F. W. Murnau's 'forgotten' film probably isn't as good as Sunrise – and in fact looks like a pale imitation of it at times – but it's still better than much of Hollywood's output at the end of the 1920s. Big Charles Farrell plays Lem, an innocent country bumpkin whose lack of assertiveness threatens his still-to-be consummated marriage to city girl Mary Duncan. Lem's curmudgeonly father takes an instant dislike to his son's new bride, whom Lem impulsively wed while on a trip to sell Pop's harvest, believing she is a gold digger – which is a bit odd given that Lem failed to sell his harvest at the minimum price necessary to make ends meet. Despite the whirlwind nature of their romance, Kate really does love Lem even though he stands by and does nothing when his father knocks her about a bit
While the characters and their motives are strictly ordinary, it's Murnau's skill as a director that lifts City Girl above the ordinary. The juxtaposition between the stifling confines of the dirty city and the wide open spaces of Lem's homestead is subtly created, as is the change of emphasis from the depressing impact of technology on city dwellers to the equally distressing influence of personal relationships in the countryside. Murnau also creates enormous sympathy for the plight of Kate in spite of the relatively clichéd situation she finds herself in. She's no Lillian Gish type, dependent on a broad-shouldered hero to save her from her plight, but a spirited independent heroine in her own right who pretty much forces Farrell's insipid Lem to face up to – and eventually overcome – his glaring shortcomings.
While the characters and their motives are strictly ordinary, it's Murnau's skill as a director that lifts City Girl above the ordinary. The juxtaposition between the stifling confines of the dirty city and the wide open spaces of Lem's homestead is subtly created, as is the change of emphasis from the depressing impact of technology on city dwellers to the equally distressing influence of personal relationships in the countryside. Murnau also creates enormous sympathy for the plight of Kate in spite of the relatively clichéd situation she finds herself in. She's no Lillian Gish type, dependent on a broad-shouldered hero to save her from her plight, but a spirited independent heroine in her own right who pretty much forces Farrell's insipid Lem to face up to – and eventually overcome – his glaring shortcomings.