This year marks the 30th anniversary ofBefore Sunrise, a1990s movie masterpiecethat also launched one of the most acclaimed movie trilogies of all time. FromDazed and Confusedfilmmaker Richard Linklater,Before Sunrisefollows Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy), two strangers who meet on a train in Europe and end up spending the day together.
Along with being aperfect representation of the cityof Vienna,Before Sunriseis an engrossing and intimate romance as the audience watches these two people fall in love, knowing that they will soon have to go their separate ways. With such a small and simple story, few would have thought it would lead to a franchise.
These days, it seems like every moderately successful movie spawns a franchise, but it can be hard to build a fully formed trilogy. Those truemasterpiece movie trilogiesmanage to deliver three strong movies while telling a complete story. Looking back 30 years later, it is even more the trilogy thatBefore Sunrisestarted has become even more impressive.
Before Sunrise Started A Fantastic Movie Trilogy
The Trilogy Spanned 18 Years
Before Sunrisewas a solid indie hit, making back almost ten times its small $2.5 million budget. It is also a rare movie that earned 100% onRotten Tomatoes.Even with that success, it was surprising when a sequel came along nine years later to continue the story of Jesse and Celine.
Before Sunsetpicks up with the two one-time lovers reconnecting when Jesse is visiting Paris on a book tour. Much like the first movie, the sequel follows them as they spend the day together, learning about where their respective lives went after their first meeting, and whether there is a future for them all these years later.
Before Sunsetwas made for nearly the same budget and ended up grossing around $15 million. However, it was another huge critical success, earning 94% onRotten Tomatoesand an Oscar nomination for its screenplay. It was recently named by the New York Times as one of the100 best movies of the 21st century, coming in at #49.
Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy co-wroteBefore SunsetandBefore Midnightwith director Richard Linklater.
Before Midnightcame along nine years after thesecond movie in the trilogyand answered the question about Jesse and Celine’s potential future.It finds them married and with children, while also dealing with some of the struggles of married life and adulthood. It earned 98% onRotten Tomatoes, making the entire trilogy near perfect in terms of critical reception.
The Before Trilogy Has A Case For Being One Of The Best Trilogies Ever
The Smaller Scale Of The Before Movies Was A Big Advantage
When speaking about the best trilogies of all time, there are not too many that come to mind right away.TheLord of the Ringstrilogyand the originalStar Warstrilogy have certainly made their mark on pop culture and influenced blockbuster filmmaking for generations of audiences and filmmakers.
In the case of most franchises, there is constant fan demand for the next movie, often leading to pressure from the studio to deliver a sequel faster.
Back to the Futuretold three hugely entertaining stories that build on the characters and the concepts without diving too much deeper into the story. The perfect reputation of the three movies is a big reason why there is such resistance to anyone revisiting that franchise in any way.
It might seem strange to comparetheBeforetrilogyto such high-concept and big-budget franchises. However, regardless of the size of its movies, it is hard to deny the absolute success theBeforetrilogy has at telling its story. Part of that reason likely came down to the fact that it wasn’t an obvious franchise.
In the case of most franchises, there is constant fan demand for the next movie, often leading to pressure from the studio to deliver a sequel faster. While each of theBeforemovies was a nice indie success, it is unlikely that there was much pressure to continue the story.
Even fans' demand didn’t really start until afterBefore Midnight,when questions of a fourthBeforemovie began. Instead,Richard Linklater and his collaborators were able to approach each movie by determining the best way to continue the story. It is rare that a trilogy is able to consider if the story needs to continue rather than being obligated to deliver more.
Why The Before Trilogy Holds Up So Well Today
The Audience Gets To See These Characters Truly Grow
TheBeforetrilogy also sets itself apart with its ability to span so many years, making it a truly unique franchise to enjoy.The audience gets to drop in on these characters and see how their lives have changed over the years. It is also a trilogy that is not fixated on delivering the same thing over and over to please fans.
Even with the gaps between the movies, the entire trilogy can be watched as one big story, and it is incredibly effective.
After the romantic nature of the first two movies,Before Midnightis somewhat heartbreaking. We have seen these two fall in love twice and rooted for them to make a life together. Now that they have, they are fighting to stay in love. It is as authentic and intimate as the first twoBeforemovies, but also painful at times.
Even with the gaps between the movies, the entire trilogy can be watched as one big story, and it is incredibly effective.Each movie serves as a story about love, looking at it from a new perspective. It creates a complete experience unlike any other franchise around. While fans might want more, they experienced a satisfying story from beginning to end.
