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Sunrise: A Song for Two Humans Flashcards

1
Q

Who directed the film Sunrise?

A

FW Murnau

Murnau is considered one of the greatest directors in silent cinema.

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2
Q

What year was Sunrise released?

A

1927

It was produced by William Fox Studio.

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3
Q

What cinematic movement is FW Murnau associated with?

A

German Expressionism

Murnau is recognized for his work in this movement, which influenced his filmmaking style.

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4
Q

What distinguishes German Expressionist films from American cinema?

A

German Expressionist films focus on the inner life of characters while American films aim for realistic representation

Sunrise combines elements from both styles.

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5
Q

What was the institutional context for the production of Sunrise?

A

It was Fox’s most expensive silent film, intended as a ‘prestige picture’

Murnau was given complete creative control.

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6
Q

What major transition in film did Sunrise represent?

A

The transition from silent to sound films

It was made at a time when filmmakers were adapting to new technologies.

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7
Q

What artistic movement does Expressionism encompass?

A

Music, painting, sculpture, theatre, dance, literature, and film

It emerged in Germany in the early 1900s.

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8
Q

What societal events influenced the themes of German Expressionist cinema?

A

World War I and its aftermath

The war left a significant impact on the emotional state of the characters in these films.

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9
Q

What are some characteristics of film form in German Expressionism?

A

Darkness, disillusionment, paranoia, and betrayal

These themes are expressed through visual techniques like lighting and camera angles.

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10
Q

True or False: Silent cinema is considered primitive.

A

False

Silent cinema should be viewed as a distinct and different form of filmmaking.

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11
Q

Fill in the blank: Silent film relies on _______ to convey narrative points.

A

visual amplification

This involves using gestures and details to enhance storytelling.

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12
Q

What is melodrama?

A

A story or play with exaggerated emotions and events

Melodrama often features clear moral dichotomies.

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13
Q

How does Sunrise fit into the melodrama genre?

A

It features extreme emotions, clear morality, and exaggerated performances

The film uses dramatic visuals and music to enhance emotional impact.

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14
Q

What does the term ‘dialectical’ mean in relation to Sunrise?

A

Concerned with or acting through opposing forces

The film explores various oppositions such as life vs death and good vs evil.

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15
Q

List some opposing forces explored in Sunrise.

A
  • Life vs death
  • Good vs evil
  • City vs countryside
  • Sin vs redemption
  • Love vs lust
  • Old vs new
  • Tradition vs modernity

These dualities are central to the film’s narrative.

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16
Q

What narrative structure does Sunrise utilize?

A

Set over one day and two nights

The day/night cycle is symbolized through the sun and moon.

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17
Q

What impact did German Expressionism have on Hollywood?

A

It influenced thematic and aesthetic interests in American cinema

Sunrise exemplifies the blending of European innovation with American storytelling.

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18
Q

What is a significant visual technique used in Sunrise?

A

Chiaroscuro lighting

This technique enhances the film’s melodramatic tone.

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19
Q

What role does music play in Sunrise?

A

It shifts to match the tone of each scene

The score enhances emotional engagement with the narrative.

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20
Q

How does Christine Gledhill describe the plot of Sunrise?

A

Typical of nineteenth-century domestic melodrama

It involves themes of temptation and moral conflict.

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21
Q

What does the character duality represent in Sunrise?

A

Good vs bad through the central characters

The man evolves from a state of sin to redemption.

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22
Q

What influence did German Expressionism have on Sunrise?

A

It brought distorted perspectives, stereotyping, dramatization of typography, split screens, superimpositions, and dissolves linking characters and settings.

Murnau’s influence shaped cinematic techniques that characterized Hollywood melodrama in the 1940s and 1950s.

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23
Q

What are the key features of Murnau’s moving camera technique in Sunrise?

A

Includes long-take, deep-focus tracking shots that externalize emotion into cinematic mise-en-scène.

This technique allows viewers to move with characters, enhancing emotional engagement.

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24
Q

How does Sunrise utilize sound in its storytelling?

A

It uses a synchronous soundtrack while reducing dialogue in favor of music and pictorial mise-en-scène, with few expressive sound effects.

This reflects the nineteenth-century melodramatic ideal.

