The Masterpiece That Was Sunrise - Essay Example

The Masterpiece That Was “Sunrise” The early days of film produced a wide variety of movies that were effective in engaging the hearts and minds of the audience even if the characters did not talk. At that time, non-verbal communication was given more power to deliver the message of the film than verbal language. The classic movie, “Sunrise” by F.W. Murnau, created in the late twenties, is a perfect example. He was able to capture the strong emotions depicted in the movie with the use of cinematography, lighting and actors. Many themes may be derived from this movie, but the formal elements were blended well together for the audience to focus on the emotional struggles of the main characters. Sunrise successfully utilized mise en scène to contrast the fast paced city lifestyle vs. cozy country lifestyle, as well as the different characteristics of the actors, to show that true love is the only way to help the man get out of evil seduction. Setting The settings were a mix of real locations and artificial sets. Either way, they provided a perfect background to the scenes. John Bailey, the movie’s cinematographer, explained that the marsh was a studio set, the train in the first scene was a model made to look large in the foreground, the extras were real people and the projected city was from a matte drawing (Ebert: para 12 & 13). The rest of the settings were real. In most cases, the final product was manipulated with camera tricks, creating an imagery of dreaminess. For example, there were scenes where superimposed, ghost-like images were added. One scene showed the man being surrounded by the image of the woman from the city, but she was not physically present. Another scene showed exciting activities in the city with dancers and musicians providing the promised fun, but these images seemed to merely float in a void. Bailey explains that such images were borne out of creative camera use. The camera men used the advanced trick of that time of masking and exposing, controlling the lens and counting the individual frames where they would apply the trick. The finished product was clean without any hint of roughness. It is impressive that all these were done several decades ago when digital technology was not yet in existence, so talent and creativity played major roles in the genius of film makers then. In the city setting, several long shots were taken to shoot the scenes. This was to capture all the action that goes on in one frame. This strategy saved the time and effort to show how busy everyone was in the city, so viewers can get a feel of the fast-paced lifestyle there. This was emphasized by shots of lights changing quickly, such as the traffic lights and neon lights in places of leisure, which somehow flashed with one’s heartbeat. People were shown walking quickly as if they were in a hurry all the time. Long shots of several cars passing show traffic building up, again implying that people were always on the go. Although only music played in the background of the movie, the scenes showed that noise was all around implying the fullness of activity in the city. The cosmopolitan life was represented by the sleek designs in the restaurants, the modern cars and the stylish clothes people wear. All these were used in the film to imply that there is much progress in the city. In contrast, the country setting showed a slower-paced life. There were more middle and close-up shots taken of the sceneries and the characters to capture more detail. The viewer gets to focus on these details without much distraction. The soft moon light shining above the country scenes gave a relaxed feel which implied that people there had more time to enjoy and appreciate nature, as it was shown abundantly in the scenes. The more laid-back lifestyle was emphasized in the slower movement of the people as they went about their day as shown in scenes of people feeding animals in the farm, walking slower, chatting with neighbours and rowing boats with longer arm strokes. The scenes were made to look as if everything was quiet, calm and uncomplicated. People wore simple clothes and had simple things which showed that they were happily content with the mere fulfilment of their basic needs. Overall, the film took advantage of the sceneries of in the setting. Macro shots were abundant, panning the camera to capture the beauty and mood of the scenery. For example, the scene when the people in the boat approached the island gave the viewer a peep of where the rest of the movie will be shot. Another dramatic shot was the scene when the husband came home at dawn from his tryst with his mistress. The camera showed a long shot of the house with the moon shining in the sky to create an effect of a dark painting. Characters Three main characters were portrayed in this film: the man, his wife and the woman from the city. They all played roles in a love triangle, with the woman from the city being the mistress out to destroy the marriage of the man and his wife. Merely looking at each character would already reveal their assumed personalities in the film. Some scenes also built up these characters’ personalities. The woman from the city was fully made-up, dressed in fashionable, city clothes, with cigarette in hand to depict sophistication and materialism. Her manner of dress, with a sleek, dark cut and high heels, makes her stand out from the rest of the cast to show that she does not belong there and was from out-of-town. Her scenes were mostly dimly-lit, showing low contrast between her face and her surroundings, implying that she had an evil side. For example one scene showed how demanding and aristocratic she was when she asked the old woman to stop what she was doing to clean her shoes while was wearing them. She was a woman who expected to be served. Another scene was when she had a rendezvous with the man in a dark, smoky, humid marshland. Although the view of the man and the woman from the city was clear enough, it was evident that there was darkness tall around suggesting a forbidden relationship and a sinister plan being set up. The use of words on a black screen completed one’s understanding of the scenes. For example, the “melting” words on the black screen of the word “drown” which