In this blog post, we explore why love remains deeply etched in memory even as time passes, through the emotional journey of Jesse and Celine depicted in the films “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset.”
18 Hours in Vienna – Before Sunrise
Jesse and Celine meet aboard the Orient Express train from Budapest, Hungary, bound for Paris. Jesse, an American returning home after traveling to Europe to meet his girlfriend only to be left with the pain of heartbreak, carries the weight of his sorrow. Celine, a French woman, is on her way to Paris after visiting her grandmother in Budapest. Avoiding a German couple arguing loudly in their compartment, the two end up sharing a seat. Though complete strangers, they immediately realize they are drawn to each other. Impulsively, they get off at Vienna and spend the next 14 hours together, from that night until dawn the next day, sharing moments entirely unplanned. Themes shared by contemporary twenty-somethings—worries about an uncertain future, philosophical musings on life and death, frank conversations about friendship, love, and sex—unfold naturally throughout their night together.
“Platform 9, meet me at 6 PM in six months.”
For those who remember that romance, this promise was a kind of spell. How could anyone forget the promise of reunion left by two people who shared the sweetest romance in the world? Fragments of reflection lingered long in each viewer’s heart: ‘Will they truly meet again?’, ‘Can they sort through the emotions of that chaotic day?’, ‘Will the shy hesitations they exchanged become certainty six months later?’ After parting at the train station, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) boards a bus, leaning his head back wearily. Celine (Julie Delpy) gazes out the train window before closing her eyes with a quiet smile. That was their last moment, nine years ago.
That was “Before Sunrise.” For one brief night before sunrise, Vienna became the stage for the world’s most beautiful romance. “What a beautiful morning. Will there ever be another like this?” The two, unable to hide their love-struck feelings, left an open ending, uncertain if they would meet again, carrying the imperfect certainty unique to their twenties. As the images of Vienna, saturated with their romance, yet now empty without its protagonists, flashed by, the audience could only let their imaginations soar.
Directed by Richard Linklater and starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, the 1995 film “Before Sunrise” was made during a time when Linklater was still merely an independent filmmaker making a name for himself at Sundance with films like ‘Slacker’ and “Dazed and Confused.” In contrast to the director’s somewhat unfamiliar worldview, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy were already celebrated as youth stars. Ethan Hawke, who gained attention as the fragile Todd Anderson in the 1989 film “Dead Poets Society,” had established himself as an actor representing the lifestyle of American twenty-somethings in films like “Waterworld,” “Alive,” and Reality Bites, establishing himself as an actor representing the lifestyle of American twenty-somethings. Julie Delpy was also a leading French actress expanding her reach by working between European and American production companies.
Richard Linklater’s strategy with these two young stars was ‘natural, everyday reality’. “Before Sunrise” focused solely on the dialogue between the two characters, neither unfolding special events nor depicting the protagonists’ daily lives per se. It was far removed from conventional Hollywood romance films. Yet audiences were captivated by this uniqueness. Watching a man and woman who had just met share a night in an unfamiliar city, discussing life, love, and their future, audiences could also recall their own unfulfilled youthful loves.
After their short yet intense 14-hour experience, Jesse and Celine promise to meet again in Vienna six months later. But “Before Sunrise” leaves the outcome of this promise unresolved. The question, “Did they reunite six months later and become lovers?” echoed in audiences’ minds for nine years. “Before Sunset” was the answer to that very question—a film like a collection of vignettes dedicated to the youth of the late 20th century who grew up with “Before Sunrise.”
Ethan Hawke recalls:
“The dream of making ‘Before Sunset’ began with ‘Before Sunrise.’ How fascinating would it be if the protagonists met again years later? I thought turning that story into a film would create a grand documentary about love and fate. After a long time, that dream finally came true, and making this film was also a good opportunity for me to reflect on my own life.”
Julie Delpy also says.
“I always felt unsettled that ‘Before Sunrise’ ended without resolution about their promise to meet again. It felt like a part of my own life remained unresolved. Getting to make ‘Before Sunset’ again was incredibly joyful. For me, ‘Before Sunset’ is a reflection on the journey of life.”
