The Before Trilogy: Does Richard Linklater’s Philosophy on Love hold up after 30 years?
by Manisha Marie Balkissoon
Have you ever fantasised for days about getting swept up in an all consuming romance while taking a Eurotrail adventure where you only have one day together and you depart right before sunrise or are you like.. normal? It is safe to say that when ‘Before Sunrise’ was released in 1995 it forever altered the brain chemistry of many fans of Richard Linklater’s work. Here was a film that celebrated connection without cumbersome comedy in an era (the 90s) where the romcom was a guaranteed draw for global audiences.
It was and still is rare to see an organic connection between lovers portrayed on the screen. Yes, we have seen the fireworks, the dramatic break up, the much anticipated reunion and the grand gestures to woo the brokenhearted. But a representation of a genuine meeting of two souls where all they really do is think, talk, reflect and romance each other has resonated with so many people and has undoubtedly withstood the test of time. Hailed (at least in my book) as one of the best romantic films produced in the 20th century and into the 21st century, the Before Trilogy offered us romantic realism to the point where we could see ourselves having these conversations and nurturing such a connection with a stranger.
For this Valentine’s day, we are looking at Richard Linklater’s philosophy on depicting the stages of falling in love (Before Sunrise) , rekindling it (Before Sunset) and alas, sustaining it through the passage of time (Before Midnight). After rewatching the Before Trilogy and also Boyhood, I found that his philosophy rests on 4 principles that we can draw parallels to when it comes to modern dating. These are embracing conflict, being present in the moment with a partner, focusing on the connection and understanding the multidimonesionality of people.
Being present
Fundamentally, let’s ask this question, because I for one am dying to know- do people still meet organically anymore? Like would a guy or girl come up to you at a coffee shop, on the train, tube, bus, at a friend’s house and strike up a conversation? Will it lead anywhere after the obligatory exchange of social media details?
In the past 10 or 15 years, the dating scene has witnessed the emergence of dating apps that have paved the way for variations of relationships to develop .The haphazard situationship now takes precedence over ‘Friends With Benefits’ that dominated the 2010s. Finding love in big cities by chance was never an easy feat. Yet, nowadays, unless one intentionally goes to meet and greets or activities planned for singles, is it almost impossible to have a physical face to face encounter? Please exclude drunken tirades at the club!
As a Gen Z young woman, most of my relationships whether than be amicable or romantic have been maintained with the use of social media and the internet. Our iPhones and our socials have been the birthplace and also , unfortunately for some, the graveyard of our romantic dalliances and actual unique connections. When I was rewatching ‘Before Sunrise’, there was a nostalgia seeing Jesse casually strike up a conversation with Celine and witnessing two of them just embrace the moment as it came. It was not just even in their first encounter, it was also throughout the film. Their strolls through the streets of Austria with no plan, spontaneous walks through a graveyard, to the fun fair just invites you to stay present with them. It was so incredibly refreshing to see them focusing on each other, their environments as they made adorable observations together rather than their screens. It made me long and also cherish a time where organic meetings were not a rarity but in fact, the primary reason one went out. If Jesse and Celine were to meet today, maybe they could have met on the train but there is a high probability that they would have exchanged IGs or phone numbers and never really stay in touch without the awkwardness of sending the first text. One can argue that their initial conversation online would not have been as endearing and intriguing as face to face.
Nuanced Portrayal of Celine
Linklater was supposedly inspired by his own encounter with a young lady, Amy Lehrhaupt in a toy store in Philadelphia in 1989. Apparently, they spent the night together walking around the city, talking about art, philosophy, and life. After the encounter, like any lovestruck acclaimed indie filmmaker of the 90s, he decided to turn his experiences into a film to one day reunite with her. Perhaps this is why Celine was such a well-written, relatable and frankly iconic character.
We first meet Celine as an incredibly intelligent, passionate, empathetic young woman who has an authentic desire to find and sustain love. Much like Jesse, she is romantic but embraces the spirituality of life, embodying a kind of transcendental awe found in the otherwise mundane aspects of life. Whilst Jesse could only see a scam in the Palm Reader’s prediction, Celine embraces the novelty of it and allows herself to be romanced by the idea of magic/ fate dictating her next moves. Julie Delphy’s portrayal was striking and relevant to this day as Celine could easily pass as a self aware, socially conscious and active Gen Z woman. We admire her but also spot that she (throughout the series) is not without fault. She can be perceived as somewhat paranoid, anxious, defensive and an overthinker who can easily jump to conclusions. We remember her immediately jumping to conclusions in ‘Before Midnight’ when Jesse suggested that he would miss crucial moments of his son’s teenage years. Celine was ready to discuss a break up and assumed Jesse fell out of love with her. We can understand, from ‘Before Sunrise’, that this is a result of her being a sensitive soul who tends to have her defense mechanisms at the ready when she spots someone about to hurt her. Linklater and Delphy brilliantly planted Celine’s anxious/ avoidant attachment style in the first film.
