Before Sunset

++Spoilers++

Almost a months ago now I went to the Dendy Cinema at the Opera House, to see the newly released Before Sunset.

I’d been meaning to see Before Sunrise for a long time. It had been recommended to me, and I was quite interested as it seemed like quite an interesting film. My sister suggested that I see Before Sunset first - because why should I have a clearer recollection of their first meeting than either of the characters.

The premise – in the first film two twenty something American’s meet as they trek through Europe. And as they part in the first film they promise to meet each other again in 6 months. They don’t exchange contact numbers, and didn't meet as they arranged.

In Before Sunset nine years had passed since their first meeting, and Jesse had written a book, (fictional work, based around that meeting in Venice], Celine walks into the book store where he is doing an interview.

The dialogue between these two characters drives the film. Incidentally Delphy and Hawke are credited in writing the script. And this plays a significant part in the success of the film. The dialogue is beautifully written. It expresses an uncomfortable distance at first, then as the nervousness of the meeting, and the failure to meet as arranged is explained and resolved the dialogue draws the two characters closer together again.

The cinematogrpahy adds a great deal to this film. The film begins with a sequence of shots of Paris, places that through the remainder of the film we will see Jesse and Celine travel.

The ending is sudden. I’m left wondering did I really want this to happen. Did I really want them to end up as they did? At the same time, is it the death of their relationship, a fate they sought to avoid by not exchanging details after their first parting. Their relationship was initially built from a connection that happened on a train and a night in Venice, it was this passionate encounter that ruined every other relationship for each of them. Did they give too much of themselves on that night, so they could no longer give enough to make any other relationship work. Jesse’ marriage is like babysitting, and no longer ‘romantic’. Celine is currently in a relationship were her partner is away a lot of the time, and his attention is suffocating not comforting.

Yet as we are reacquainted with these characters we learn each of the characters has been longing for the reunion. Jesse, went to Venice, and in part wrote the book for this reason – that they would meet each other. Celine wrote a song inspired by their meeting. The both are lead to second-guess why they did not exchange numbers which was seemingly to maintain the chemistry of their relationship.

The film poses many questions. It deals with the themes of love, romanticism, idealism, consequences of choices, maturing. The film asks can we capture and keep the feeling of living for the moment, the feeling that Jesse and Celine had as they meet in Venice for the first time, and rekindled during their time in Paris. Would seeking to continue their relationship ruin it? Is joy really in the journey and not in the destination?

As the film ends, the curtain is not brought down on our leads relationship, the curtain is not brought down on their fragility, and the curtain is not brought down on their doubts. They are together. Will it last. Maybe. We don’t know. And perhaps this is the best way to end the film.

In a sentence, Before Sunset is a film that has leapt off the screen and onto my favourite films of the past few years, and one that I'm very keen to see again.