As the first film in the Before trilogy, director Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise is frequently labelled the epitome of romance by movie watchers.
The 1995 romantic drama co-written by Linklater and Kim Krizan stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as the film’s electric lead pair. Set in Vienna, Before Sunrise captures two strangers spending one night together as they wander around the city. Inspired by his own personal experiences, Linklater reportedly based the film on a woman he spent the night walking around Philadelphia with. It took nine months for Hawke and Delpy to be cast in the film as the lead pair.
The sequel, Before Sunset, came out in 2004, followed by the third film, Before Midnight, in 2013. Over time, the Before trilogy has become synonymous with love and romance.
In an interview with the Guardian, actor Julie Delpy spoke about her deep involvement in the film: “Richard, Ethan and I produced the script together, though Ethan and I weren’t credited for Before Sunrise. The process was totally collaborative: all three of us had to agree on ideas for scenes. That’s how we did Before Sunset and Before Midnight, too. If one of us hated something, it wouldn’t make the film. From the start, those guys wanted the balance of a proper female voice.”
With a perfect 100 per cent Rotten Tomatoes approval rating and a thunderous 93 per cent audience score, Before Sunrise managed to capture the hearts of critics and audiences alike.
While one critic called the film “utterly charming”, another wrote: “The charm — the midsummer enchantment — never feels forced; it steals up and wins you. A true romance.” One reviewer said it was “undoubtedly one of the most romantic movies of all time”, while another commented: “There are so many perfect moments in this film; it is hard to list them without excluding others.”
Praise for the film’s director also ran abound, with one critic writing: “Seemingly improvised and entirely natural but still structured and splendidly directed by writer Richard Linklater.”
And the actors were lauded for their performances as well: “Hawke and Delpy keep the tone not only afloat but mesmerising. So natural are their performances that it seems impossible not to believe they truly are soulmates who are locked in a doomed, all-too-short affair.”
In a 2022 interview with The Independent, Hawke spoke about his relationship to the film, sharing: “There’s a lot of myself and my reality in those movies [the Before trilogy]. They’re as deeply connected to me as anything could be. I can’t look at Before Sunrise now without remembering, so vividly, that time period. Who I was then is so different from who I am now; it’s difficult for me to watch it and exorcise it from my actual life.”
One fan gave the film a perfect rating and said: “10/10. I wanted to focus on the incredible love story that is Before Sunrise. Richard Linklater found a special energy and aura when creating this masterpiece. There is something so beautiful and honest with this film. I can’t explain it, and neither can anyone who’s ever watched this film.”
While another viewer wrote: “Nothing else quite catches the true essence of romance like Before Sunrise did.” Echoing the critics, an audience review stated: “Definitely the best romance movie of all time.”
While another fan couldn’t stop gushing over the lead pair’s chemistry: “Ethan Hawke and Julie Dehpy have maybe the best chemistry in a movie I have ever seen, it all feels so natural. The direction is incredible, the script is one of the best I have ever seen, the city feels like a person and the locations are beautiful, but still grounded.”
Before Sunrise is available to rent on Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video for £3.49