The “Before” trilogy is a landmark in cinema. Directed by Richard Linklater, each movie was released 9 years apart, following up on the previous one. Each one shows how love evolves between two people along their relationship in real time. Objectively all three movies are well shot with great acting and an amazing script. To put it simply, all 3 movies are simply a collection of conversations with topics ranging from the ambiguous to the intimate. It’s like being left alone with two intimate strangers, not knowing the prologue or the epilogue to their life, and the only thing accessible being the conversation at present.
Before Sunrise (1985) shows the innocence of love. The fruits of the romanticism era, were themes like fate, soul mates and meant for each other are the most ripest. People reminisce of this phase of love the most. The time where adulthood was just around the horizon, when life seemed simpler and people less complex. We’ve all been there, when everything is a first, crush, love, kiss and more. We didn’t care about anything else, we were in a world created solely by the fondness for each other. This movie is that fraction of our life in a beautifully shot, well written and acted piece of media.
Before Sunset (2004) is where reality sets in, but still there’s hope for what could have been. This is my favorite movie as this is where my life resides at the moment. You understand that just appreciating each others beauty isn’t enough for what you desire. You long for someone to fully understand you and all your complexities. It is thus easy to feel overly attached to the ones that do. You start to see the parameters of what a real relationship entails, all the while understanding which parameters you value. The movie is more hopeful than real life, maybe that’s why I loved it, because it gave me something than I know I won’t get in real life.
Before Midnight (2013) is where everyone will eventually end up. Humans are social beings, but at the end of the day, we exist alone. We will have our own opinions, thoughts, likes-dislikes and thousand other factors that prove unchangeable even in the presence of another human. This movie shows a fraction of that hardship, the reality of tolerating the human you promised to share a life with. I wish there was a prettier picture to paint, but seeing this movie, comparing it to others who have been married for more than my age including my parents, I understand it’s more tolerating than anything else. Showing a blind eye, loving the little things, appreciating the good and downplaying the tolerable is what every lasting relationship ends up to be.
