Before Sunrise vs. Before Sunset (vs. Before Midnight?)

[ArjunChandrasekhar 2]

I think the before trilogy is thematically rich, splendidly acted, and fairly groundbreaking stylistically; i love how they explore the concept and passage of time in different ways, and how my relationship to each movie changed depending on which points i was at in life when i watched them. A podcast debating the first two would be great, debating the whole trilogy would be even better.

[Threshold 93]

Before Sunset is my personal favourite, but as with the potential future LOTR episode, I'd put in the trilogy rather than a specific part of the Before Trilogy.

[Head Spin 112]

Before Sunset is my personal favourite, but as with the potential future LOTR episode, I'd put in the trilogy rather than a specific part of the Before Trilogy.

 

Agreed. I love each of them, and it's hard to pick from among them. I hate when people arbitrarily slot the first in a series as the best just because it's "the one that started it all." But that argument might sway me in this case. Or you can say it's the second for being the one to successfully morph it into a segmented tale.

 

Idk, that's tough. But it doesn't feel all that meaningful to pit them against each other so...I think I'm not into this idea despite loving the trilogy.

[HoldenMartinson 221]

I'd love to an episode like the for The Godfather trilogy, where could potentially induct the whole trilogy all at once. They're all so great, but are doing different things thematically, and technically. So, it'd be somewhat unfair to pit them against one another. That said, if forced, I'd maybe go Before Sunrise, then Before Midnight, and then Before Sunset. But again, they're all terrific.

[Shrek & Donkey Kong 4336]

full trilogy or null trilogy as far as I'm concerned

[Original-User-00001 14]

Agreed, especially if all three movies could be discussed.

[ForestTaylor 16]

I would much rather see the whole trilogy inducted rather than a vs. episode, but if I had to pick one, Before Sunset would be my pick.

[Muthsarah 124]

I'm so happy to be in agreement with so many people here. Yeah, the whole trilogy (or will there be a fourth...?) should go up, and in.

 

Also, Sunset's the best of the three. Though none of them are less than wonderful, and I couldn't imagine only putting one up for consideration.

 

Also^2: All three movies are currently available on Vudu, YouTube, iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play. Three bucks a gander. Nine dollars buys (/rents) you the whole shebang, an incredibly worthwhile three-nighter. I would link but, c'mon, that's fifteen links.

 

I've gathered the impression that Devin and Amy (especially/only??? Devin) are big fans of Linklater's whole oeuvre, from Slacker to Everyone Wants Some!. Personally, this trilogy are the only works of his I've ever connected to, but I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE them. Because of that, I can 100% understand why people love Slacker, Dazed and Confused, Waking Life, or Boyhood, even if I really kinda don't really care that much. I don't have to like everything he's done, but he (and Hawke and Delpy, and that Kim lady who co-wrote at least the first one) made three films I love, so I feel I totally understand all the love for all his work. Which is rare, I don't normally think that way about films I don't particularly care for.

 

Sure, Slacker was put up, and got in easily. But I really, really wouldn't mind another Linklater episode so soon (EDIT: If it's this one). This is an exceptional trilogy. No sequelitis, no cheap cash-ins, every one of these films means something very different, but as variations on a theme of love, romance (different things!), aging, and just how two people can connect and stay connected over years. As well as, on a more surface level, how times have changed, both from 20-somethings to 40-somethings, and from the 90s to today. I get giddy just thinking that, 24 years from now, I may be going to the theatres to watch the sixth "Before" film. Isn't that an incredible thought?

 

These films should be taught in schools. Not just film schools, writing schools, or art schools. School schools. Yeah, there's Boyhood, yeah there's the Up series. They all have their merits. They all can inform the viewer so much about life, relationships and the passage of time. These should be required viewing for teenagers.

 

But I'm partial to these three. I think they're the most beautiful of the bunch.