I wasn't quite sure what to think of this film. to be honest, it seemed like it had no plot, it was all over the place with it's random and seemingly meaningless conversations between Jesse and Celine, and I didn't get that feeling of coming full circle from the beginning to the end of the film. In my opinion, it definitely does not follow the traditional trajectory that film plots have, which made it hard for me to think of a conclusional thought about this film. After reading Forrest Wickman's May 2013 article for slate.com, I learned that LInklater created this film after an experience he had with a woman named Amy Lehrhaupt. In the article Wickman mentions a podcast in which Linklater recalls what he said to Lehrhaupt about making this film, "I was like, “I’m gonna make a film about this.” And she was like, “What ‘this’? What’re you talking about?” And I was like, “Just this. This feeling. This thing that’s going on between us.” Even reading this after seeing the film, I don't fully understand what the point of this was - I didn't see this emotional connection that Linklater apparently felt during his time with Lehrhaupt, and that Jesse and Celine had as well. Before I divulge in some parts of the movie I did like, I have to say, I thought Jesse was such a weird and creepy character. First, his facial hair had to go, it was something I couldn't ignore and wish the costume crew had decided he shaved to give him a better overall appearance. The way he acts as an american in a foreign country is spot on, ignorant to the customs and first language of the country (not speaking any language other than english, even though he's been through many countries in the past month or so). I also found his extreme doubtfulness annoying and dull, because who goes to a different country and discredits everyone and everything you see, like the palm reader and poet for example. He couldn't even pretend to be fine with the fact Celine had her palm read and felt like it made a little sense, and seemingly wanted no part in the encounter with the poet but only did it because Celine wanted to. I couldn't wait for him to get on his plane and go home, but then I realized there's two more films with him in it. Great... Now, onto the few things I did like about this film and enjoyed seeing. first, I loved the classical music during the opening credit sequence. I thought that the classical music played over the scenic train ride was a really cool way to start the film rather than just slapping the names on a blank screen or overlapping the film as it begins. It helped me get into the mindset that this isn't in the United states, and that the characters have done some traveling, and what role a train ride would have in the movie. This was seen again when Jesse and Celine are taking the trolley/train through vienna, when they sit in the very back and ask each other questions about their relationship experiences. I liked that these different rides the characters went on took place in multiple locations, and even continued when Jesse and Celine roamed the city on foot, because a few of our previous films have taken place in small towns with just one location. It was refreshing to see all of this movement and new scenery. I loved the scene where Celine walks Jesse through the cemetery. I thought the cinematographers work in this particular scene was amazing; the colors were outstanding, and all of the different angles and perspectives were much different and gave me the feeling that this was a real moment that these two were having, rather than the random conversations in the streets of Vienna. I thought Celine's story of the people who washed ashore, were buried, and may not have names was interesting, and that it aided to the sense of realism. A quote I loved from this film is when she says, "If none of your family and friends knew you were dead, then it's like not really being dead. People can invent the best and worst for you." At first I laughed under my breath, but then I had an ah-ha moment when I realized it made sense when I thought about it. I thought it was funny that she's saying this as she's walking through a cemetery, but nevertheless I enjoyed it. For now, I guess my conclusive thought about this film is that Celine and Jesse were both enveloped by this feeling of being caught in an existential crisis of "what is love?" I'm hoping to get a better sense of this film as we watch the two films that follow this one, Before sunset and before midnight.
1 Comment
Paige Smith
4/17/2017 05:56:45 am
I'm glad someone enjoyed the classical music as much as I did, I felt like if the film played a different genre of music, it would have ruined the whole idea of what the film was trying to present!
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