Suggestion -- 'Before' Trilogy

[Shrek & Donkey Kong 4336]

First off, I'd like to say that I'm ecstatic that the wolfpop forums are gone. They were garbage, and now I have a non-Hollywood Handbook reason to post on the Earwolf forums.

 

 

 

The Before Trilogy should be in the Canon, no doubt about it. Linklater's visual style with DP Lee Daniel is subtle, but in no way underwhelming in these films. The tracking shots during the walk-and-talks are absolutely beautiful, and the screenplay of Sunset may be the most perfect thing I have ever read. The films summarize Linklater's vibe perfectly, with the passage of time of course being the most important factor.

 

 

 

 

When I first saw the trilogy, I was coming off of Slacker. When they get off the train, and meet the two guys promoting their play in Vienna, I thought that the films would be this couple going around Europe meeting interesting people, but I was not disappointed by the three films being of two people talking.

[Muthsarah 124]

It would take a long, long episode to cover these three movies. Despite their stylistic similarities, they're each about very distinctive parts of Jesse and Celine's relationship, and about how people can change over 15-20 years. It's a magNIFicent trilogy, but....

 

They'd prolly do Slacker long before they got around to the Befores. Still, I give this petition my signature, and my blessing. And I wouldn't mind the excuse to marathon them. Only seen them once each.

 

On that note, have you seen them more than once? Do they hold up? To me, the most attractive thing about watching these films was how it felt like we were following Jesse and Celine. They met (at least in the first two) somewhat/entirely by chance, and followed them, generally live, as they spent a couple hours together. More than almost any other film, it felt like we were with them, following them, not just watching something written and edited. Without the slightest idea what was going to happen, as who among us can see the future?

 

To RE-visit them would feel like taking an entirely different approach to the material, and, above all, the characters. What's it like going back a second time?

[Shrek & Donkey Kong 4336]

They held up like HELL as far as I'm concerned.

 

 

I knew at least the ending of Sunset before I even saw the movies, just by the fact that Midnight exists. I didn't care about knowing what was coming at all, every time I rewatch the Before movies, I catch a new line of dialogue that makes me think about myself for 3 minutes and miss a few other lines of genius that I'll catch on the next time around.

 

I love Slacker, and will petition it to be in the Canon with all of my life, but I'd rather see a Before trilogy episode. They talked about Slacker a decent amount on the Clerks episode, but I'd be okay with a full episode dedicated to a great and influential film like Slacker.

 

Also, Boyhood............maybe in a year or so. Boyhood has grown on me since my first viewing more than any Linklater film and might be my favorite just behind Before Sunset.

[HoldenMartinson 221]

I'd LOVE to do the Before trilogy. That'd would be incredibly difficult, but one of the best episodes, easy.

[Threshold 93]

Love the Before trilogy, the middle being my favourite. Keen for it to be discussed for the Canon.

[Shrek & Donkey Kong 4336]

Just a note to those who love this trilogy and live in Los Angeles/nearby....The Aero in Santa Monica is showing the Before trilogy in full on friday, with the first two being 35mm screenings.

[AdrianVomBaur 1]

Would they make us choose just one of the three movies, though? That seems wrong. In my opinion, the whole trilogy belongs in the canon.

[HoldenMartinson 221]

Would they make us choose just one of the three movies, though? That seems wrong. In my opinion, the whole trilogy belongs in the canon.

 

It's possible they might do something like The Godfather trilogy episode, where we can induct the entire trilogy: The complete story of Jesse and Celine's luuurrrrrv.

[Muthsarah 124]

Unlike The Godfather (which was a complete story at the end of....really, any of the three episodes), the Befores only work as a trilogy. Sure, circa 1996, you coulda just put up the first. Circa 2005, the first two. But this series has truly grown, such that you cannot ignore the later entries and only focus on the earlier. Technically, you could discard Godfather Part II and only consider I as a standalone masterpiece. Of course, the second is just so good that you'd be plain ol' evil for doing so. But II only becomes organic because II is so good.

 

For the Befores, once you've seen each of the follow-ups, it's IMPOSSIBLE to look at only the earlier works. Technically, yeah, I guess, if you're a ****, you could ignore Midnight. Sunrise and Sunset do work specTACularly well. But Midnight adds a lot of nuance, and for as much of a struggle as it is to watch if you're invested in Jesse and Celine, it still ends in a satisfying way. Unlike Godfather III, which could only possibly work because of the shadow cast by the previous two (sorry, Karina, I love you, and I love your podast, but I don't love the film you put up).

 

As a trilogy, it's perfect. Which...I guess I could have said after Sunset. So....if Linklater, Delpy, and Hawke wanna do another one in...eight? seven? years....I'll go for it. Yeah, I'll roll the dice again. Worst case scenario (I hope), I can just disregard the fourth. But it gets deeper and deeper and more and more meaningful the further it goes.

 

It's all or nothing. You can't just ignore any of these. They are three parts of the same story. While you COULD only focus on the first, or on the first and second, you'd be unnecessarily short-changing the entire series. While Sunset is still my favorite of the three (I DO need to revisit, however), I would never consider cutting off MIdnight. It's still really, really good, and still feels incredibly integral to these characters. Even if only - if ONLY - for the scene with them dining with those three other people. Yeah, not the most dramatic scene of all, but that's still the scene that sticks with me most. It's the scene where they feel most alive as characters and as a couple (if I remember correctly....). it's the most pleasantly voyeuristic scene, at the very least. And that's an unavoidable part of this series. Uncomfortable naturalism. You're watching a romance, in fits and starts, over almost 20 years.

 

And it's more interesting than anything in Boyhood, to boot.