"Sunrise - A Song of Two Humans" (1927) is a historically pivotal film. A love triangle which dissolves into attempted murder, it was the first film made in America by the celebrated German director F.W. Murnau, who also directed "Nosferatu" (1922). "Sunrise" mediates between German expressionism and American melodrama, the avant-garde and popular fiction, silent cinema and "talkies". A lavish and sumptuous production famous for its vast, specially constructed sets, it was one of Hollywood's most ambitious undertakings. It overwhelmed critics by its sheer beauty, yet cost far more than it earned. Lucy Fisher's book locates "Sunrise" in a range of historical, aesthetic and philosophical contexts.