added to the dramatic effect of the scene. The effect of the whole scene was meant to persuade viewers to see the perspective of the woman from the city, subconsciously seducing them to approve of her evil plans. On the other hand, the wife was portrayed as a very simple and good woman. Her face was scrubbed clean of any make-up, she wore plain clothes, showing her conservative and modest nature. Early in the film, she was always busy with household chores such as cooking for her husband and caring for her child. Her scenes showed that she was content with an austere lifestyle as long as she had her family. Another side of her personality was shown when she was in the city, as she thoroughly enjoyed going around the place with her husband. Her scenes were always brightly-lit, clearly showing her face as well as her background. This implied that she was innocent and had nothing to hide. It was the man’s character that showed several transformations. Although he wore the same simple peasant’s clothes throughout the film, he was shown to have had a make-over in the barbershop to represent that he was a changed man who had intentions to start over. The contrast between him being in a state of temptation with the woman from the city and the state of realizing his true love for his wife and deciding to stay in the marriage was clearly shown in the production of the scenes from the middle of the film towards the end. For example, in starting a new chapter in their life, the couple was back in the boat on their way home. There was no darkness anymore in the face of the husband as opposed to earlier in the day. This was made obvious with the use of lighting and camera angles. During the scenes when the husband was ambivalent in carrying out his plan to kill his wife, the camera focused on a darkened face with furrowed eyebrows and a manic stare of the man. The shots of the man were always from a high angle making him subservient to the camera at the same time, emphasizing the intense pressure he is under (Ebert: para.17). Upon abandoning such evil plan and falling back in love with his wife, the camera captured dreamy, misty-lighted shots of the man’s face with a relaxed and totally content and happy image Lighting Devoid of Technicolor, the film has kept its dramatic touch by enhancing the lighting. Some scenes showing happy situations –were very brightly-lit such as the scene showing how happy the small family was with the wife handing the child to her husband who joyfully played with him. The scene was emphasized with high contrast lighting, made to look like the middle of the day when everything was bright and alive. The brightness created a luminous effect with the wife’s hair like it was made to look as if the sunshine touched it. The angle was taken from the front, with the frame showing the full picture of the happy family, the oxen, representing his livelihood, amidst the background of nature, giving the feel that the man had everything he needed in life. The next scene was very dark, with the husband selling his oxen to his neighbours, implying that he was in dire need of money and life was going downhill. This scene was dimly-lit, creating shadows of the characters in the scene. Tracking Shots Another impressive feature of this film was the tracking of the shots. Back then, cameras were pinned to the cameraman who cranked them by hand while filming a scene. Even if the cameras moved along with the actors, so many physical barriers limited its movement. However, in this particular film tracking shots seemed to be seamless. In the scene where the man and the woman from the city walk on uneven marsh land, the camera moves steadily with them. The trick was to suspend the camera platform from overhead cables to make it glide behind the actors as they stagger through the mud and bushes. Staging The staging of the scenes were filled with meaning. Not only did it provide a perfect view of the action but some even had metaphoric meanings. For example, one scene depicting the man’s ambivalence, he is framed in the center of the scene looking to the right where his wife is, and to the left where his mistress calls. Eventually, he exits to the left implying he chose the mistress over the wife who comes out bringing a bowl of soup, which may stand for care and nurturance. Props The props used in each scene were carefully selected and reflective of the living circumstances of the characters… the husband and wife in poor conditions, living in a very simple house, with basic things, as shown on their dining table. However, these things represented everything the couple needed to survive. One prop that played a huge role in the film was the bundle of bulrushes. It was shown from the time the mistress picked them up from the marsh, bundled up together, the husband kept it in the boat. Later in the movie, a close-up shot of the bundle of rushes brought back to the audience its important function in the plot, and that is to serve as a lifesaver to the characters. The props used also supported the kind of personality enacted by the characters. For example, although simple with the things in their small house, the wife kept their home neat and orderly, reflecting her domestication. The woman from the city, in contrast, was shown in one scene as restless in her cluttered room, throwing things haphazardly everywhere, reflecting her disorganization and lack of direction. In contrast, the wife was shown serving her family by bringing food on big wooden bowls to the table and caring for her baby in a simplistically designed bedroom. Some scenes showed two separate beds and the husband and wife slept separately on each bed which showed a strained relationship, not sharing one marital bed. Overall, the mise en scène of this film all came together well enough to merit the "Best Unique and Artistic Picture" Award in the year it was released. Not only is it commendable for its artistic production but it has effectively conveyed the film’s message of seduction of a worldly temptress crushed by true love of a dedicated and forgiving spouse. Works Cited Ebert, Roger, Great Movie Review, Sunrise, < http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great- movie-sunrise-1928> Web. Murnau, F.W., Sunrise, William Fox. 1927 Read More