Universality of Life

As Sunrise: The Story of Two Humans opens, the words on the screen tell us one of the primary themes of the film: "This song of the Man and his Wife is of no place and every place...(everywhere) life is much the same: sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet." We are reminded that no one's life is without troubles and that the stories of people throughout the world are similar.

Although we often believe that our personal situations are unique and more difficult than the situations of others, the truth is that life is somewhat the same for everyone. Of course specific experiences vary from person to person but in general, everyone is affected by problems involving love, hate and uncertainty.

In Sunrise, the Man and his Wife encounter problems similar to those any married couple might experience. Although their difficulties are a bit more extreme, since...