The Camera Eye discussion: SUNRISE: A SONG OF TWO HUMANS

The Camera Eye discussion: Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
Join Movie Club member Jake Brown for the next film in his series highlighting great cinematography in motion pictures: 1927's twisting tale of deception and forgiveness, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans. Directed by renowned silent film legend F.W. Murnau and written for the screen by Carl Mayer from the 1917 story, The Excursion to Tilsit, by Hermann Sudermann, the film stars George O'Brien and Janet Gaynor, who delivers an Academy Award-winning performance. Sunrise also showcases Academy Award-winning cinematography from the talents of Charles Rosher and Karl Struss, who capture every moment on 35mm film in William Fox's (of Fox Film Corporation) new Movietone aspect ratio of 1.19:1, resulting from the image frame squeezed in slightly to fit in optical sound. Through this revolutionary Movietone system, Sunrise is arguably the very first professionally produced, feature-length film to incorporate an optical, synchronized soundtrack.

About Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
From Letterboxd: "A married farmer falls under the spell of a slatternly woman from the city, who tries to convince him to drown his wife."

Viewing Options for Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
Streaming options include Archive.org (cleanest, clearest, best option), Tubi (slightly cropped/lower quality), and Plex (slightly cropped/lower quality/fuzzy audio), with an additional for-purchase/rental option at Apple TV (cleanest, clearest, best option as well).

“The Camera Eye” Portland Movie Club Meet-Up Series
Whether 35mm film, 70mm, 16, Super 8, or digital, we want to celebrate the greatest shots in cinema history. This isn’t just about cameras and lenses, though. It’s framing, lighting, blocking, acting, makeup, costumes, location, set design, and so much more. Of course, cinematography is just a jumping-off point. What about sound design, characters, and most important of all, the story? Let’s discuss!

Here's how the Portland Movie Club Meet-Ups work

1. Just like a book club, we watch the movie before we meet. (Try watching it even if you've already seen it before. You don't have to watch one to join us, but it'll be more fun that way. Also, try taking notes to help remember the most interesting parts, and bring 'em with you if you can!)
2. We'll meet at Breakside Brewery in Beaverton at 2pm on the scheduled date. We'll have signs at our tables, but we'll also try to be obvious and identifiable.
3. Grab some food, some drinks, and spend time socializing/discussing this movie with us! We'll begin by going around and introducing ourselves. Then, we'll kick off a fun 10-question trivia round on the film (with a custom prize for the winner). Finally, I'll give a quick summary of the film's development, and we'll dive into the group discussion from there.

Are you on Discord? Join the Portland Movie Club!