Before Sunrise (1995)

Director:

Richard Linklater

Writers (WGA):

Richard Linklater (written by) &
Kim Krizan (written by)

Release Date:

27 January 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Jump on and live a Eurorail journey you will never forget!

Plot:

A young man and woman meet on a train in Europe, and wind up spending one romantic evening together in Vienna. Unfortunately, both know that this will probably be their only night together.

Plot Keywords:

Single Day | Chance Meeting | Dialogue Driven | Love | One Night Stand

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Ethan Hawke	...	Jesse
Julie Delpy	...	Celine
Andrea Eckert	...	Wife on Train
Hanno Pöschl	...	Husband on Train
Karl Bruckschwaiger	...	Guy on Bridge
Tex Rubinowitz	...	Guy on Bridge
Erni Mangold	...	Palm Reader
Dominik Castell	...	Street Poet
Haymon Maria Buttinger	...	Bartender
Harold Waiglein	...	Guitarist in Club
Bilge Jeschim	...	Belly Dancer
Kurti	...	Percussionist
Hans Weingartner	...	Cafe Patron
Liese Lyon	...	Cafe Patron
Peter Ily Huemer	...	Cafe Patron

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA | Austria | Switzerland

Language:

English | German | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Netherlands:AL (DVD rating) | Brazil:10 | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Argentina:13 | Finland:S | Germany:6 (bw) | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:15 | USA:R | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/6 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Vienna, Austria

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

Critic Anthony Lane remarked that this film could be alternately titled "Schlacker".

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): While telling the story about the death of his grandmother, Jesse first says he was attending the funeral of his great-grandmother. From then on he always refers to his grandmother.

Quotes:

Celine: I had worked for this old man and once he told me that he had spent his whole life thinking about his career and his work. And he was fifty-two and it suddenly struck him that he had never really given anything of himself. His life was for no one and nothing. He was almost crying saying that.

Movie Connections:

References My Darling Clementine (1946)

Soundtrack:

'Andante' from 'Sonata No. 1 In G Major, BWV 1027'

The beauty is the simplicity of magnificent human emotion.

'Before Sunrise' is not a film to be scrutinised, nor studied. The absolute beauty of it lies in its perfection as a simple love story - of two lives suddenly thrown together in the midst of reality, and the ensuing night of simple love that follows. Every individual at some time in life dreams of the connection that is portrayed in this film between Jesse and Celine, and few ever find it. 'Before Sunrise' simply and elegantly demonstrates how the most fundamental passions of human emotion can envelope two complete strangers. The beauty of this film is that the story is the most important element. The ending is both provocative and emotional - scenes of the night previously seen in darkness are now portrayed in lonely daylight as the sun rises and the story closes on these two characters.

I saw this film by accident one night late on television. I have never forgotten it. So well is it made that the audience never question if this could ever really happen in life, reality being so absolutely characterised in it.

'Before Sunrise' is simply the story of two strangers bound in Vienna's lonely night splendour - one night of love in all its glory, one superb piece of film making.