*Spoiler warning for Richard Linklater’s Before Trilogy.*
The Before Trilogy (1995-2013) is one of the most infamous parts of Richard Linklater’s filmography, spanning nearly two decades and covering various stages of Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine’s (Julie Delpy) relationship. While Linklater has released many films after the end of this sprawling trilogy, with recent outings like Hit Man (2024) covering the relationships we have with the idealised versions of ourselves or Everybody Wants Some!! (2016) exploring the bonds we form at college (university), there is still something so special about The Before Trilogy which provides one of the most vulnerable explorations of love that there is on film.
Before Sunrise starts this trilogy off strong by exploring the speed at which romantic relationships can bloom, even if that connection is only for one night, it might be something that begins to shape the rest of our lives. The way Richard Linklater and Kim Krizan were able to make Jesse and Celine’s connection feel so real is incredibly impressive. Their conversations flow so naturally from the moment they meet, an instant connection can be felt through the screen. It makes you believe in love at first sight, while hoping and praying that the two don’t decide to follow through with their original plans and instead stay together at the end of the film. Yet on top of great dialogue and chemistry, Linklater offers the audience so much more with impactful meditations on life, death, relationships, religion, philosophy and so much more, during just an hour and forty five minute runtime.
Nine years after the release of Before Sunrise then came Before Sunset. This film continues the trilogy in an equally beautiful and thought provoking way. It chooses to focus on what could have been if Celine and Jesse had managed to meet up again six months after the previous film ended, as agreed at the end of Before Sunrise, in contrast to how much their lives have changed in the nine years they hadn’t seen each other.
This is what makes me feel like Before Sunset takes everything good about Before Sunrise and expands on it. Like it or not, it is an incredibly common experience to look back at the past and ask ourselves what it would have been like if everything went differently. Linklater suggests that even though our lives may not have gone the way that they would if we retroactively made decisions, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the lives we are living now aren’t great too. In the case of Before Sunset, Jesse wouldn’t have had his son or maybe he wouldn’t have become a successful author after writing a book based on the events of Before Sunrise. And as Celine says “I guess a memory is never finished as long as you’re alive” showing that we can still cherish the past as if it is happening right now, as long as it remains with us in our hearts and minds.
Another nine years after this, Richard Linklater released the third and final installment of The Before Trilogy: Before Midnight. This could be considered the biggest swing that the trilogy makes and an argument could be made for this being the strongest. Jesse and Celine are now a couple with two children trying to enjoy their final day of summer in Greece. The most interesting thing is there is a noticeable shift in the dynamic between the two. Where before they were either madly in love or expressing great levels of passion for each other’s company, in Before Midnight there is a hint of resentment among the previously explored emotions.
Instead of portraying the usual idealistic romance that many films show when the couple the audience have been rooting for finally get together, Before Midnight dives deep into the harsh realities of long term relationships. Linklater explores the sacrifices that need to be made and the baggage that comes with each partner’s own complications in life. Both of these issues can be overcome with time, but they can put a lot of strain on the relationship. Questions begin to arise as to if Jesse and Celine ever really wanted the life they now have and whether they just loved the idea of that life. It begins to feel like the latter might have been true. Yet even though Before Midnight could be said to destroy this notion of true love, it could also be said that Linklater is showing us the purest form of love. The relationship might falter and almost reach the point of complete failure. By the end of these films Jesse and Celine may not ‘love’ each other in the way that they did when they first met, but relationships aren’t always about that physical feeling of pure connection; they’re about committing yourself to one another through thick and thin.
From this, Linklater decides to leave the final instalment on a hopeful note. A hope that Jesse and Celine can work through their issues, that they can become the couple that they were once again. It’s an ending of pure pain and beauty. One that will leave you sitting in silence for a while after finishing.
Love is one of the most complicated things we can experience. It moulds us, shapes us, breaks us. Relationships are very rarely smooth sailing either. After all, we’re all growing and learning from our mistakes eternally. At times surrendering yourself to someone else may feel like the biggest mistake you have ever made, but equally it can be one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. Love is about the ups and downs. As long as you are in it together, nothing else matters.
