Description

In Richard Linklaters Before Sunrise (1995), two young lovers, the American Jesse (Ethan Hawke), and the Frenchwoman Celine (Julie Delphy), meet on a train travelling across Europe and spend a magical night together in Vienna before parting at dawn. Filmed in nine-year intervals, the films sequels Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013) forge an unexpected trilogy brimming with longing, second chances and resentments as the couple meet again and build a relationship.

Lucas Hilderbrand reflects on the experience of falling in love with, living with and having ones own life shaped by the Before trilogy. Tracing the story of the films production, he considers the contribution of the leading actors, particularly Delphy, to their screenplays. He offers a close reading of each of the Before films, considering the extent to which they operate beyond the generic norms of romantic comedy or melodrama, incorporating aspects of realism and emotional authenticity through their location shooting, long takes and near-real time temporality. Treating the films as time capsules of their respective historical moments, Hilderbrand considers how evolving politics and technologies impact or interrupt the characters intimacy, while placing the trilogy in conversation with other films. All the while, he pays attention to the trilogys subjective impact on viewers across its eighteen-year timespan and its continuing afterglow.

Author: Lucas Hilderbrand
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: British Film Institute
Published: 11/13/2025
Series: BFI Film Classics
Pages: 112
Weight: 0.39lbs
Size: 7.51h x 5.40w x 0.26d
ISBN: 9781839028021
Language: English