We feel that Celine is such a real character perhaps because Julie Delphy, Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater sat down and wrote the script. Whilst Linklater was sure othat the two characters had to meet on the train, that Jesse had to convince Celine to get off with him, they spend time together and depart before sunrise, the actual dialogue was developed through a magnificent collaborative effort between the three. This would also extend to the film’s successors ‘Before Sunset’ and ‘Before Midnight’. That distinct, highly sought after but never truly and authentically delivered female point of view was finally given priority. Julie was able to cater to women all over the world by rejecting, improvising or accepting lines of realistic, poignant dialogue that flowed effortlessly, depicting daily struggles of being a young woman. Her monologues also artfully captured the nuance of being a 20th century woman, grappling with philosophical dilemmas of life, art, death, love and social movements one minute to recounting a mental breakdown at a therapy session the next... a relatable queen.
In this way, Jesse had a glimpse of her flaws as well as innumerable great qualities and still decided to set a date to reunite. Celine showed up as herself, nothing more and nothing less. Perhaps, modern dating culture should take this away because in this era of having multiple dating apps, choice paralysis, a roster, it can be so easy to fall into people pleasing mode to entice a date and sell them the most perfect version of yourself.
Nuanced Portrayal of Jesse
When Trump won the US Presidential election for the second time around in November 2024, young Republican men in America were shouting and wearing t-shirts with the unbearable slogan ‘Your Body, My choice’. The number of young men who are ‘taking the red pill’ and refuse to read but listen to ‘Alpha male’ podcasts are having major difficulties grasping the concept of women as human beings. You would think in the fourth wave of feminism, we would find more allies in men but it seems there is still an incredible amount of work to do in raising emotionally intelligent young men who embrace allyship as opposed to antagonism when it comes to understanding women. Young men today are suffering with unimaginable levels of loneliness, suicide rates, depression and embracing unhealthy relationships. Usher in Jesse, whose refreshing explorations on masculinity, sorrow, relationships, expectations from men in love, death and finding purpose reveals a contrasting portrait of an emotionally resonant young man.
Dare I say Jesse set the standard for myself and sooo many young women who watched ‘Before Sunrise’ for the first time and saw emotional intelligence, sensitivity, boyish charm, whimsy and romance. Ethan Hawke’s portrayal of a budding writer and a touching, empathetic soul has left its mark on a global audience. Jesse’s revelations about his experiences with the concept of death and his grandmother passing right at the beginning of his meeting with Celine could be interpreted as a gimmick to get her to like him or open up as has been touted by the playboy chauvinist types trying to get the girl. But as the film progresses, we see that Jesse remains consistent in his transparency about his life, love, philosophy and the evolution of beliefs. He is genuinely comfortable being vulnerable with Celine and is uninhibited in exploring a range of themes with her. He even delves into some of his forward thinking ideas (Jesse really predicted Reality TV with his idea for a 24 hr documentary on the average person!) and the audience could sense that his curiosity would lead to an imaginative role or creative path.
Contrasting Celine’s paranoia and romanticism, Hawke elegantly introduces Jesse’s more passive, perhaps laid back attitude and his more cynical takes on life which eventually cause some disagreement. We are not just exposed to the handsome, soulful, tortured potential artist but someone who is perhaps a bit unsure of who he is and how to navigate adulthood. Celine's confidenceinvigorates him, perhaps the same way his imagination energises her (Make no mistake, Celine is an incredibly creative person with her singing and writing). Much like Celine, we see a nuanced portrayal of a young, idealistic person of his era trying to make sense of it all while trying to understand himself, his role and his ideas on love. He reveals this in subtle ways to Celine based on the topics he brings up and the audience relishes in it. This makes their chemistry even more palpable as Celine is able to confidently and adeptly challenge him, flirting not just with him but his perceptions of ideas like love.
