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"Sunshine" is a literal translation of Sonnenschein, the family name of the central characters. And "destiny" is one meaning of Sors, the name three Sonnenschein offspring choose for themselves to better assimilate as subjects of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Two are brothers, Ignatz (Ralph Fiennes) and Gustave (James Frain); their sister (by adoption) Valerie (Jennifer Ehle) is really their cousin. Both men love her, and Ignatz rocks the ultratraditional family by taking her as his wife. Nevertheless, the Sonnenscheins and the Sors enter upon the 20th century in loving solidarity, grateful to live under a liberal and tolerant regime. That's all swept away by the Great War, the rise of Nazism, and its replacement, the new fascism of Stalinist Communism. Valerie survives them all--though she's played later on by Rosemary Harris, Ehle's own mother. For his part--or parts--Ralph Fiennes goes on to embody two later generations of Sonnenschein/Sors men, the proudly patriotic Adam and his son, the rudderless Ivan, whose guilt over being a compliant prisoner at Auschwitz leads him to buy into the passionate puritanism of the Stalinist purges. Fiennes rises to the awesome challenge of creating three utterly distinct characters who all share the same congenital weaknesses and aching potential for greatness.
This is a film of considerable beauty and sometimes shattering power. Even three hours is not enough to do justice to all the characters, all the wrenching turnarounds of history and political allegiance and rectitude. But the film is never less than gripping, and as an essay on "family values," it's well-nigh definitive. --Richard T. Jameson
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Having just left Budapest, I feel the nature of the city and Hungarian cultural were accurately displayed. Hungary is atypical of Europe. Its language, history, and culture are derivative from sources other than all the rest of eastern Europe. They are unique and the film is excellent at pointing this out.
The criticism that the communist were portrayed as worse than the Nazi is correct, however, for anyone who has been to Budapest, you know this to be true. The Hungarians were not defeated by the Nazi's, they chose Germany. They've watch their country parceled out to other nations for twice choosing the German side in thr two world wars. The communists allowed the country and most notably Budapest to decay slowly over time. The proud Hungarians are only beginning to restore the their heritage. Sunshine poignantly shows the neglect and the price the Hungarians (all Hungarians) paid.
This was a character piece, not a history lesson, suspense, or mystery. The acting was superb on all levels. Fiennes clearly provdes his best performance since The English Patient. Szabo can't be faulted for injecting a certain amount of passion for Hungary into the film.
Finally, the cinematagraphy keeps perfect tune with the tempo of the film. I didn't realize it was a three hour film. I only regretted that it came to an end, a generation too soon.
Ralph Fiennes (lately in "The Constant Gardener") plays all three of the Ignantz/Adam/Ivan characters through three generations and does it admirably. The young Hannah is played by Jennifer Ehle; the older Hannah by Rosemary Harris, the mother of Ehle in real life. William Hurt plays Ivan's friend Knorr. Both the score and filming are beautifully done. Many of the war and concentration camp scenes are shot in black and white.
The sad theme is easily stated. In the eyes of oppressors it matters not if you change your name or not. If you choose to hate a whole nation of people because of who they are, nothing will stop you. Even though the film is all about the awfulness of anti-Semitism, there is sunshine here in the resiliant character Hannah who "breathed freely" and always looked for the beautiful to photograph.
Even through three hours long, this film is well worth your time, both for the all-to-relevant theme and the fine acting.
The impressive cast include the following: Jennifer Ehle (Elizabeth of "Pride and Prejudice"); Rosemary Harris ("Tom and Viv" "Spider-man" and known as Jennifer's real-life mother); Rachel Weisz ("The Mummy"); Deborah Kara Unger ("Crush"); James Frain ("Count of Monte Cristo"); John Neville (TV's "X-Files"); and always good William Hurt and Molly Parker.
The film starts with the origin of the prospering family Sonnenschein when the great-great grandfather of the narrator Ivan Sonnenschein finds a secret recipe for medicine, which becomes an instant hit, and the family make a fortune. But a terrible accident kills him, leaving behind the money and the recipe. Until here, it takes only about five minutes. Then, you must realize that "Sunshine" does not use an ordinary, traditional storytelling.
Sure, as I said, Ralph Fiennes plays three roles in this three-hour film, which means, you are going to see three one-hour sections that cover three generations; first, our hero under Hungarian monarchy; second, him before and during the Nazi occupation; last, him under the totalitarian government during Stalinism. The film reflects three eras of Hungary, none of which are stable or peaceful. Of course, the film is about the Sonnenscheins, but at the same time it is about the turbulent history of the country.
So, at first sight, "Sunshine" looks overcrowded with characters, and many of them are given too short time to be really rounded and lively. It is also true that "Sunshine" sometimes heavily relies on its melodramatic plot device, which literally flies faster than any TV soap operas. When you see the three heroes played by Fiennes always fall in love with the wrong women, causing conflicts within and without himself, you may think that the script is too repetitious and self-indulgent. Perhaps, it should be so. The film goes intentionally fast, tracing the ups and downs of the family. But the real hero must be the time or history itself, which relentlessly influences the fate of each family member, and even the apparently solid systems of Hungarian governments.
After watching the three-hour chronicle, which actually seems like flying, you may feel something is missing; or the story itself looks too trite and obvious. But, remember, so is the history of any nation, which looks as if repeating itself countless times, never learning anything from the past. But how can we get out of this karma? By the time you come to the touching ending, where you realize that the most stable and level-headed character turns out NOT the hero, but someone else; then you know that the history of Hungary, or any other countries, is ultimately supported by women.
Final verdict. "Sunshine" may scare some people with its running time (nearly 3 hours), but its fast pace and keen eye for history will attract those who love epic-scale stories. Some may complain that it is too fast, but by the time you reach the final segment when Rosemary Harris with her moving performance appears, everything should be forgiven.
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