City Girl (1930)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Country boy Lem (Charles Farrell) is sent to Chicago by his father (David Torrence) so that he can sell the family's wheat. The family is depending on getting a good price but once in the city Lem falls for waitress Kate (Mary Duncan) and the two are married. When Lem brings her home she's immediately hated by the father who sees her as nothing but trash and soon lust and envy are going to divide the family. This film has obvious similarities with Murnau's masterpiece SUNRISE and it seems this here takes a small beating simply because it isn't as great. There's no denying that SUNRISE is so much better but at the same time this is an incredibly impressive gem that manages to get just about everything right. The one negative thing is that the ending really doesn't work and there are a few parts where things get a tad bit over dramatic. Outside of those issues I really loved this movie from start to finish and I think it deserves a lot more praise than it gets. For me this entire film is Duncan as she's the heart and soul of the story. The first time we see her she just jumps off the screen and into your heart. I won't spoil how the two meet but the first time we, the viewer, see her is just like the first time Lem does as Murnau really makes us fall in love with her just like Lem does. I was really amazed at how caught up I was in her story but I thought the director did a terrific job at building up her character by telling us very little. We see her unhappiness in this crowded restaurant and we learn everything we need to know about her. The Lem character is a great one as well and the "simple boy from the farm" never gets watered down or made to look stupid. Sure, he's living in fear of his father but I think the film makes the right decision to not play him as some sort of fool. Lem and Kate's relationship is a rather incredibly one as we can see the passion, fire and love between the two. Murnau does a masterful job at painting their relationship and it's one we can really feel. The Torrence character is certainly one of the better villains from this period as you'll be wanting to jump into the film and do the guy as much physical harm as possible. The evilness of this character and the hatred he has will make you want to hate him in return. All three actors are wonderful but there's no question that the film belongs to Duncan. Richard Alexander is strong in his role of a man who tries to steal Kate away and we also get good work by Edith Yorke, Roscoe Ates and Guinn Williams. The visual style of the film is something else I was really impressed with as Murnau really makes the film look like a painting. The scenes in the wheat are filmed in a way where it looks like what Heaven would look like in another film. The glossy look of the scenery really fits the film well and the sequence with Lem and Kate running down the road when they first arrive home is unforgettable. While this certainly isn't the masterpiece SUNRISE is, this is still a classic and one of the better love stories from this era.
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Country boy Lem (Charles Farrell) is sent to Chicago by his father (David Torrence) so that he can sell the family's wheat. The family is depending on getting a good price but once in the city Lem falls for waitress Kate (Mary Duncan) and the two are married. When Lem brings her home she's immediately hated by the father who sees her as nothing but trash and soon lust and envy are going to divide the family. This film has obvious similarities with Murnau's masterpiece SUNRISE and it seems this here takes a small beating simply because it isn't as great. There's no denying that SUNRISE is so much better but at the same time this is an incredibly impressive gem that manages to get just about everything right. The one negative thing is that the ending really doesn't work and there are a few parts where things get a tad bit over dramatic. Outside of those issues I really loved this movie from start to finish and I think it deserves a lot more praise than it gets. For me this entire film is Duncan as she's the heart and soul of the story. The first time we see her she just jumps off the screen and into your heart. I won't spoil how the two meet but the first time we, the viewer, see her is just like the first time Lem does as Murnau really makes us fall in love with her just like Lem does. I was really amazed at how caught up I was in her story but I thought the director did a terrific job at building up her character by telling us very little. We see her unhappiness in this crowded restaurant and we learn everything we need to know about her. The Lem character is a great one as well and the "simple boy from the farm" never gets watered down or made to look stupid. Sure, he's living in fear of his father but I think the film makes the right decision to not play him as some sort of fool. Lem and Kate's relationship is a rather incredibly one as we can see the passion, fire and love between the two. Murnau does a masterful job at painting their relationship and it's one we can really feel. The Torrence character is certainly one of the better villains from this period as you'll be wanting to jump into the film and do the guy as much physical harm as possible. The evilness of this character and the hatred he has will make you want to hate him in return. All three actors are wonderful but there's no question that the film belongs to Duncan. Richard Alexander is strong in his role of a man who tries to steal Kate away and we also get good work by Edith Yorke, Roscoe Ates and Guinn Williams. The visual style of the film is something else I was really impressed with as Murnau really makes the film look like a painting. The scenes in the wheat are filmed in a way where it looks like what Heaven would look like in another film. The glossy look of the scenery really fits the film well and the sequence with Lem and Kate running down the road when they first arrive home is unforgettable. While this certainly isn't the masterpiece SUNRISE is, this is still a classic and one of the better love stories from this era.