Year: 1930
Director: F.W Murnau
Country: US
Language: N/A
Director F.W Murnau (Nosferatu) made three movies for Fox Film Corporation near the end of his life; of them, Sunrise (1927) is best-known today, while 4 Devils (1928) is presumed lost. The last, City Girl, is rarely seen compared to the rest of his filmography. This fact is unfortunate, as City Girl has been the inspiration of a vast amount of films that came after it, most notably Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven (1978).
In this, a Chicago waitress (Mary Duncan) falls in love with a Minnesota farmer (Charles Farrell), and decides to face a life in the country.
City Girl’s true message is that conflicts are between people, not places or lifestyles. Transplanted into her new world, Kate remains a waitress, serving food to the farmhands who leer at her. Her future father-in-law's disapproval is so severe that she must live alone in the tiniest of rooms. Remarkably enough Kate is a rather strong female character, especially for 1930. The main conflict is that her man isn't as emotionally tough as her and is reluctant to stand up for his woman.
Every aspect of this story is expressed through visual details, as the sweaty, chaotic bustle of the city lunchroom is captured with tremendous verve. Once the picture moves to the country, the symbolism of wheat becomes the heart of the film. In one beautiful scene the newlyweds run through a glistening wheat field, with no fear of the future in mind. It's a very well shot film, perhaps the best shot in all the silents.
Bold and innovative, F.W Murnau's picture is a worthwhile endeavor that ought to be viewed as the near masterpiece that it is. Though I thought the ending was fairly rushed, I was impressed by the dissection of traditional gender roles and family relationships. One of the last silent pictures in Hollywood, many scenes are breathtaking.
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