Film Review: Before Sunrise - An Authentic, Nostalgic Portrayal of Modern Love

The first movie in the “Sunrise” trilogy is a refreshing addition to the romance genre, with incredibly authentic performances by Hawke and Delpy.

As a college student interested in cultural criticism, I felt like I had to watch Before Sunrise. To me, it was the quintessential film student go-to, a manifestation of that one Godard quote, "The cinema is truth 24 frames per second." My expectations were incredibly high. Would it be another plotless movie that people only pretended to like? Or would it be a sweet, refreshing movie that tackled modern love in a unique way? Turns out, it’s a little bit of both, but this combination equals one incredible film that is difficult not to love.

Before Sunrise follows Jesse, an American who has been begrudgingly exploring Europe after breaking up with his ex-girlfriend in Spain, and Céline, a French woman travelling back to Paris after visiting her grandmother. They meet on a train when Céline moves seats to escape an arguing Austrian couple. Is it fate? Did Céline move next to Jesse on purpose? Would they have met anyway if Céline had stayed where she was? Who knows, but after a candid, interesting conversation in the dining car, Jesse convinces Céline to get off the train with him in Vienna and walk around the city before his flight in the morning.

While Before Sunrise seems like a beginning, a foundation for the nostalgic musings of the next two films in the trilogy, it actually touches quite frequently on the theme of memory. Both characters reflect on their pasts constantly — their parents, impactful childhood events, ex-lovers — all in an effort to explain why they are the way they are. They engage in conversation like two people can only when they know they won’t see each other again, asserting the interconnection between memory and human identity.

Director Richard Linklater's camerawork is wonderfully subtle. He shoots the scenes with deep conversations in closeups, emphasizing Jesse and Céline’s vulnerability. The effect is an ability to see the characters as the other character sees them, in a very intimate way. This sense of intimate connection is also conveyed through close framed shots and the physical closeness between Jesse and Céline, seen in the cramped blocking and framing on the train, in the trolley, in the bar, on the ferris wheel, etc. The culmination of these techniques is showcased in the scene where Céline and Jesse are in the listening booth of a record store. Forced to stand right next to each other in the closely framed space of the listening booth, they each try desperately to avoid eye contact while sneaking glances at the other person as a love song plays from the record player. It’s sweet, incredibly awkward, and real. It’s a perfect depiction of “modern love.” It basks in authenticity and rebels against the perfection of other romance movies.

One of the main conflicts in the film, other than the inevitable arrival of morning, is the fascinating contrast between Jesse and Céline. They are pessimists — not blinded by the illusions of love as they once were — and relatively recently single: a perfect formula for any cookie-cutter romantic comedy. However, Jesse, a cynic, believes love to be selfish and deceitful. Céline, a romantic, yearns to truly love someone without having to deal with all the other negative aspects that come with relationships. They are soulmates, not in the sense that they complete or even complement each other, but in the sense that they bring out each other’s individuality and call each other out on their faults.

I can’t help but wonder how this film, released in 1995, would be different if it had been made today. Not only is the acting, camera work, and script refreshing, but also the depiction of “modern love” before the era of dating apps and social media. If Before Sunrise had been released in 2022, Céline would angrily put in Airpods to drown out the arguing Austrian couple. Jesse would open Tinder the minute he stepped foot in Vienna. They would both look down at their phones whenever there was an awkward break in conversation. As a Gen Z’er watching this film, I find it refreshing. In 2022, Before Sunrise is a nostalgic reminder of a by-gone era of “modern love.” But who knows, maybe even now two strangers would risk awkwardness and dare to suspend time for one night.

Photo from IMDb