Embrace healthy conflict
Has modern dating allowed us to be freer with presenting our full selves unapologetically on the first couple of meetings? You would think that with social media being a place where some express their vulnerability and find a safe space that we can be more honest with ourselves when it comes to dating. Even just seeing the struggles of others whether it be personally or professionally, we can find solace in a shared experience. But it has also ushered in an unprecedented surge of perfectionism in not just how we look, talk, act, dress but also in what to expect from the perfect partner. The dates need to be aesthetic whilst the vibes must be sublime and tiktok or IG worthy. But what about the connection? It often suffers as we present a veneer of our real selves on the date. We seem to be at the mercy of the seductive politics, mind games and options to just have situationships or a roster of dates or partners if we can.
Linklater does not shy away from allowing our two protagonists many options to embarrass themselves, come clean or hold each other accountable. It is refreshing seeing Celine highlight Jesse’s contradictions in not being much of a romantic and believing the Palm Reader’s notions but he embraces the romantic aesthetic when it suits him when they kiss on the ferris wheel. When Celine opens up about her past relationships and her insecurities about being a powerful,independent woman yet truly wanting to be loved, we respect and admire her more. We suspect Jesse falls even more in love with her. They gradually reveal bits of themselves in front of each other and accept that they do have different notions and values on certain things … and that is ok.
Whilst ‘Before Sunset’ and ‘Before Midnight’ pay more attention to their faults and weaknesses as not just partners but humans, ‘Before Sunrise’ brilliantly nods to their inevitable differences as people. Jesse is more logical and laid back whilst Celine is more passionate and arguably a bit more neurotic. There is no facade which makes the audience reflect on the sincerity and innocence of a first meeting.
Connection
Finally, according to Ethan Hawke, Linklater himself said:
"I've never been in a helicopter crash, I've never been involved in espionage... but the most interesting thing that ever happened to me, really, was that feeling when I really truly connected with another human being... ". Isn't that the truth? What is more meaningful than that?’[1]
The melodrama he sought was not in car crashes, shoot outs, hostage takeovers, elaborate kidnappings but in the pull and push of a connection. Nurturing a connection is a very delicate game , it can be a political affair to those it does not come naturally to or a preordained one for those who immediately click. Linklater decided to focus on the absolute heart of a relationship, the connection brought to life by conversation. He stripped back the film from romcom theatrics, grand gestures, wrought and overdone performances and much beloved Hollywood tropes of love.
But why do we gravitate to just two people talking? There were concerns that this would be too boring for viewers as Ethan Hawke admits “There was a moment in rehearsal when Julie said, ‘This movie is going to be so boring. It’s these two people talking. We need to get some jokes! We should call a professional joke writer and get them to contribute jokes. It’s not funny. It’s so boring.’ [2]
Ah how wrong Julie was! 30 years later and we are still captivated by these conversations. The pacing as well as their delivery was perfectly executed. We never felt rushed as the audience or yearning for more information when they switched topics. There was a seemingly unattainable effortlessness in how they eased in and out of poetic interludes, comical observations and witty banter. Even the awkward pauses came across as comfortable and expected when two people meet for the first time.
At the end of the day, Linklater is emphasising that this is the meat of a relationship- your ability to communicate, initiate and engage on a soulful level with another human.
In a time where we have to include ‘dopamine fasts’ in our daily routine, where spectacle is everywhere whether on our iphones or on streaming services, the ability to shut off from the virtual world and be present in the real one to spot and engage in this kind of connection should be cherished. Can we ever forget Celine delivering this awe inspiring piece of dialogue:
‘If there's any kind of magic in this world... it must be in the attempt of understanding someone, sharing something. I know it's almost impossible to succeed... but who cares, really? The answer must be in the attempt.’
At the end of the day, these beautiful lines deliver the most important message Linklater tries to impart with the trilogy. It is another message we should take away since nowadays we are too distracted with the numerous sources of information which allows us to make rapid judgments about one another. We see short form, long form videos, get commentaries from internet scholars, read the news and blogs and this can distance us from real life human connection. This leads to cultural division, resentment, isolation and an even more fractured society. The attempt to truly understand someone whether that be romantically or amicably is perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can be given in a lifetime. It has the potential to awaken new ideas,loves, perspectives or unlock a host of melodrama, painful realisations, possible heartbreak and shocking revelations about the world around us but it is a step worth taking.
[2] https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/richard-linklater-rejected-joke-writers-before-sunrise-1202229081/#:~:text=Weeks%20into%20writing%20the%20script,It's%20these%20two%20people%20talking.
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