Before Sunset
Nine years have passed since the events of Before Sunrise, when Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) had met in Vienna. Since then, Jesse has written a novel, This Time, inspired by his time w…
Before Sunset
Nine years have passed since the events of Before Sunrise, when Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) had met in Vienna. Since then, Jesse has written a novel, This Time, inspired by his time with Celine, and the book has become an American bestseller. To help sales in Europe, Jesse does a book tour. The last stop of the tour is Paris, and Jesse is doing a reading at the bookstore Shakespeare and Company. It is springtime in Paris and the city is in full bloom. Jesse denies that the book is an autobiography of an actual encounter in his life. As Jesse talks with his audience, flashbacks are shown of him and Celine in Vienna. The memories of their night together have clearly remained with him despite nine years having elapsed. Three journalists are present at the bookstore, interviewing Jesse: a romantic (Louise Lemoine Torres) who is convinced the book's main characters meet again, a cynic (Rodolphe Pauly) who is convinced that they don't, and a third one who, despite wanting them to meet again, remains doubtful they actually do. Jesse says what happens next is not really important. He says that it is a good test to check if a person is a romantic, a cynic or a hopeful practical person. As he speaks with his audience his eyes wander to the side, and he can hardly believe it: Celine is smiling at him. Once the presentation is over, the bookstore manager (Vernon Dobtcheff) reminds him he has a plane to catch and must leave for the airport in a little more than an hour, and so just like in Before Sunrise, Celine and Jesse's reunion is constrained by time. Jesse and Celine are forced to make the best of the little time they have together, making it easier for their conversations to become ever more personal, beginning with the usual thirty-something's themes of work and politics and then, with ever increasing passion, approaching their love for each other, just as their time together is running out. Early in their conversation, they broach the subject of why they did not meet as promised six months after their first encounter. Celine wanted to know if Jesse showed up for the meeting, because Celine did not, because her grandmother had suddenly died before the scheduled date of the meeting. The funeral for the grandmother was held on the same day that Jesse and Celine were supposed to meet, December 16th. Because Jesse and Celine had never exchanged addresses, there was no way for them to contact each other, which resulted in their missed connection. Jesse claims that he did not come for the meeting and Celine is relieved as this question had been troubling her for 9 years. But then Celine is angry about why Jesse missed the meeting and says that she would have been there if she could. Jesse admits that he did come for the meeting. He waited in Vienna for a couple of days before leaving for US. He put up signs and posters all over the city with his number, hoping that Celine would see it and eventually get in touch with him. Jesse says that he wrote a fictional version of his novel in which Jesse and Celine did meet in Vienna, made love for 10 days straight, and then as they got to know each other better, they realized that they were very different people and parted ways amicably. Jesse says that it took him 4 years to write the book. Celine felt that her character in the book came across as a bit neurotic but admits that it might be just her own perception. Celine says that she thought Jesse would have forgotten about her. As they talk, each reveal what has happened in their lives since first meeting. Both are now in their early thirties. Jesse, now a writer, is married and has a son. Celine has become an advocate for the environment, lived in America for a time, worked on a water conservation project in India, and has a boyfriend, a photojournalist. Celine says that she studied in NYC for a few years and Jesse is distraught as he had been living in New York since Vienna. She says that she returned to Europe, after a particular incident in NYC. She heard a noise and called 911. The cops came and advised her to get a gun instead for self-protection. Celine tried to complain about the cop, but was buried in paperwork, and she had the fear of being deported, so she completed her masters degree and returned. It becomes clear in the course of their talk that both are dissatisfied to varying degrees with their lives. Jesse reveals that he only stays with his wife out of love for his son. Celine says that she does not see her boyfriend very much because he is so often on assignment. Their conversation as they traverse Paris takes place in various venues, including a cafe, a garden, a Bateau Mouche, and Jesse's hired car for his stay in Paris. Their old feelings for each other are slowly rekindled, even with tension and regret over the missed meeting earlier, as they realize that nothing else in their lives has matched their one prior night together in Vienna. Jesse eventually admits that he wrote the book in the distant hope of meeting Celine again one day. She replies that the book brought back painful memories for her. At one point, in the hired car, during a tense moment when Jesse is confessing his loveless, near sexless marriage, Celine reaches her hand out to touch Jesse but pulls back just as he turns to her. Celine and Jesse arrive at her apartment. Jesse had learned that Celine plays the guitar and persuades her to play a waltz song for him. The waltz (written by Delpy) is revealed through the lyrics to be about their brief encounter. Jesse then plays a Nina Simone CD on the stereo system. Celine dances by herself to the song "Just in Time" as Jesse watches her. As Celine imitates Simone, she playfully imitates Simone's voice and says to Jesse, "Baby ... you are going to miss that plane." As the camera slowly pans in, Jesse smiles while nervously fidgeting with his wedding ring and responds, "I know", as the film ends.
