the city lights bring them a lot of excitement. How there happiness is shown thru sunlight and even when sundown you can see the reflection of the moon on the lake and how different it looked when he was at the swamp with the woman from the city. You hear a lot of Fun and excitement. It’s getting dark so you know it nighttime, heading back home, another honeymoon by the moonlight. The lighting was different from the night at the swamp. It looked like a happier environment. The lighting let us see how it was going to rain. We see the wind blowing causing the water/rain to move. We see a parallel image of people running and holding their hats. We also see the waves start to move the boat.

We notice that the director shows us that there was going to be a storm, he let us see lightening. We know something dangerous is going to happen because it also gets darker and the peaceful place that was once in the scene disappears. We can see the danger ahead and the worried look on his face, while trying to save both of them. With lighting effect we are able to see the danger, and how being out in the water that late wasn’t a good idea. As he tries to save them the director uses a close up to show how they was going to use the brushes to save themselves. How once again in this century, being out so late wasn’t a good idea.

During this century, when movies starting coming out we are allowed to differ good and evil. The director shows us different effect and different style to let us into coming sense. Many effects that I spoke about in this essay. The angles are very important, just as the lighting and the music. When a actor places us in a specific angle, it allows us to see everything he wants us to. Like them laying on a lake, letting us see the full moon, or him walking in his house letting us just see his shadow. Letting them experience the thrill and having the audience guess what’s about to happen.