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By
BILL CONIFF
I can't think of another
film and sequel that are as uniformly excellent as
"Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset." Each is a
jewel in its own right.
I saw "Before Sunrise" when it came out in 1995
and fell head over heels. Some films become
instant favorites but lose their luster after
repeated viewings through the years -- it's
natural for our response to change as we age and
evolve. But with true movie classics, our
affection only grows. "Before Sunrise" is one of
the latter. It has remained among my favorite
films, and subsequent viewings have brought just
as much, if not more, delight and wonder.
As the DVD cover blurb puts it, "Before Sunrise"
is about "twentysomethings who meet on a train in
Europe, sense a connection and explore after-hours
Vienna together." But that does little to convey
just how good this. Expertly played by Ethan Hawke
and Julie Delpy, these individuals talk and
philosophize and love and dream, while their
limited time together ticks away. The ending is
open-ended (thus allowing for the sequel), and I
think it ranks as one of the best movie endings of
all time.
Unfortunately, I've been less than thrilled with
Richard Linklater's subsequent films --
particularly "Waking Life," which I found
pretentious and annoying (despite animated cameos
by Hawke and Delpy).
So, I approached "Before Sunset" with both
trepidation and excitement. Here, Linklater and
his actors pick up the love story nine years
later, with Hawke's character now a published
writer visiting Paris on a book tour. Amazingly,
the sequel is just as enjoyable and satisfying as
the first. The tone is somewhat different, as you
would expect because of the characters' greater
maturity and share of disappointments -- while
Delpy has aged gracefully, Hawke's every
subsequent year is etched on his face. The
performances, script and direction remain perfect.
And in a remarkable case of lightning striking
twice, the ending is just as memorable and
satisfying as the previous movie's.
These are the most European American films I can
think of, and yes, that's a compliment.
(Sometimes, you almost expect to see subtitles.)
They are particularly reminiscent of Eric Rohmer's
films in that they rely on real-time effects and
lengthy conversations to tap into what it means to
be human and connect with others. And in fact, if
you love the "Before" movies and you don't mind
subtitles, you might want to also check out Rohmer
films like "Boyfriends and Girlfriends" and
"Summer," also available on DVD.
The "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset" DVDs have
excellent picture quality. There are no extras to
speak of, except for a short behind-the-scenes
documentary on the "Before Sunset" DVD. At first,
I was disappointed, but then I realized that
adding a commentary or deleted scenes to either
film might only risk taking away some of the
magic. Both movies stand on their own. They are,
in my opinion, the most perfectly realized
romantic films in American movie history, bar
none. |
