Sunshine (1999)

The fate of a Hungarian Jewish family throughout the 20th century.

Director:

István Szabó

Writers:

István Szabó (story), István Szabó (screenplay)

Stars:

Ralph Fiennes, Rosemary Harris, Rachel Weisz

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 12 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ralph Fiennes	...	Ignatz Sonnenschein / Adam Sors / Ivan Sors
Rosemary Harris	...	Valerie Sors
Rachel Weisz	...	Greta
Jennifer Ehle	...	Valerie Sonnenschein
Deborah Kara Unger	...	Maj. Carole Kovács
Molly Parker	...	Hannah Wippler
James Frain	...	Gustave Sonnenschein
David de Keyser	...	Emmanuel Sonnenschein
John Neville	...	Gustave Sors
Miriam Margolyes	...	Rose Sonnenschein
Rüdiger Vogler	...	Gen. Jakofalvy
Mark Strong	...	István Sors
Bill Paterson	...	Minister of Justice
Trevor Peacock	...	Comrade Gen. Kope
Hanns Zischler	...	Baron Margitta

Storyline

The film follows a Jewish family living in Hungary through three generations, rising from humble beginnings to positions of wealth and power in the crumbling Austro-Hungarian Empire. The patriarch becomes a prominent judge but is torn when his government sanctions anti-Jewish persecutions. His son converts to Christianity to advance his career as a champion fencer and Olympic hero, but is caught up in the Holocaust. Finally, the grandson, after surviving war, revolution, loss and betrayal, realizes that his ultimate allegiance must be to himself and his heritage.

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Plot Keywords:

one word title | sex scene | jewish | female frontal nudity | man in shower | 

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Taglines:

En skæbnefortælling om tre generationer i kamp for at overleve. [Denmark]

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Genres:

Drama | History | Romance | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, and for violence, language and nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Hungarian Official Site (Intercom) Metropolitan Filmexport

Country:

Germany Austria Canada Hungary France UK USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

14 July 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Taste of Sunshine

Filming Locations:

Hungary

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$84,869, 11 June 2000, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$5,095,981, 4 February 2001

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alliance Atlantis Communications, Bavaria Film and Television Fund, Channel Four Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

181 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mark Strong later appeared in an unrelated film also titled Sunshine (2007).

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Goofs

When fencing for the gold medal, Adam Sors' opponent has his foot way across the line at the start. This would never be allowed at the Olympics.

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Quotes

Valerie: I have seen the collapse of government after government, and they all think they can last a thousand years. Each new one always declares the last one criminal and corrupt, and always promises a future of justice and freedom.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Gone in Sixty Seconds/Groove/Sunshine/Love's Labour's Lost/Grass (2000)

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Soundtracks

Traditional Jewish Funeral Song
Performed by László Fekete

User Reviews

A great achievement, with forgiveable flaws

The great elements of Sunshine for me far outweighed the negative ones. I admit a few things: I would like to have seen the ending be Sors III's speech at Knorr's funeral (and the f*** you against the officer), then the scene of him walking down the alley with that final monologue. That would have left a far more memorabel mark, but the way the ending was done was too far extended. The first forty minutes also seem such weak costume drama compared to the intensity of the next two hours that they should have been vigorously cut. Third, the sex scenes- why so repetitive and abrupt? I love seeing Rachel Weisz (The Mummy) and Deborah Kara Unger (Crash) in ecstasy as much as anyone, but it got to be almost boring. Fourth- the music and cinematography seemed rather dull.

However, once we get past these flaws, Sunshine is a great, powerful work about dignity and how we value ourselves within a society that rejects us. I am an American Irish Catholic, so I have not felt the oppression of minorities, thankfully, nor have the last few generations of my family.

I thank Mr. Fiennes and Szabo for showing how each one of the Sonnenschein men struggle for dignity and purpose within the system, yet they fail each time to give joy primacy in their lives. Every time, the system they so revere would put people second and ideology first (read review of Michael Collins.) Valery knew the value of seeking joy, and thankfully she passes that on to her grandson, who survived the utter misery of the Stalinist regime.

This film shows such brutality at one moment that I cracked open in the theater (those who have seen the film know the moment I refer to.) However, I did not find it excessive- rather it was absolutely essential to showing the depths of the personal horror that the Sors went through in the Holocaust. As Knorr says, "Surviving Aushwitz does not make you a bigger or a greater man. It only gets burned into your brain." The film does not expertly reveal relationships between men and women, besides Valery and Ignatz's tryst, but I felt it detailed the faults and promises of each political regime very well, based on what I've read.

Fiennes should get another Oscar nod for this, as should Rosemary Harris for best supporting actress. What infuriates me is that Sunshine will never get to the major theatres, the way we're now measuring films like they were race horses instead of creative efforts. I don't know why it is we now feel only the most simple, light, corny and action-crammed films can go into the multiplexes (albeit many of those films good ones.) This is great, provocative entertainment worth spreading around. Like American History X, Sunshine certainly has its faults, but its messages about tolerance, humanity, and redemption are glorious.