I haven’t seen the prequel to Before Sunset, yet I loved
this movie. I felt it was one of the most revealing, very ‘real’, most
unembarrassed love stories ever.(Incurable romantic, that I am, just can’t help
thinking like that)
The Prequel
Ethan Hawke(Jesse) and Julie Delpy(Celine) meet. One-night
stand. Next morning depart, promising to meet each other six months later at
the same platform. Do not exchange phone numbers or addresses. Period.
(hopeless romantics like me!) Movie ends.
Facts about the movie
After nine years, in 2004, Richard Linklater, the writer and
director of Before Sunrise released the sequel Before Sunset and nine years is
the actual time that elapsed in the plot since the first movie(That’s called
being dedicated to a story). The movie is shot in real time with some of the
longest takes. The entire film is around 80 minutes and the story unfolds in
that time. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy have co-written the script, (adding
facts of their own lives) with Linklater and this helps to bring them closer to
the characters(Jesse and Celine respectively) they are portraying.
The plot
What if after years, you suddenly come face to face with your
first love? What if you got a second
chance with someone who got away? What do you do when you belong to someone
else and the right one comes along?
The background story
After the promised six months Jesse goes back to the
platform in Vienna
and waits for Celine, in vain. Celine is unable to keep her promise because she
has to attend her grandmother’s funeral and they both regret not exchanging
phone numbers and addresses. Life goes on. Neither can get over the other.
Jesse becomes a writer, gets married, has a son and Celine becomes an
environmentalist with a photojournalist boyfriend.
They are both aware that nothing in their lives matches what
they had shared that one night in Vienna. Jesse writes a novel ‘This Time’ on their relationship, hoping she would read
it and hoping, the book would help them meet, someday(Yey! There are other
hopeless romantics too in the world, so what if they are only movie characters!).
The movie
Jesse and Celine meet during a book tour at a book reading
event in Paris.
It is a beautiful scene- without exchanging words they say so much- the
unanswered questions in their eyes, the joy of seeing each other after nine
years, the initial disbelief, the following relief of recognition – an amazing
amalgamation of feelings course their animated faces.
Jesse has time before his plane departs and they decide to
spend the little time they have, together.
The way they are wary and a little shy of each other in the
beginning as they start walking through the streets of Paris is endearing. They are a little formal
and a little awkward(you’ll know the squirming discomfort if you met your ex
after nine years!) but as the conversation progresses they go back to being
themselves. They go back to that day they were supposed to meet and delve into
the whys, they discuss his book where Jesse talks of her and she disagrees,
they discuss the night they had spent together nine years back etc. It is all
so real; you connect with the movie right away. The fantastic screenplay is one
of the many strong points the movie has. There is not one dull moment, you keep
wondering what will happen next. The characters pull you along as they discuss
their lives. Without either of them admitting, the audience gets a clear
picture of their dissatisfied present lives and their desperate yearning for
each other. You can actually feel their ache.
One of my fav parts in the movie is during the car ride when
Jesse drops her home in his hired vehicle. Their anguish, their pain is so real
-you feel like reaching out and hugging, to comfort them. Their regret at not
being able to meet earlier, at not exchanging their phone numbers is heart
rending. At one point, in the car, Celine reaches her hand out to touch Jesse,
but pulls back just as he turns to her. Aww.(I wept and wept)
Ethan Hawke had been through divorce during the making of
this movie and maybe his torment was manifested in Jesse’s character.
Linklater likes to keep links for later and
his story of Jesse and Celine ends ambiguously once again. Jesse goes with
Celine to her apartment and by the likes of it, he surely misses the plane out
of Paris. We
never get to know of course, because Linklater wants to make sure that the
audience go back for the third part of the movie as soon as its out. He is
right, I definitely will.