MovieChat Forums > Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) Discussion > Which version should I watch?

Which version should I watch?

posted 15 years ago by PriceOfAnarchy
4 replies | jump to latest

I'm excited to see this film, and I got it from Netflix a while ago, and I was putting it off since I wasn't in the mood for a 3 hour movie. Then I realized that the movie is much shorter and the runtime included on the sleeve by Netflix and on their webpage for the film (2 hrs. 53 min.) is incorrect.

Now I have a new dilemma. The disc I received has two versions on it: "Movietone Version" and "European Silent Version," and I am unsure as to which to watch.

What is the difference and which would you recommend for a first time viewer?

If it makes any difference, I'm pretty new to silent film. I haven't seen a silent film in a while, and I think the only silent films I recall seeing in their entirety are The Passion of Joan of Arc, The General, and Sherlock Jr. (all of which I enjoyed). I plan on watching Nosferatu and some of Chaplain's films soon.

Thanks in advance!

[–] d.doherty 15 years ago

The Movietone version.

The other, from a Czech archive, is badly edited and full of takes inferior to those in the Fox Moivetone release - which was the official American version.

"It's all right, as a matter of fact it's a gas."

[–] PriceOfAnarchy 15 years ago

I went ahead and watched The Movietone version, after doing some research and reading that it was the one that featured the sound effects. So even though I saw what you wrote too late, I took your advice without having read it, heh.

Anyway, the movie was excellent, and thanks for the reply d.doherty.

Another question, was the score I heard the original score (I didn't see any score credits mentioned at any point, so I suppose there's a chance they score I heard was original) and I couldn't tell if it was modern or the original score of the film (sorry, I'm not well versed in these things). Since I got it from Netflix, it's hard for me to give details regarding the disc.

It's a double sided disc with the Movietone on one side and the European Silent on the other.

Thanks, again.

[–] d.doherty 15 years ago

It is the original score, compiled or created by Dr.Hugo Reisenfeld of Fox's flagship theater, The Roxy in New York City. Sunrise,at its West coast premiere at Graumann's Chinese Theater had a score by a man named Carli, but the Movietone score was the one chosen for national release.

Oddly enough,in spite of what Fox says today, in Europe "Sunrise" was released naked - without a soundtrack. In 1927 not a single European theater was wired for sound, and Fox quite sensibly reasoned not to go to the added expense of including one.

The score you hear on the Netflix "European Version" is simply the Movietone score recently grafted on by someone at Fox.

Glad you finally got to see Sunrise.I think it is the greatest film ever made.

"It's all right, as a matter of fact it's a gas."

[–] PriceOfAnarchy 15 years ago

Thanks, your knowledge is much appreciated. Yeah the poetry of the images was really something in this one...