Review of Before Sunrise (1933) by Valerie S — 01 Jan 2018

Before Sunrise is the first in the Before trilogy, spanning two decades and covering the development of a lifelong relationship in pseudo-real-time, but as the first, it covers our introduction to the characters. The script is undeniably one of the finest examples of "human screenplay" that I've ever seen; I watched the entire movie as though the lines had come out of my own mouth, the behaviors perfectly mirrored the emotions I've experienced when meeting someone new. Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke are fresh-faced and natural in their roles, including all of the awkwardness that young people feel when they connect with one another.

Perhaps the most endearing part of the movie is how it loops on itself: showing you where they'll go at the beginning of the movie, and where they've been once the movie is over. Neither of these things have much meaning unless you take the film as a whole, and then it's a charming stroll down the memory lane, allowing you to project the small and repressed parts of your romantic history onto the story.

It doesn't hurt that the movie is beautifully directed, with long shots of dialogue to not only build the relationship between the two characters, but also between the audience and the characters. There's no rush in this movie, it's just life. Captured, preserved, and there whenever you need to indulge.