Although made in a Hollywood studio, Sunrise has the look of a German film: the set designer, script-writer, etc., were all Germans brought to Hollywood along with F.W. Murnau by William Fox, who wanted, and got, a “prestige picture.” The story - a simple parable of everyman and everywoman, with a bad city woman coming between an innocent country couple - is given by Murnau great depth and a kind of classic inevitability: every angle provides an intimation of fate, every movement of each character reflects that fate. Murnau's “invisible” tracking shots, as well as his fantastic city set, have been frequently celebrated but are not distracting. One feels only the emotional sweep of a great poetic film.