Sunshine

"In a time of revolution, in a family torn by tradition, one man was consumed by love."

1999 3h 1m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 158

DramaHistoryRomanceWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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

“In a time of revolution, in a family torn by tradition, one man was consumed by love.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Ralph Fiennes
Ignatz / Adam / Ivan Sors
Rosemary Harris
Valerie Sors
Rachel Weisz
Greta
Jennifer Ehle
Valerie Sonnenschein
Deborah Kara Unger
Carole Kovacs
William Hurt
Andor Knorr
Molly Parker
Hannah Wippler
James Frain
Gustave Sonnenschein

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: István Szabó
Writers: Israel Horovitz, István Szabó, István Szabó
Languages: English, French, Hungarian
Countries: Austria, Canada, Germany, Hungary

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

At 181 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 30% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

27 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, French, Hungarian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: Austria, Canada, Germany, Hungary.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by István Szabó, shot by Lajos Koltai. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Maurice Jarre. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Michel Arcand shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

István Szabó directs. Lajos Koltai behind the camera. Maurice Jarre scores. Michel Arcand cuts. A long sit — settle in. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Austria, Canada, Germany, Hungary. Dialogue in English, French, Hungarian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1At 181 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.
2Earned back only 30% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
327 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, French, Hungarian.
5International production across 4 countries: Austria, Canada, Germany, Hungary.
6Directed by István Szabó, shot by Lajos Koltai. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Maurice Jarre. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Michel Arcand shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Ralph Fiennes and Rosemary Harris and Rachel Weisz carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "In a time of revolution, in a family torn by tradition, one man was consumed by love.".
11IMDB entry: tt0145503 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
12Classified under 9 themes, including "holocaust (shoah)", "fencing", "world war ii", "jewish life".