Murnau's SUNRISE ranks as one my ten favorite films -- it may be number one! It has been exciting to see SUNRISE and other of his films make it to DVD, many in beautifully restored prints. It is also exciting to discover some of his earlier works and see the genius of this master filmmaker developing. That is certainly the case with his 1922 BURNING SOIL. Like a reviewer elsewhere on this site I felt that I was watching a work done by Ingmar Bergman. The story may be viewed as somewhat melodramatic but the directing, acting and cinematography are for the most part quite stunning. It is frustrating to read about a film that you would like to see and not find it available to see, so I am pleased to let anyone interested in seeing this early Murnau work know that Grapevine Video of Phoenix, Arizona has released it. The picture quality is quite sharp and the tones quite nice though the print has a lot of specks. However, coming from the only known print to exist, I was more then pleased with the print. The orchestra score provided by Lou McMahon does not fit the mood some of the time, but for the most part it adds to the watching of the film. If you are interested in obtaining this title then get check it out on www.grapevinevideo.com . Grapevine Video offers a number of silent titles that can not be found anywhere else.
Review of The Burning Soil