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25
What elements combine in Sunrise to create its unique style?
It combines features of German Expressionism with elements of silent comedy, particularly from Buster Keaton's films. ## Footnote This blend results in both dramatic and comedic moments.
26
What thematic element does the traffic scene in Sunrise represent?
It depicts alienation and danger, showing urban life as chaotic and threatening. ## Footnote This aligns with common themes in German Expressionist films.
27
How does the Woman from the City symbolize modernity in Sunrise?
She embodies the threat of changing roles for women and the disruption of traditional life, reminiscent of the vampire in Nosferatu. ## Footnote Her presence signifies both allure and danger.
28
What is distinctive about the cinematography in Sunrise?
Murnau's control of lighting and composition creates a poetic visual style, using innovative overhead camera tracking for depth. ## Footnote Collaborations with cinematographers Charles Rosher and Karl Struss enhanced this visual aesthetic.
29
What expressionist techniques are used in Sunrise to create emotional depth?
High contrasting lighting, low-key lighting, and the use of practical light sources to emphasize character emotions and themes. ## Footnote These techniques contribute to the film's overall mood and aesthetic.
30
How does Murnau's editing style contribute to the film's lyrical quality?
He employs long takes, holding shots longer than usual to allow the audience to absorb the narrative without dialogue. ## Footnote This creates a unique pacing and emotional resonance.
31
What does the opening vacation montage in Sunrise signify?
It uses rapid editing and visual contrasts to depict the bustling city life and the peace of the countryside. ## Footnote This montage sets the tone for the film's exploration of urban vs. rural themes.
32
How does the film's editing use discontinuity?
It disrupts narrative flow through quick cut-ins, flashbacks, and fantasies to reflect characters' emotional states. ## Footnote This technique provides insight into the psychological depth of the characters.
33
What is the significance of the mise-en-scène in Sunrise?
It uses visual oppositions to reflect character psychology, such as day vs. night and city vs. country. ## Footnote Forced perspective is employed to create emotional landscapes and highlight character dynamics.
34
Define a dialectic film.
A film that uses oppositions to create meaning. ## Footnote Sunrise utilizes this structure to engage the audience in interpreting its ideological viewpoints.
35
What is the main binary opposite in Sunrise?
The contrast between the corrupting city woman and the pure wife. ## Footnote This reflects broader themes of temptation and stability in urban and rural settings.
36
What moral complexity is presented in Sunrise regarding the city and countryside?
Both are portrayed as morally ambiguous; the city offers renewal despite its temptations, while the countryside represents routine despite its purity. ## Footnote This complexity encourages a nuanced view of modernity and tradition.
37
What does the repetition of key events in Sunrise indicate?
It shows shifts in relationships, particularly the increasing proximity and emotional connection between the main characters. ## Footnote This dialectical narrative structure enhances character development.
38
How does Sunrise visually represent the overwhelming nature of the city?
Through expressionist techniques like forced perspective and distorted shapes, making characters appear small and vulnerable. ## Footnote This visualization emphasizes the threat posed by modernity.
39
What does the city represent in Sunrise?
Temptation and corruption ## Footnote The city ultimately becomes a setting for renewal, suggesting modernity must be embraced.
40
How does Sunrise view change and progress?
As both a challenge and an opportunity ## Footnote Encourages acceptance of transformation as necessary.
41
What year was Sunrise released?
1927
42
What significant development occurred shortly before the release of Sunrise?
The first full-length film with synchronized music and sound effects was released in 1926.
43
How does Murnau use sound in Sunrise?
For key moments like juxtaposing lyrical rural music with bustling city jazz ## Footnote Represents emotional changes of characters.
44
What editing style is used in Sunrise?
Controlled extended shots ## Footnote Fuels a sense of hedonism and confusion.
45
What is a key example of sound creating atmosphere in Sunrise?
The couple's arrival at Luna Park, where electric lights contrast with their village's candles.
46
What sound motif is used in Sunrise?
The sound of bells ## Footnote Indicates the Man’s change and renewal of love for his wife.
47
True or False: Silent films were completely silent.
False ## Footnote Silent films had musical accompaniment, influencing spectator response.
48
What is one benefit of the lack of recorded dialogue in silent films?
It draws the spectator into a more active engagement with the film.
49
Who plays The Man in Sunrise?
George O’Brien
50
How is The Man portrayed in the first half of the film?
Frequently shot from behind or with downcast eyes ## Footnote Emphasizes his bulk and inability to face the world.
51
How does the portrayal of The Man change in the second half?
More brightly lit eye line shots, showing his eyes and smiling face.
52
What does Janet Gaynor’s performance in Sunrise illustrate?
Transformation from sorrowful wife to one filled with joy through subtle expressions.
53
What does the Woman from the City represent?
The ‘flapper’ figure.
54
What does the city symbolize in Sunrise?
Decadence and fascination ## Footnote It merges European and American city characteristics.
55
How does mise-en-scène reinforce the binary of corruption and redemption?
Contrasting the Man’s hunched, shadowed appearance with his tall, bright portrayal with his wife.
