I love words. I also love moments in TV and film where characters I enjoy engage in a meaningful conversation. It’s not a fistfight, a chase scene, or a conflict. It’s just them talking, using words to show us who the character is, what they believe, and how they feel.
A film like Before Sunrise.
Richard Linklater and Kim Krizan co-wrote the story, which follows Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) as they meet on a train in Europe, talk for a short while, and disembark in Vienna to spend the night together. Beginning in the afternoon, they wander the city together, talking to each other, and, more importantly, listening to each other’s responses and then asking the next logical question. They do this throughout the night.
You know the conversation I’m talking about. The one where it’s you and your best friends at 1 AM. You’re young and have all the answers, but in those moments, you have questions, too. And the people you trust are with you, and so you start talking.
Celine: I believe if there’s any kind of God it wouldn’t be in any of us, not you or me but just this little space in between. If there’s any kind of magic in this world it must be in the attempt of understanding someone sharing something. I know, it’s almost impossible to succeed but who cares really? The answer must be in the attempt.
Or, like in this film, you have found that person. The one who ignites your senses. The one you feel safe with. The one you can discuss life’s mysteries with, ask questions of, and state your honest answers. The person your soul is dancing with through every word, every look, and every touch.
There is no drama to be found in Before Sunrise. No one is robbed, attacked, or accosted on the streets of Vienna. Instead, we get to spend 101 minutes in the company of two people engaged in a conversation so real I would have thought it was a documentary, with dialogue recorded and transcribed for the co-writers.
It’s hopeful.
It’s heartbreaking.
It’s glorious.
And it is all told through their dialogue.
In my opinion, Before Sunrise is well worth your valuable time and attention.
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What film or TV show (or a scene from either) or book do you love for the dialogue? Let me know in the comments.
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