Classic 90s Movie: “Before Sunrise”
May is Classic 90s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Kalen Deremo.
Movie Title: Before Sunrise
Year: 1995
Writers: Richard Linklater and Kim Krizan
Lead Actors: Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy
Director: Richard Linklater
IMDB Plot Summary: A young man and woman meet on a train in Europe, and wind up spending one evening together in Vienna. Unfortunately, both know that this will probably be their only night together.
Why I Think This Is A Classic 90s Movies: Before Sunrise covers a handful of distinct social issues that started to emerge in the 1990s, including the increasing acceptability of one-night stands, the amorphous identity of “Generation X,” a growing number of overseas travelers and an existentialist world view amongst the youth. And while there have been a seemingly infinite number of romance films to precede Before Sunrise, perhaps none have been as visionary in forecasting the nature of future ephemeral relationships.
This is a story — a love story — that takes place in one day. Two strangers meet under random circumstances, fall madly in love, culminate their connection at the end of the night with sex, and yet do so in a dignified, passionate, introspective manner that seems light years from modern society’s equivalent in apps like Tinder, Snapchat and Swipe. In the morning when their respective trains depart for different cities, there is no Facebook, WhatsApp or Skype to mitigate their bereavement. This is a story of true love unimpeded by the luxuries and decadence of technology that would taint a similar situation only a decade later, which is exactly what makes this story so enchanting.
My Favorite Moment In The Movie: Truth is, this is probably the best dialogue of the entire movie. It’s without question the best scene, and as far as I can tell, one of the more original film conversations ever. If Before Sunrise inspired me to travel, this scene inspired me to be a screenwriter.
Here we have Celine and Jesse sitting down at a table inside a restaurant. They each pretend to call their best friends back home with the other playing the role of that friend. What makes this scene so incredible (aside from Julie Delpy answering with, “Hi dude, what’s up?” in the most stereotypically white, American voice ever) is the mutually agreed upon shortcut they take in their relationship to meet, once and for all, on an equal playing field. Rather than playing the night out and expressing how they felt about it later in the privacy of their own homes to longtime friends they’re comfortable with, they do it right then and there at the table so each can look into their counterpart’s eyes and know exactly what the other feels. It’s an unspoken, mutual agreement for Celine and Jesse to lower any last inhibitions they may have been harboring up to that point, and it’s done in an incredibly creative manner that exemplifies true scriptwriting genius.
My Favorite Dialogue In the Movie: Before Sunrise is teeming with great repartee and though this isn’t my favorite exchange I think it’s the most telling.
Here we have Celine and Jesse walking along a canal at night. A disheveled man appears asking if he can write them a poem. They agree, but as part of the deal the man requires a word from them to insert into his verse. Celine suggests “milkshake” and the man commences to write while the couple waits close by. After he’s done he reads them the poem, they slide him some money and continue to walk alongside the canal. The following then occurs:
Celine: That’s wonderful, no?
Jesse: Yeah, yeah…
Celine: What?
Jesse: You know he probably didn’t just write that — I mean you know he wrote it, but he probably just plugs that word in, you know, whatever milkshake…
Celine: What do you mean?
Jesse: Nothing, I loved it, it was great.
This is the first time in Celine and Jesse’s brief relationship that a distinct chasm emerges based on the way each perceives the world — Jesse being more selfish and cynical, and Celine somewhat ingenuous. Making this scene even more interesting, moments earlier Jesse questions Celine about whether they were having their “first fight” over a similar instance (a panhandler offering a cheap service in exchange for money), yet after falling for the scam twice Jesse becomes slightly perturbed. In the parochial scope of Before Sunrise this scene may be viewed as trivial, but when you consider Before Sunrise spawned a series with two more films — the latest being Before Midnight, which showcases the ominous nature of their relationship 20 years down the road — you realize just how important this scene really is. It’s the first moment in the fairytale when reality sets in, the reality that these two aren’t a perfect match made in heaven, and like most couples they’ll need steady repairs on their relationship if they intend to maintain it longterm.
Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie: Watch the way Jesse evolves. At first he’s nervous and heartbroken. When talking with Celine in the boxcar he’s constantly fidgeting with his dining utensils and generally unable to sit still. By the last few scenes of the movie he’s completely at peace with himself and it’s all because of Celine. Ethan Hawke does a great job of stressing Jesse’s peccadillo nuances and creates an interesting, emotional character arc for him in the end.
Also, especially if you’re a traveler or have plans to travel in the future, pay attention to all the people and customs that differ overseas. There is a motif of street people exchanging artistic offerings for money. More than once Jesse is confronted about his English and more than once he comments on how different Europe is from America. Though this in fact a fictional movie, I feel it’s portrayal of a young American abroad is highly realistic.
Thanks, Kalen! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!
You may follow Kalen on Twitter: @PrincePickaxe.
We already have a set of 80s Movies. This month we cover 90s movies. So thanks to all of you for your participation in this project, creating a resource for writers, movies they should watch to help learn the craft of screenwriting!
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