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Starring Ralph Fiennes, Rosemary Harris, Jennifer Ehle, Molly Parker, Rachel Weisz,
Deborah Kara Unger, John Neville, William Hurt. Directed by Istvan Szabo.
The Sonneshein family of Hungary owns the recipe to a medicinal tonic that their grandfather invented that has brought them wealth and community stature. It has also brought opportunity for their two sons to be educated, and their adopted daughter Valerie to live a comfortable life. Istvan (Fiennes) becomes a successful lawyer and eagerly joins the establishment, supporting the somewhat liberal rule of the Emperor. His brother Gustaf is a doctor, working with the poor and hungry who are suffering greatly, and openly flirting with the communists. Their sister Valerie (Ehle) has fallen for Istvan, and despite their parents warnings of God's curse, they get married. Soon Istvan is offered a chance to become a judge. But there is a price - he will have to change his Jewish name to a Hungarian one. All three of them do - their father thinks that assimilation into Hungary will bring security and acceptance. Unfortunately, war breaks out with Serbia, and it drags out into World War 1. After several long years of war, the emperor dies, and soon thereafter the communists take over, with Gustaf helping lead the charge. He hopes Istvan will join him, but Istvan refuses and faces the wrath of the Communists. He has a son Adam (Fiennes) who becomes a national fencing champion. But the subsequent rise of the Nazis and virulent anti-semitism eventually lands most of the family into concentration camps. After the war, Stalinist communists rise to power, but the family's Jewish heritage, no matter how much they try to hide it, comes back to haunt them still again. Clocking in at just over 3 hours long, Sunshine is a consistently interesting journey into the history of Hungary from the late 1800's to the 1950's by tracing the history of a Jewish family over four generations, and the effect two world wars, Nazism, Communism and intermittent anti-semitism has on their attempt to succeed in Hungarian society. While the movie does trace the loves and personal lives of each generation's characters, the movie is at its best when family member ideas and beliefs clash, as they are swept up in Hungary's constantly changing government ideologies. The central political theme is pronounced by the elder Valerie (Harris), saying that every political movement pronounces the current regime corrupt and evil, and once they get in power, they eventually purge former supporters of the past regime using some flimsy pretext, and they become as corrupt and suspicious of potential opposition as the group they drove out. And meanwhile, those people at the bottom rung of the economic ladder continue to live in grinding poverty, with little relief in sight. Another theme involves whether an outside minority group is best to assimilate into the predominate culture to succeed, and vividly illustrates that when times are tough, easy scapegoats are looked for to blame, and any previous success and acceptance can easily evaporate. The performances are consistently good throughout. Fiennes plays three generation of Sonneshein men, and each is a serious, dour man where smiling is forbidden. His performance is consistently intense and accomplished. Ehle is an excellent counterpoint as the vivacious, feisty wife who brings love to Istvan's life, and life to the film, stealing many of the scenes she is in. Her real-life mother Harris is equally good as the wise and loving Valerie, bringing a quiet strength and wisdom to the role. Neville brings a rare sense of fun as the roguish elder Gustaf. If you appreciate a sweeping historical journey, Sunshine should fit the bill.  
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