People on Sunday

1930

1h 14m

Documentary

Drama

Romance

List

100%

Tomatometer

10 Reviews

78%

Audience Score

250+ Ratings

Two couples spend an interesting day together.

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PJ Nabarro

Patrick Nabarro

It works best when seen through the prism of a documentary, depicting the lifestyle that manifests around five young Berliners and in capturing their carefree mood.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 9, 2020

Full Review

Michael E. Grost

Classic Film and Television

Pleasant mix of documentary and fiction.

Dec 29, 2017

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Turner Classic Movies Online

The inventive filmmaking, breezy pace, light touch, luscious images and gentle, appreciative spirit of the film makes it a classic.

Aug 21, 2011

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

It's a defiant combination of realism and fiction, made by a collective of rising filmmakers, resulting in something effortless, endlessly interesting, and almost totally unique.

Jul 22, 2011

Full Review

James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

utterly unpretentious without being slight

Rated: 3/4

Jul 14, 2011

Full Review

Sean Gandert

Paste Magazine

The film acts as a time capsule for both a city that was lost and the aspirations of its creators without sacrificing its desire to show what life is like when you're young and full of life.

Rated: 9.3/10

Jul 9, 2011

Full Review

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pieter m

Very fresh. Young Billy Wilder.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

david f

Like most silent movies, I was bored by this one.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Shot in Berlin on a tiny budget shortly before The Great Depression, People on Sunday follows the flirtatious pastoral outing of four young people; each character is played by an amateur whose role was based on their actual day job. Film scholars hold this film in high regard since it's an early example of observational cinema that was made by Billy Wilder, Edgar G. Ulmer, and Robert Siodmak before the Nazis caused them to flee to Hollywood. Social historians have also gotten a lot out of People On Sunday since it paints a vivid portrait of Weimar-era Germany. I found the movie to be more of an interesting experiment than an outright masterpiece, but I do admire its bold trendsetting as well as the accidental poignancy of having its story end on an optimistic note that belies what was actually waiting for Germany later on in the decade.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This 1930 silent film follows 4 people on a Sunday in Berlin. Though a feature film, it's shot like a documentary and uses non-professional actors. There is some major talen involved in this film including Robert & Curt Siodmak, Fred Zinneman and Billy Wilder all of whom had to flee Germany with the rise of the Nazis. This film is a fascinating document capturing life at an interesting time in Germany, rebuilt after WWI and prior to WWII. Certainly worth a watch for film or history buffs!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

spencer p

A neo-realist gem that takes some random people's idyllic lives and displays them for better and for worse.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

good neo-realist drama

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

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Curt Siodmak

Director

Robert Siodmak

Director

Edgar G. Ulmer

Director

Fred Zinnemann

Director

Erwin Splettstößer

Actor

Brigitte Borchert

Actor

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Synopsis

Two couples spend an interesting day together.

Director: Curt Siodmak, Robert Siodmak, Edgar G. Ulmer, Fred Zinnemann
Screenwriter: Curt Siodmak, Robert Siodmak, Billy Wilder
Genre: Documentary, Drama, Romance
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 3, 2019
Runtime: 1h 14m

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