Sunshine is a 1999 historical drama film directed by István Szabó and written by Israel Horovitz and Szabó.
It follows five generations of a Hungarian Jewish family, originally named Sonnenschein (German: "sunshine"), later changed to Sors (Hungarian: "fate"), during changes in Hungary, focusing mostly on the three generations from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century. The family story traverses the creation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire through to the period after the 1956 Revolution, while the characters are forced to surrender much of their identity and endure family conflict. The central male protagonist of all three generations is portrayed by Ralph Fiennes. The film's stars include Rachel Weisz and John Neville, with the real-life daughter and mother team of Jennifer Ehle and Rosemary Harris playing the same character across a six-decade storyline.
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.
See here for the 2007 film.
Sunshine contains examples of:
- As Himself: Adolf Hitler makes an appearance in this film through footage of his intro speech at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
- Be Yourself: The central theme of the film. Each of the generations sacrifices a part of their Jewish identity in order to achieve their goals in an increasingly anti-Semitic society. In the 1910's, Ignatz changes his surname to Sors to become a high ranking judge. In the 1930's, his son Adam converts to Catholicism to join a top level fencing club. And, finally in the 50's, Adam's son Ivan becomes a communist and starts rounding up Jews. After one of his friends dies because of his actions, Ivan has a Heel Realization and joins the anti-communist revolution. The film ends with him fully embracing his Jewish ancestry and changing his name back to Sonnenschein.
- Converting for Love: Subverted with Adam Sors, as he does not convert for a romantic interest, but rather his love for fencing. After hearing the highest ranking fencing club in the country does not allow Jews to join, Adam converts to Catholicism to be allowed to join.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Adam Sors' demise in the labor camp. After refusing the guard's orders, he is stripped down naked, in the dead of winter and hosed down with cold water. This causes him to die of hypothermia.
- Fictional Counterpart: Sonnenschein family's liquor business was based on the Zwack family's liquor
brand Unicum. - Generational Saga: The film tells the story of the Hungarian Jewish Sonnenschein family, with each generation living in a time of political upheaval. The first generation has to deal with World War I and its ramifications, the second generation with World War II and the third generation lives through communist Hungary.
- Greater-Scope Villain: The central characters suffer firsthand at the regimes of Hitler and Stalin. While the consequences of their regimes are a major plotpoint, both leaders have no direct bearing on the plot.
- Heel–Face Turn: After his friend Knorr gets arrested, Ivan renounces communism and joins the revolution.
- Heel Realization: Ivan realizes he became as bad as the fascists he set out to destroy after Knorr got arrested and his superior revealed his uncle Gustave was next on the list.
- He Who Fights Monsters: As a child, Ivan has firsthand experience with the terrors of fascism/Nazism. After the war, he becomes a high ranking state policeman who rounds up the remaining fascists. Later on, he is ordered to arrest Jews, who allegedly conspire against the communist regime. Ivan does not see that the communist regime employs exactly the same tactics as the fascists he swore to destroy. Until the arrest of one of his good friends, that is.
- Historical Fiction: Covers a number of moments of Hungary's history, from the Austro-Hungarian Empire to post-World War II.
- Meaningful Rename: Ignatz, Valerie and Gustave rename themselves from Sonnenschein to Sors, which is Hungarian for "fate". With this, they want to symbolize how they control their own fate. Two generations later, Ivan changes his surname back to Sonnenschein, to show he fully embraced his Jewish identity.
