The Genuine Genius Behind Richard Linklater’s Before Trilogy

Richard Linklater’s Before Trilogy establishes him as not only a filmmaker but also as a modern-day social scholar and philosopher of sorts, as he is one of the founding fathers of the “hangout film” microgenre. Linklater is a master of cinematic, fictional time capsules. These time capsules are seen in many of his films, notably Dazed and Confused and Everybody Wants Some!! However, the Before Trilogy’s emotional intimacy, cinematic creativity, and technological achievement have set the bar high for every romantic drama that will succeed it. These three films, each set and released nine years apart, follow the relationship between Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke). The trilogy comprises three films; Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), and Before Midnight (2013). Each of these films stands alone, but by viewing them as one entity, the sheer scope and beauty of this mesmerizing epic become clear. 

While a large part of the appeal of these films is being able to sit back and watch a romance unfold, the cinematic achievements pulled off make these films equally impressive. Time serves as one of the most unique cinematic forms because each film is conceived nine years apart. Linklater, Hawke, Delpy, and the rest of the crew involved had to part and reconnect with the same characters and tropes after almost a decade of working on other projects. The way that Linklater collaborated successfully with actors and then co-writers on Sunset and Midnight, Delpy and Hawke, to create dynamic characters that withstand the test of time is fantastic and unusual. Most Hollywood franchises don’t take as much time to write as Linklater does; his devotion to themes of passage of time, love, and naturalism rings through the narrative like bells. 

The camera follows the characters in real-time within each film, and it’s fascinating to watch Celine and Jesse evolve and mature as their relationship with one another shifts, like the rising sun the films’ title echoes. Each piece of the trilogy feels distinguishable from the more considerable chronology and simultaneously an essential part of it, with regard to the fact that each film was conceived 9 years apart. At the core of the tale of Jesse and Celine is their relationship, both with each other and with themself. Relationships are the main point of conversation between these two, who are the only notable characters throughout the trilogy. Each film is its own work of art. Still, part of the success of the series is that they each follow a loose formula: the pair walk their way through a city in Europe, discussing their yearnings, opinions, and existential fears, all while the deadline for their departure from each city looms. At the core of the tale of Jesse and Celine is their relationship, both with each other and with themselves. Virtually the entirety of each of these films is made up of one lengthy, continuous conversation that often feels like listening to a run-on sentence. Though this might seem tedious, each conversation is entertaining and thought-provoking. 

Although each film follows this simple recipe, they remain unique. In Sunrise, the most utopian of the three, Jesse and Celine, meet as strangers on a train. The two spend an idyllic 24 hours together in a tone that fishes out of a fairytale. As they walk and talk in Vienna, they meet various quirky characters who divert their subject of dialogue, imbuing the story with a quality of magical realism. In Sunrise, conversation seems effortless; Jesse and Celine always seem to have something profound, humorous, or depressing to speak about to a pair of wide, open ears. The film is like watching an amalgamation of every romantic story you’d hear from an older person  who just wants to be heard condensed into one 105-minute day.

While the first chapter is about the two manifesting a life together, the second chapter takes a jarringly different tone. At the end of the first film, Jesse and Celine promise to meet each other six months later. At the start of Sunset, It’s revealed that Celine stood up Jesse because of a sudden family emergency. The pair have not seen each other in nine years, and this next chapter of their relationship focuses more on the two as individuals, not as a tandem. This film is more grounded than the first: both have started their careers and live in new cities, and Jesse is married with a child. Sunset is still as much of a fairytale as Sunrise: it’s perfectly crafted for those who dream about finding true love and having conversations far more literary than what they could come up with on the spot. But Linklater knows how to ground the story with moments of realism, and suddenly the film feels tangible again. Before Sunrise was the fantasy, and Before Sunset sanctions the belief in that fantasy. This isn't a story of two lost people whose love has traversed the ages. This is a story about two people joined together after almost a decade of regret, failure, and disappointment. A happy ending isn’t promised even as they free themselves from the shackles of their pasts.

Midnight pushes the pair, now married with two daughters, to their limit as their relationship begins to fray in middle-aged adulthood. This film understands the frustration that occurs when you deconstruct the pieces of a complex romantic relationship. This film is the climax of Jesse and Celine’s relationship: an almost violent verbal exchange that feels completely opposed to the relaxed, curious conversations they had as twenty-somethings. This film shows the transition beyond the idyllic romance the two experienced in decades past. It’s a realistic study of the evolution of a relationship and reflects on the second film with apprehension. This approach is not nearly as optimistic, harshly re-contextualizing the first two films in a manner that feels genuine to their character traits. They feel older but not wiser, and their reminiscence about the past is painful. We are left with three framed photos that belong next to each other on the mantelpiece. All the pieces of this puzzle of life and love can be considered alone, but they connect to tell one saga.

Linklater understands how people speak and think; his incessant monologues are reminiscent of a Shakespearean soliloquy. His characters move around in space and time in a way so unique that it can only be described as Linklater-esque. The Before Trilogy’s dialogue is  hyper-verbal and hyper-intellectual, and Linklater does an incredible job at balancing Jesse and Celine’s voices. There's sagacity in the lines, pacing, and blocking giving the films a natural charm that’s purely effortless; Linklater’s chronologies are uber-extroverted; Celine and Jesse constantly want to talk and be heard.  At its core, these films are about connection, those looking for connection, and those desperate for it. The two are sure of themselves and what they want at the moment but contemplate later on if what they wanted in the past is what they want now, which adds a layer of complexity to the relatively simple plot.

The films comprising the Before Trilogy are some of the most unforgettable movies ever created. This creation is so raw that one feels less like a human being upon viewership. This watching is addictive; we crave to experience the love that Jesse and Celine have, a love so cinematic it will always be beyond our grasp but so real that we can believe that it is just beyond our reach. There is an emotional vulnerability to these films that rims on uncomfortable yet recognizes the unadulterated growth for both the eyewitness and the characters they watch over.

Jesse and Celine feel of a time that’s long gone; they are too emotional to function in our society full of dating apps and hookup culture. These films have nothing to prove. They have nothing to project. They are just about the simple things in life that we make so complicated: human emotions, human experience, and human love. These films are reminders of why life is magical. The humanness of these films is the pumping heart, and small details and beats voyage through the piece like blood-pumping veins.