Taglines: In a time of revolution, in a family torn by tradition, one man was consumed by love.
Sunshine 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.
Sunshine is a 1999 historical drama film directed by István Szabó and written by Israel Horovitz and Szabó. It follows three generations of a Hungarian Jewish family, originally named Sonnenschein (German: “sunshine”), later changed to Sors (Hungarian: “fate”), during the changes in Hungary of the 20th century.
The family lives through World War I under the Austro-Hungarian Empire to the period after the 1956 Revolution, while being forced to surrender much of their identity and enduring family conflict. The central male protagonist of all three generations is portrayed by Ralph Fiennes. The film also stars the real-life mother and daughter team of Rosemary Harris and Jennifer Ehle, as well as Rachel Weisz and John Neville.
The film was an international co-production among companies from Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Canada. It won three European Film Awards, including Best Actor for Fiennes, and three Canadian Genie Awards, including Best Motion Picture.
Shooting took place mainly in Budapest. The Berlin Olympics scene was shot in Budapest and required 1,000 extras. Fiennes described Szabó as very specific in how scenes were staged and how performances were given. On some shooting days, Fiennes would play all three of his characters, particularly if a specific location was only available for a limited time.
On the opening weekend in the Canadian limited release, the film made $42,700. In its first 19 days, the film grossed $300,000 in Canada, with expectations that if the film made a profit, it would be due to international screenings, TV rights and VHS and DVD. By 25 November 2000, it had made $1 million in Canadian theatres. The film finished its run after grossing $5,096,267 in North America. It made $2,511,593 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $7,607,860.
Sunshine (2000)
Directed by: István Szabó
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Rosemary Harris, Rachel Weisz, Jennifer Ehle, Deborah Kara Unger, Molly Parker, James Frain, John Neville, Miriam Margolyes, William Hurt, Hanns Zischler
Screenplay by: Israel Horovitz, István Szabó
Production Design by: Attila Kovács
Cinematography by: Lajos Koltai
Film Editing by: Michel Arcand, Dominique Fortin
Costume Design by: Györgyi Szakács
Set Decoration by: Christian Eder, Attila Köves, Miklós Molnár, Josef Riehs, Stephan Würzl
Art Direction by: Zsuzsanna Borvendég
Music by: Maurice Jarre
MPAA Rating: R for strong sexuality, and for violence, language and nudity.
Distributed by: Alliance Atlantis (Canada)
Release Date: July 14, 2000
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