In 1995, Richard Linklater put out this film, Before Sunrise. It is pretty much his signature talky style, with Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine' (Julie Delpy) seemingly randomly meeting in a train. Jesse is awaiting a flight back to the states and Celine' is coming back from a visit to her grandmother. Jesse decides to talk to her and convinces her to join him in Vienna, spinning an alternate tale of the route not taken (being sure that the boring guy she marries in the future was the route to be taken), showing his yen for joking and storytelling, and underlying the characters' natural chemistry early on. That is, they are both romantics in search mode and they both think deeply and want much out of life. Mostly, they are both idealists and like most of that sort (including yours truly), wish to see their idealism manifest somehow. They spend time walking around Vienna all night, going back and forth on a wide variety of topics, such as relationships, the nature of God, the need for "magic" in life, and so on. They find a deep romantic chemistry that continues to marinate the both of them as dawn approaches, but given their geographic differences and not wishing to be just another long distance relationship cliché, they agree to just part company and meet again at that Vienna train station in six month's time, on that exact hour, to see where things stand.
Next, the two characters appear in Linlater's Waking Life, and then come together in Before Sunset, nine years later. Since the movie is being shot in 2004, the two characters have also moved forward in real time, so it adds a bit of verisimilitude to the proceedings. Jesse has become a successful writer and is on a tour to promote his book, bringing him to Paris. Celine, who now lives in Paris and is a professional political activist, comes to one of his signings. They missed their rendezvous years ago and proceed to make up for lost time. Time has moved forward, and Jesse is married and even has a kid, but it is clear the marriage is not a happy one. Celine has a boyfriend, but he apparently is a "safe" choice. Both of them were severely impacted by that magical night nine years ago and it is clear it has haunted them since, shaping their perceptions. Jesse is a perpetual wanderer in his soul, still adrift in many ways. And Celine has become angry and cynical. If you ask her, she is now a realist, towards the world and to people, especially with concepts of love. Though it is apparently she is the classic idealist who is mourning the "real world" not squaring up with her ideals.
They do have one constant, though. It is clear they are still deeply drawn towards each other. This drives them to make critical decisions.
Which brings us to ten more years later, in both real time as well as story time. Jesse and Celine' still live in Europe and have twin daughters. They are at a writers' retreat in Greece, considering where they are. Jesse is stressed about not getting more time with his son that he had with his ex-wife. Celine is contemplating taking a political job with the French government, thinking she might be able to do more good there, though she is disappointed at even have to consider such a move. Again, there is more discussion about ideas and abstract concepts, especially issues that have come to light in the last ten years. But life has happened and it has presented challenges, which has Celine' contemplating the state of their relationship.
Now, before I watched these films, I was wondering whether Linklater had sold out here and was trying to cash in with the chick flick crowd. Romance, exotic locations, attractive people, trouble in paradise, but of course. But oh me of little faith. Besides Linklater's usual penchant of philosophical walk and talks which drives most of his films (his movies tend to be stories that play better with people who like flow of idea vs flow of plot), this set also featured two characters aging and confronting life in "real time". And, though the ideas explored were abstract, even magical, they were tied to the scenario of a couple growing in love and growing in life, which gave them a dimension unexplored in a Linklater film. Yet it did not seem cloying or contrived.
If I have any complaint at all, it would be latter day Celine' seemed to have become a bit mean and shrewish in her latter years, prone to fits of anger and an insistence on that anger being something she "must" express, regardless. But she also shows regret for it and an awareness of the effect it has on those around her, after she calms down. That element succeeded in saving the character from sinking herself.
Anyway, here's a trilogy worth your time, especially if you are a Linklater film fan.
No comments:
Post a Comment