City Girl (1930) The Masters of Cinema Series

After the visual fireworks of Sunrise and the now-lost splendour of 4 Devils, F.W. Murnau turned his attention to this vivid, painterly study of an impulsive and fragile marriage among the wheatfields of Minnesota. During a brief stay in Chicago, innocent farmer s son Lem falls for and weds Kate, a hard-bitten but lonely waitress. Upon bringing her home at the start of harvest time, the honeymoon soon turns into a claustrophobic struggle as they contend with the bitter scorn of his father and the invasive, leering jealousy of the farm s labouring community. Tenderly romantic and tough-minded in equal measure, City Girl is one of cinemas great pastorals, featuring some of the most delicate performances Murnau ever directed and influencing filmmakers such as Terrence Malick and Jean Vigo. ****NEW SPECIAL EDITION includin --Restored high-definition transfer of the silent version by 20th Century Fox --A new score, composed and arranged in 2008 by Christopher Caliendo --Exclusive full-length audio commentary by film scholar David Kalat --40-page illustrated booklet with new writing and reprints