By Elena Hijazi | Staff Writer

Many hopeless romantics confide in romantic comedies to fill the void they have in their hearts with perfectly crafted, heart-warming love stories portrayed by attractive Hollywood movie stars, and they end up feeling more alone right after because of the distance these movies have from reality. However, Before Sunrise portrays a flawless and realistic rendition of two strangers, Celine, and Jesse, turning into something more. It is the best romance film I have ever seen, and the only one that you really need to watch if you are looking for authenticity. 

The entire movie is set in the enchanting streets of Vienna, and it is simply a long conversation between a man and a woman slowly but surely falling for each other. They meet on a train going to Vienna, and the film does a mesmerizing twist on the “love-at-first-sight” trope. Jesse does not fall in love with Celine from the moment he lays eyes on her, but something about her makes him feel like he could fall in love with her if he got to know her. He was right. They were, as Frank Sinatra would say, strangers in the night exchanging glances, wandering in the night, and sharing love before the night was through. In other words, before sunrise. 

The best part of the film is, without a doubt, its dialogue. The writing is simply exquisite. It is not over-the-top, and it feels like the way people converse in real life. This is probably one of the most quotable movies ever. “Isn’t everything we do in life a way to be loved a little more?” Heart palpitations are through the roof if you ask me. There is a level of comfort between the two characters that grows the more they get to know each other, and they feel free to share pieces of their hearts, pasts, minds, and souls with each other, slowly shedding the mask we all put upfront when we meet someone for the first time.

The entire movie is tantalizingly serene. We go through the day and eventually the night with these characters as they meet random people and go to unfamiliar places together. They talk about life and love and everything in-between. It was released in 1994, so the nostalgic pre-technological elements are heavily sensed in it, and human connection is thus elevated.  

The delicate chemistry between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy is magnificent to watch. This movie does not feel like a movie. It feels like real life. One of the things I love the most about it is the little awkward moments they share as well; who’s going to pay? Does he hold her bag for her? She caught him looking at her! These moments are what make this film so distinct from other “perfect” romances. It is magical, beautiful, and real, not necessarily in the sense of “love can be tragic and painful” real (even though this is the case), but in the sense of this could happen in real life. 

It is such a warm movie, and it is part of a trilogy. Its sequels “Before Sunset” and “Before Midnight” are just as good, each filmed 9 years apart from each other. If anything, the sequels get more and more realistic than this one because life gets heavier as we grow older, and the more you know someone, the more problems arise, and the more reality hits. They are, nonetheless, still warm and loving movies, but definitely more cynical than Before Sunrise. This is why Before Sunrise is my favourite out of the three, and it is the perfect watch for Valentine’s Day! It is a form of realist escapism, but rather positive. 

This is my take on Before Sunrise, I bestow it upon you with an open mind and heart. Thank you for taking the time to read this.