56
What does Sunrise challenge regarding the city and countryside?
The simplistic opposition between them, showing both can be spaces of moral decline or renewal.
57
What is verisimilitude?
Creating a sense of believability, not actuality.
58
How does Sunrise create a sense of verisimilitude?
Through busy, modern city sets that contrast with empty countryside.
59
What is expressionism in film?
An artistic movement conveying emotional and psychological states rather than realistic representation.
60
What is a key characteristic of expressionism in Sunrise?
Use of montage, juxtaposition, and clever effects to reveal inner states.
61
How does Sunrise blend realism and expressionism?
Through the use of both special effects and nuanced performances.
62
What was the impact of Murnau's blend of expressionism and realism in Sunrise?
Created a sophisticated mode of storytelling in silent film.
63
What does the marsh sequence in Sunrise represent?
The psychological states of The Man and The Woman from the City.
64
What does the opening shot of the marsh sequence do?
Draws the audience into The Man's moral conflict.
65
How does the studio set design impact the film?
Gives Murnau control over lighting and atmospheric effects.
66
What does darkness symbolize in Sunrise?
Evil and moral corruption.
67
What are the expressive and realistic elements of the country town and city in Sunrise?
Country Town: Innocence and simplicity; City: Corruption and temptation.
68
What narrative impact does the contrast between country and city have?
Reinforces themes of love, redemption, and the dangers of temptation.
69
What is the narrative impact of contrasting settings in the film?
It allows the audience to understand The Man’s inner conflict between the city's allure and the moral stability of his home and wife. ## Footnote This contrast reinforces the film’s central message about love, redemption, and the dangers of temptation.
70
How does Murnau combine expressionism and realism?
He uses mise-en-scene to help the audience understand the characters’ actions in the context of their familiar reality. ## Footnote This combination enhances the emotional depth of the narrative.
71
What dual purpose does lighting serve in the marsh sequence?
It is both expressive - evoking mood and character, and realistic - grounding the narrative in a tangible world.
72
What atmosphere is created by the opening sequence's lighting?
The use of low-key, soft, and frequently backlit lighting creates an atmosphere that is both beautiful and ominous. ## Footnote This treatment hints at underlying tensions and conflicts.
73
What does darkness symbolize in the film?
It visually associates The Affair with moral corruption and forbidden desire.
74
What motif does light represent in Sunrise?
Light transcends its technical role to symbolize the deeper themes of the film.
75
How is The Woman from the City depicted through lighting?
She is often shown in nocturnal settings with backlit and low-key lighting, emphasizing her role as the antagonist.
76
What visual contrast is established between The Wife and The Woman from the City?
The Wife is depicted in daylight with high-key lighting, symbolizing her purity and innocence, contrasting with the darkness around The Woman.
77
What thematic conflict is reinforced through lighting?
The binary opposition of purity against evil is central to the film’s narrative and moral structure.
78
What technique does Murnau use to enhance visual storytelling?
Murnau employs chiaroscuro and contrasting lighting setups to mirror emotional and ethical dichotomies.
79
What is the significance of the tracking shot in the marsh sequence?
It follows The Man through ‘The Marsh’, creating a voyeuristic effect and reflecting his emotions of liberation.
80
What does the framing in the marsh sequence suggest?
It reinforces themes of division, often featuring splits or barriers in composition.
81
How does Murnau use special effects in the marsh sequence?
He employs dissolves and superimpositions to externalise characters’ psychology and symbolize emotional transformations.
82
What purpose does editing serve in the marsh sequence?
Murnau uses editing for both realist and expressionist purposes to convey characters' psychology.
83
What is expressive editing, and how is it used in the marsh sequence?
Expressive editing, like cross-cutting, conveys key ideas by juxtaposing contrasting images of love.
84
What does montage create during the violent confrontation in the marsh sequence?
Montage builds intensity through rapid cuts, reflecting urgency and tension.
85
What role do bells play in Sunrise?
Bells serve as a key motif marking pivotal moments, symbolizing character transformation and themes of redemption.
86
What is the 'cinema of attractions'?
A filmmaking technique focusing on spectacle and the audience's visual experience rather than narrative. ## Footnote Coined by Tom Gunning and Andre Gaudreault in 1985.
87
How does the cinema of attractions differ from later cinema?
It emphasizes unique experiences and spectacle, while narrative cinema focuses on human psychology and continuity.
88
What does the amusement park in Sunrise represent?
It recalls the cinema of attractions, privileging spectacle over narrative development.
89
What role does the gaze play in the film?
The Woman from the City’s gaze occupies the position of the male voyeur, while The Man barely looks at her.
90
What is the significance of the church scene in terms of spectatorship?
It forces the characters and viewers to identify with the bride and groom, leading to catharsis.
91
What does the photo portrait sequence symbolize?
It seals the union of The Man and The Wife, making them spectators of their own existence.
92
What does Sunrise represent in the context of film?
It is a victory of ‘film over reality’ and serves as a definition of cinema itself.

Film Studies (1 decks)

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