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Before Sunrise Movie Review

Before Sunrise is a 1995 romance film directed by Richard Linklater and starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. It’s one of the best cinematic romances of all time.

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“People always talk about how love

is this totally unselfish, giving thing,

but if you think about it,

there’s nothing more selfish“

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While travelling on a train in Europe, Jesse, an American man, meets Celine, a French woman. On his last day in Europe before returning to the US, he decides to spend his remaining hours with her. The story does have some similarities to the classic romance that is ‘Brief Encounter’, in particular in its short time span and the setting of the train, but mostly this movie is its own beast written in that beautifully intellectual, and still emotional Linklater language.

Yes, the film is very much one very long conversation that these two strangers share as we follow them touch upon religion, death, love, life, the differences between the sexes as well as the different ways one views life in general. That last one was particularly interesting to me. Whereas Celine watches everything through a romantic, warm lens, Jesse pretty much sees the word through practical, pragmatic, and ultimately awfully dark, depressing way. That clash between the two is greatly portrayed as the two complement each other instead of starting fights.

So yes, the character development is fantastic as the film only has these two characters, and they both become these real people that we’ve seemingly met in person how transparent they felt. The conversations they continue to have are those that most people share at one point or another so it becomes this all-encompassing, impressively relatable course in everything that is interesting and thought-provoking about life.

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I did like Celine a lot, she’s such a wonderful, sweet soul, and also a modern, strong woman. Jesse is this sometimes annoying, but mostly incredibly realistic young man who’s a realist and a downer at heart. The two acting performances carry this movie to even bigger heights how powerful they are. It’s crazy to think that Julie Delpy was paid ten times less than Ethan Hawke due to his name being bigger and a touch of sexism too, but she is the more memorable actor here in my book.

Whereas Hawke is reliably fantastic, very believable and stellar throughout, Delpy is just as terrific, but also genuinely likable, charming and with this air of confidence, charisma and sensuality that makes her an instant star. The two complement each other perfectly, and I found their chemistry fantastic. This relationship is tender, heartwarming and filled with many gorgeous, beautifully romantic gestures that are bound to make even the iciest hearts melt.

My favorite conversations in the film are those surrounding life, death and religion. I found those to be very philosophical and stimulating. The entire film is fodder for the brain while consistently being an engaging, beautifully sensual watch too, and that mix is brilliant. The dialogue has only been better in ‘Boyhood’ when it comes to Linklater movies, and his direction here is simply brilliant. The same goes for the film’s themes as it manages to explore everything that is important about life and humanity, especially love and how complicated it is.

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But by confiding its characters in Vienna, the film becomes this capsule for time and setting that is both timely and timeless as they do not have any phones or anything to distract them from here and now. I loved that exploration of time and the passage of time, which is something that Linklater usually is obsessed with. The cinematography is terrific, utilizing on this amazing city to the fullest degree, and I loved all the different people that they encounter. The ending is truly moving too.

With no phones to distract them and no acquaintances or family and friends, Celine and Jesse create this precious escape capsule for just the two of them by spending these lovely couple of days in the confines of the great Vienna. Yes, Before Sunrise is a classic romance for the ages, one that is both incredibly moving and sweepingly romantic as well as a brilliant fodder for the brain owing to the many all-encompassing, relatable conversations the two share about life, love and everything in-between.

My Rating – 5