DVD Discussion: Before Sunrise

[Dominic]

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Nice freestyle! I enjoyed it....

[katyseagull]

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Does he stay in Paris to live with Celine? Maybe, but what about his kid. Real life is just so compilcated, and not everything is gonna work out alright. Nobody's life is perfect, nobody's. But what is perfect? Moments in people's lives. I love how it ends, because it doesn't matter what happens after, that moment is perfect and forever will be.


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Great post, Popinjay! I too was moved by the scene in the car when Celine reaches out to touch Jesse. I thought the director did a great job with that.

Celine is such a beautiful and sympathetic character. Who wouldn't like her? But I also think Ethan Hawke is great as Jesse. He's really articulate without being off-putting. For me he's sort of the ideal guy in a way. Intelligent and playful and a hell of a conversationalist. I love a guy who can carry on a conversation! (I just wish Hawke weren't so gaunt [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img])

Anyway, it's pretty amazing how many of us were touched by this film. God, now I want to watch it again. Especially the ending. "Let me sing you a waltz" is calling to me right now. Man I love that ending. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

[KDawg]

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I wonder what happens after the movie? Does he go back to his wife? I could think not. Does he stay in Paris to live with Celine? Maybe, but what about his kid. Real life is just so compilcated, and not everything is gonna work out alright. Nobody's life is perfect, nobody's. But what is perfect? Moments in people's lives. I love how it ends, because it doesn't matter what happens after, that moment is perfect and forever will be.



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this is the real question as to it all, and Linklater really plays with us. He hints at them being together in waking life, but in of that, we know that waking life is about dissecting dreams and really going deep into the existential part of our minds.

to the real crux of it all, we know that Jesse doesn't want to be like his parents at all when it comes to the house that his son grows up in, but, we also know that jesse would do anything for hank. It is the greaet Dilema that Jesse faces because it's hard to have his cake and eat it too. He is a man that is completely torn and greatly wants to have both of the great loves of his life constantly in his life. He knows that staying with his wife for the "sake of his son" isn't the route to go, but if he is to go with his emotions and go off to paris and be with celine, there is the real likelyhood of him not being with Hank.

It's this whole question is what really adds to the film because these two people are very real and bring out lots of emotion in each other, and in us. This also plays into the begining scene in the bookstore with the book critics. How we all interpret all depends on our outlook on life. Are we a cynic, a dreamer, or a little of both? What can I say, this is a really fun film to dissect

[bernie]

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Perhaps it was also the fact that he was so ready to express his negativity when the situations arose. It's obvious he wants to sleep with Celine and perfectly natural. When she was so charmed with the poetry, his immediate attempt to discredit it for her bodes poorly for his chances.

Maybe it goes more towards showing a conflict in his character, or his inexperience or something, but given it happened more than once, I read it the way I read it.



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Or perhaps it was just meant to be residue from him just recently breaking up with his g/f that makes him more openly cynical. It's not suprising that it happened more than once since it's only over one night and he's still in a grieving process.

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[bernie]

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I liked Lost in Translation a lot more than this. I think Coppola did a much better job of relating to me the magic, wonder and beauty of those infrequent moments when we connect with another peson.

Before Sunrise seemed like an honest attempt at aspiring to something, whereas Lost in Translation actually succeeded. The connection made between the characters in Sunrise was much more trivial than the connection achieved in Translation. Sunrise seemed more about a physical need for company in life, Translation about a spirtual need.

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I'll disagree totally here. I think Translation ultimately failed in showing any kind of connection between the two main characters.



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I think it showed the connection.

I liked LiT, however, one scene really irked me. Where he cheats on his wife. It's so effing cliche to have that in there and this flick really didn't need it. But it seems they always have to have the guy be the dog in some way.

Don't mean to hijack the thread.

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[bernie]

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I liked this film a lot. The two leads were effective and totally believable as their characters, and the film really felt like we were eavesdropping on a really cool date

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I completely agree. It's like hitching a ride to Vienna with them.

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Not only do we get to really know about these two characters as they slowly reveal more about themselves, we also see the seeds of what might cause problems in their relationship (he's sharply and vocally cynical and hasn't learnt the wisdom some of us old guys have of shutting up when we see our woman happy in something we don't think much of, just happy that she's happy; she's maybe gullible, and a little obsessive),

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True. But there's also a great mutual respect shown by both of them. I think they'd work out in the long term if they didn't split. They seemed to challenge each other in healthy ways.

It's funny I didn't like some of Delpy's characters views in the 2nd one much. But it really does remind you of meeting up with someone that many years later and seeing them as a very changed person. I think it did a great job in showing that and the awkwardness of them getting back together briefly. It also kind of echoes how in your 20s is a real time for personal growth.

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[bernie]

Came in late to this thread.

Reading it makes me want to rewatch both flicks. Maybe Sunset will hit me differently the 2nd time around.

As far as Sunrise, there are those times where you're out with someone and everything just seems to fall into place for a while. They're few and far between, but they do happen. Time flies then when it's over you look back and realize you seemed to go everywhere with that person. Those neverending nights/days. Seems like you live a weeks worth in a day.

Which is why everything in Sunrise, though maybe contrived with the palm reader and poet, is still plausible. It's a good reminder of what a great feeling it is to be in that situation.

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[thecincykiddo]

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It's funny I didn't like some of Delpy's characters views in the 2nd one much.

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Such as?

The reason I ask is that one of my favorite things about their dynamic in the 2nd film is that she's sort of caught between the old Celine and the new, it seems. She had already voiced how stupid she thought it was to try and seduce guys in the 1st film, something that could be read a number of ways except that she doesn't really try to seduce him. She waits to let it happen naturally, as does he.

Yet in Sunset there's this undercurrent where I wouldn't say Celine's trying to seduce him, but there's definitely that tug for her. She says probing things (I love the line about how his wife can't be riding him like a wild cat 24/7) that leave a certain impression -- such as that Celine's totally free to do just that, even if it wouldn't be practical long-term. Or runs that risk, anyway.

But what views were you referring to, specifically?

[mrbaseball]

Okay, I am finally revisiting this thread since I just watched Before Sunset. These are 2 great movies. I really wanted to see what happened after Before Sunrise.

I thought Sunset started a bit slowly but picked up nicely. I liked the "what if" converstaion on the boat a lot. Personally I obsess about the "what if" questions of life myself. Those key times and turning points if things would have gone even just slightly differently.

And the car scene expounded on this theme and then the beautiful ending. But yes, there are still questions and hurdles in the future for these two. But I don't think that matters much. They seem to be in a place where they can handle the future.

[katyseagull]

Do you think Jesse would leave his wife to come live with Celine in Paris? Is it the right thing for him to do, given that he found his love?