1927’s ‘Sunrise’ is perhaps one of the most intriguing films of the early twentieth century. Directed by the influential expressionist German F. W. Murnau, it was one of the first films ever to feature a soundtrack, yet the original score to the film rather negated the brooding tone provided by its visually arresting direction and editing. No wonder then that drone superduo KTL (Steven O’Malley from Sunn O))) and Peter Rehberg, aka. Pita) have decided this grainy black and white cinematic curio is ripe for a re-soundtracking at their hands.
To describe their aural addition to the film as ‘ominous’ would be an understatement. For the vast bulk of the ninety-five minute movie KTL’s presence is one of the understated drone ambience. There’s none of the torrentially loud guitar work for which O’Malley is best known and there is little in terms of obvious musical reference points to grab hold of. Instead there is just a blanket of noise, a blanket that fits perfectly with the often disturbing visuals provided by Murnau.
‘Sunrise’ is often considered a landmark, especially in terms of its cinematography, but where its real power lies is in its very basic plot. Unnamed man is persuaded to try and kill his wife by a woman visiting his rural village from the city. Unnamed man and his wife go on a boat trip together. Unnamed man ends up chasing his wife across the city… The lack of humanisation granted to each character (none of which are named) makes their obviously stilted behaviour all the more gripping, and the lack of clear instrumentation provided by KTL only emphasises this all the more.
It is not until the conclusion that KTL really let rip. The film ends with a shot of the sun rising into the sky, yet this visual is not not allowed the space with which to soak up positive energy by O’Malley and Rehberg. The undefined noise from Rehberg’s electronics are finally joined by huge swathes of guitar so that as the picture fades for the final time all that is left is the blunt aural power of O’Malley’s famed guitar tone. This not only dramatically changes the context of the film’s conclusion but places it into a darker place than even its director is likely to have intended, but then, such is KTL’s propensity for genuinely mood altering music. With their addition, ‘Sunrise’ is even more of a cinematic landmark than it has ever been.
