Before Sunset (2004)
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Before Sunset Movie Review
Before Sunset is a 2004 romance film directed by Richard Linklater and starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. It’s such a beautiful movie.
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“You can never replace anyone because everyone
is made up of such beautiful specific details“
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Nine years after the events in Vienna in the first movie, Jesse and Celine meet up again in Paris. There, they go on another very long walk throughout the city as they go through metaphysics, love, life and especially the nature of their relationship. Let’s first go through some of their most interesting discussions, and there are many to choose from.
The theory that every person’s disposition remains the same is powerful and truthful. Whether rich or poor, disabled or not, when you get acquainted to your new situation, you are going to return to your usual state of being either happy or miserable depending on the person. I also loved that Einstein’s quote about not believing in anything, and how it’s better to be dead than a non-believer. The movie explored religion rather well, which was quite interesting coming from these two seemingly atheistic people.
Their take on romance and how young people foolishly believe that they will find more powerful romances and connections in the future when those are extremely rare – that was an excellent, again truthful point. And that brings me to my next point, which is their relationship.
Whereas the first movie was very much an innocent, lovely romance, this one is more serious in tone, and more moving as a result. It was a perfect choice to make that transition as they are nine years older after all, and Linklater truly gets how it feels being in your twenties and in your thirties. Their relationship here is so complex, so powerful and it almost moved me to tears at one point.
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That point is the scene where the two break down and confess their complicated feelings. Celine has trouble remaining with one boyfriend for long, and she proclaims herself to have become “a cold bitch” as if she gave all her romance and emotion to Jesse during that one day in Vienna. That was a beautiful exploration of just how powerful those first emotions and those true rare connections can be, and how ultimately you need to cherish what you got as you’re rarely gonna get another such strong connection.
As for Jesse himself, he came that day, but she couldn’t come, so he was utterly devastated, and he kept questioning what happened and why she did not come. He in this movie felt much more mature than he was before, and his grief over their lost past and those lost nine years was deeply felt and quite touching.
Before Sunset is also beautifully made, well shot and amazingly directed per usual by Richard Linklater who truly gets the importance of passage of time and the power and emotion that it carries with it. I did not find Paris as interesting as Vienna or as well explored as Vienna was in the first film, and of course this one isn’t as innocent or as romantic.
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However, it’s more emotional, much more moving actually, and sometimes even downright devastating. It is also more mature, in my opinion even more sophisticated in their many excellent discussions, and it’s also a funnier film as the two teased each other splendidly through and through. I’ve had a smile on face throughout the entirety of this picture, which managed to trump its already great predecessor in quality.
In Before Sunset, Jesse and Celine get to have many more interesting discussions, the most thought-provoking being those about the importance of each and every one’s disposition, the strength of imagination and religion as well as the power of young love and that electrifying connection that happens so rarely. Whereas ‘Before Sunrise’ was more innocent and romantic, Before Sunset is suitably much more mature, wittier and, most importantly, more emotional. Some of the scenes here are so moving and downright devastating as the two grieve over their lost nine years. As a result, it is a touching, passionate masterpiece that ranks among the greatest sequels of all time.