Before Sunset
Drama,Romance
Film Details
Nine years have passed since the events of Before Sunrise, when Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) had met in Vienna. Since then, Jesse has written a novel, This Time, inspired by his time with Celine, and the book has become an American bestseller. To help sales in Europe, Jesse does a book tour.
The last stop of the tour is Paris, and Jesse is doing a reading at the bookstore Shakespeare and Company. It is springtime in Paris and the city is in full bloom. Jesse denies that the book is an autobiography of an actual encounter in his life.
As Jesse talks with his audience, flashbacks are shown of him and Celine in Vienna. The memories of their night together have clearly remained with him despite nine years having elapsed. Three journalists are present at the bookstore, interviewing Jesse: a romantic (Louise Lemoine Torres) who is convinced the book's main characters meet again, a cynic (Rodolphe Pauly) who is convinced that they don't, and a third one who, despite wanting them to meet again, remains doubtful they actually do.
Jesse says what happens next is not really important. He says that it is a good test to check if a person is a romantic, a cynic or a hopeful practical person. As he speaks with his audience his eyes wander to the side, and he can hardly believe it: Celine is smiling at him.
Once the presentation is over, the bookstore manager (Vernon Dobtcheff) reminds him he has a plane to catch and must leave for the airport in a little more than an hour, and so just like in Before Sunrise, Celine and Jesse's reunion is constrained by time. Jesse and Celine are forced to make the best of the little time they have together, making it easier for their conversations to become ever more personal, beginning with the usual thirty-something's themes of work and politics and then, with ever increasing passion, approaching their love for each other, just as their time together is running out. Early in their conversation, they broach the subject of why they did not meet as promised six months after their first encounter.
Celine wanted to know if Jesse showed up for the meeting, because Celine did not, because her grandmother had suddenly died before the scheduled date of the meeting. The funeral for the grandmother was held on the same day that Jesse and Celine were supposed to meet, December 16th. Because Jesse and Celine had never exchanged addresses, there was no way for them to contact each other, which resulted in their missed connection.
Jesse claims that he did not come for the meeting and Celine is relieved as this question had been troubling her for 9 years. But then Celine is angry about why Jesse missed the meeting and says that she would have been there if she could. Jesse admits that he did come for the meeting.
He waited in Vienna for a couple of days before leaving for US. He put up signs and posters all over the city with his number, hoping that Celine would see it and eventually get in touch with him. Jesse says that he wrote a fictional version of his novel in which Jesse and Celine did meet in Vienna, made love for 10 days straight, and then as they got to know each other better, they realized that they were very different people and parted ways amicably.
Jesse says that it took him 4 years to write the book. Celine felt that her character in the book came across as a bit neurotic but admits that it might be just her own perception. Celine says that she thought Jesse would have forgotten about her.
As they talk, each reveal what has happened in their lives since first meeting. Both are now in their early thirties. Jesse, now a writer, is married and has a son.
Celine has become an advocate for the environment, lived in America for a time, worked on a water conservation project in India, and has a boyfriend, a photojournalist. Celine says that she studied in NYC for a few years and Jesse is distraught as he had been living in New York since Vienna. She says that she returned to Europe, after a particular incident in NYC.
She heard a noise and called 911. The cops came and advised her to get a gun instead for self-protection. Celine tried to complain about the cop, but was buried in paperwork, and she had the fear of being deported, so she completed her masters degree and returned.
It becomes clear in the course of their talk that both are dissatisfied to varying degrees with their lives. Jesse reveals that he only stays with his wife out of love for his son. Celine says that she does not see her boyfriend very much because he is so often on assignment.
Their conversation as they traverse Paris takes place in various venues, including a cafe, a garden, a Bateau Mouche, and Jesse's hired car for his stay in Paris. Their old feelings for each other are slowly rekindled, even with tension and regret over the missed meeting earlier, as they realize that nothing else in their lives has matched their one prior night together in Vienna. Jesse eventually admits that he wrote the book in the distant hope of meeting Celine again one day.
She replies that the book brought back painful memories for her. At one point, in the hired car, during a tense moment when Jesse is confessing his loveless, near sexless marriage, Celine reaches her hand out to touch Jesse but pulls back just as he turns to her. Celine and Jesse arrive at her apartment.
Jesse had learned that Celine plays the guitar and persuades her to play a waltz song for him. The waltz (written by Delpy) is revealed through the lyrics to be about their brief encounter. Jesse then plays a Nina Simone CD on the stereo system.
Celine dances by herself to the song "Just in Time" as Jesse watches her. As Celine imitates Simone, she playfully imitates Simone's voice and says to Jesse, "Baby ... you are going to miss that plane." As the camera slowly pans in, Jesse smiles while nervously fidgeting with his wedding ring and responds, "I know", as the film ends..