THE BEFORE TRILOGY
Richard Linklater is a filmmaker of much respect among his peers but he doesn’t the carry the weight of say a Spielberg or Scorsese. But he without a doubt has the distinction of crafting the greatest trilogy of films. His Before Trilogy is brilliant if understated. No current filmmaker has captured the human experience quite like Linklater. As far back as his debut Slacker, which I personally found to be a struggle to get through in a single sitting because of its shifting narrative perspective, Linklater never strains when telling stories where human interaction is paramount to the story (see also Dazed and Confused and Oscar-winning Boyhood).
Linklater never intended for there to be a Before Trilogy. After all, there is a nine year gap between sequels and an eighteen year time frame between the release of Before Sunrise (1995) and the release of final installment, Before Midnight (2013). The story of Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) shows the maturation of a relationship from when they first made glances in Vienna. This meet-cute on a train abroad to the tumultuous strain of marriage nearly twenty years later. With each installment, Jesse and Celine go from self-discovery stalwarts to a union that is near a tipping point. There is a lot of truth with Before Midnight, so much so that friends I know couldn’t handle its authenticity when it comes to squabbling (the hotel scene is the apex of the entire trilogy).
While this is called The Before Trilogy, I have a sneaking suspicion we may see Jesse and Celine one more time. Until then, this Criterion Collection is a MUST for those who are fans of Richard Linklater and this great trilogy. The key extras worth your time is a 44-minute filmed conversation about Before Sunrise; the American Masters documentary “Richard Linklater: Dream is Destiny” (90 minutes); a video essay on Linklater’s treatment of time; and After Before, a documentary shot during the production of Before Midnight.