80 Minutes in Paris – Before Sunset
Unlike the long-planned ‘Before Sunrise,’ ‘Before Sunset’ was completed at a rapid pace: five months of script development with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy directly involved, two weeks of rehearsals, and three weeks of shooting. Throughout the film, Jesse and Celine engage in constant conversation, and the dialogue in ‘Before Sunset’ is more than double that of its predecessor. It’s no exaggeration to say this film demands even greater concentration than its predecessor. Yet during actual filming, much like the premise of two former lovers reuniting after nine years, Hawke and Delpy give the impression of engaging in natural conversation rather than acting, with few retakes. It feels like two close friends catching up after a long time apart.
Another difference from nine years ago: back then, they had an entire night. This time, they have only 80 minutes before Jesse’s flight departs. Within that brief window, they begin to reconnect with their deepest feelings, knowing their parting is imminent. Walking through Parisian streets, they cautiously unpack the story of why their promise nine years ago went awry, the parts they never truly knew about each other, the romance of that night, and even the depth of their longing. Yet everything had changed since their twenties. While the tender feelings remain, they have aged, and their perspectives on the world have matured. In tune with this change, while “Before Sunrise” was imbued with the romanticism of youth, “Before Sunset” is filled with the sensibilities of their thirties, shaped by life’s twists and turns.
Nine years slowly seep into their conversation as they bring up the realistic worries of their thirties. “Before Sunset” doesn’t just capture the moment their romance blossoms anew. It also reveals the deep-seated weariness that lies beneath. Jesse, trapped in a tedious, almost sexless marriage, confesses her emptiness: “If anyone touches me, my heart will shatter.” Celine responds, “Then let’s see if it shatters,” and embraces him. It’s a moment where the traces of a weary life intersect with the magic of romance.
Celine is no different. Living as an environmental activist, she voices complex feelings about why the men who left her immediately remarry after breaking up, or why they thank her for teaching them about love. “That night, I poured out everything I had, leaving nothing behind. After experiencing the most romantic night in the world, how could any other romance even catch my eye?” she says, describing the aftermath of that romance.
Time has also reversed their perspectives on love. Celine, who in her youth believed true love meant wanting to know everything about a lover—their hairstyle, clothes, even their speech—has now grown cynical and cynical about love. Conversely, Jessie, who in her twenties spoke of the tedium of married life, now defends romance, insisting, “Still, there must be love.” They were no longer the twenty-somethings navigating the world with unwavering purity and romanticism. They recognized their place between the fantasy of romance and reality, knowing life couldn’t be sustained by unfounded optimism. This is why their dialogue feels so natural and sincere, as if projecting the real lives and thoughts of the actors themselves beyond the film.
Though their ways of thinking remain different, romance is reborn. Hardened by the passage of time and life’s storms, the two had matured as much as the wrinkles filling their eyes, and their romance had grown deeper and richer. Not even nine years could blur that feeling. The romance before sunrise remained unchanged even before sunset, revealing itself in a new form.
Above all, the scene that captivated the audience was Celine singing ‘A Waltz for a Night’ accompanied by guitar. It was a mesmerizing moment that captured not only Jesse’s heart, pressed for time to catch his flight, but also the audience’s. Celine sang with a wistful voice, recalling that romance from nine years ago, while Jesse, lost in the song, leaned back on the sofa. He might truly miss his flight, but he felt no urgency. That’s how precious this memory is. The thrill of that one night they shared nine years ago, the flutter of their hearts, the vivid traces of love—these don’t fade even as time changes their looks and their lives. Because they have so much to remember, for them, love was memory itself. As they say, the worst kind of breakup is one with nothing to remember.
In the final scene, music plays over the audio. When Celine says, “Baby, you’re gonna miss this playing,” Jesse replies with a bitter expression, “I know…” Ah, love, romance, and the cruel passage of time. “Before Sunset” chooses an open ending, just like “Before Sunrise.” They realize they are still drawn to each other, but they are no longer the reckless, impetuous twenty-somethings they once were. “Did Jesse really board that flight back to New York, leaving Celine behind?” The answer depends on each viewer’s own values. The question Jesse posed at the film’s beginning, and the theme director Richard Linklater ultimately explores in this film, boils down to this:
“Are you a realist or an idealist?”
