Name
Course
Professor
Date
“Time is a Lie” – The Essence of Before Sunset

Before Sunset is a spectacular film that tries very hard to restore one’s faith in lost connections. The movie has many interesting aspects to it. Quite a few interesting conversations are struck up by Jesse and Celine. But one aspect of the movie that really struck a chord was the cinematic realism in it. Linklater, the director, takes his time with the shots, letting the camera roll. “Time is fleeting”, as a caveat, has never been better portrayed. The movie plays with time at every turn, and the dialogue-heavy structure gives the character space to unfold. Jesse is trying to buy more and more time with Celine. He first takes her to a coffee shop, then a walk through the Parisian streets, followed by a boat ride down the river and finally some more time in the car ride and her apartment. Though the background changes continuously, the movie is essentially an 80 minute dialogue between the two characters. The fact that Linklater has not fast forwarded time in any of the scenes gives the movie a strong sense of realism. Nothing has been hurried. The characters take their own time to revive their lost connection. Throughout the movie, Linklater has played with time as a concept. As Jesse puts it during his book signing, “Inside every moment is another moment happening simultaneously” (Greco). The one exception to the on-screen realism takes place when Jesse is talking to reporters at the book signing about what his book is about. That takes him back to the lone night they spent together in Vienna. Linklater very elegantly switches between now and then, proving Jesse’s aforementioned quote. That present moment, of recounting what his book is all about, is infused with a past moment – what the book is all about. This break from realism actually adds to how real the movie is. It