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The 'Before' Trilogy
In Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise (1995), two young lovers, the American Jesse (Ethan Hawke), and the Frenchwoman Celine (Julie Delphy), meet on a train travelling across Europe and spend a magical night together in Vienna before parting at dawn. Filmed in nine-year intervals, the film's sequels Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013) forge an unexpected trilogy brimming with longing, second chances and resentments as the couple meet again and build a relationship.
Lucas Hilderbrand reflects on the experience of falling in love with, living with and having one's own life shaped by the Before trilogy. Tracing the story of the films' production, he considers the contribution of the leading actors, particularly Delphy, to their screenplays. He offers a close reading of each of the Before films, considering the extent to which they operate beyond the generic norms of romantic comedy or melodrama, incorporating aspects of realism and emotional authenticity through their location shooting, long takes and near-real time temporality. Treating the films as time capsules of their respective historical moments, Hilderbrand considers how evolving politics and technologies impact or interrupt the characters' intimacy, while placing the trilogy in conversation with other films. All the while, he pays attention to the trilogy's subjective impact on viewers across its eighteen-year timespan – and its continuing afterglow.
Lucas Hilderbrand reflects on the experience of falling in love with, living with and having one's own life shaped by the Before trilogy. Tracing the story of the films' production, he considers the contribution of the leading actors, particularly Delphy, to their screenplays. He offers a close reading of each of the Before films, considering the extent to which they operate beyond the generic norms of romantic comedy or melodrama, incorporating aspects of realism and emotional authenticity through their location shooting, long takes and near-real time temporality. Treating the films as time capsules of their respective historical moments, Hilderbrand considers how evolving politics and technologies impact or interrupt the characters' intimacy, while placing the trilogy in conversation with other films. All the while, he pays attention to the trilogy's subjective impact on viewers across its eighteen-year timespan – and its continuing afterglow.
- GenresFilm
112 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 16, 2025
About the author
Lucas Hilderbrand
9 books7 followersLucas Hilderbrand lives in Los Angeles and teaches film and media, visual, and queer studies at the University of California, Irvine. He has written on the pleasures and politics of video bootlegging, the mediations of queer memory, and the ambiguities of experimental documentary.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 24, 2026
Hyperbole aside, The ‘Before’ films changed my life. So when I received this as a gift from a friend, I was excited to delve further into these films and to re-examine them in relation to their historical contexts.
The author displays an astute understanding and appreciation of the films and their monumental impact on viewers who universally fall in love with these characters. It acts both as an in-depth retelling and critique of each film, and as a personal reflection of what the films mean to the author himself.
Well worth the read if you love these films as much as I do!
The author displays an astute understanding and appreciation of the films and their monumental impact on viewers who universally fall in love with these characters. It acts both as an in-depth retelling and critique of each film, and as a personal reflection of what the films mean to the author himself.
Well worth the read if you love these films as much as I do!
November 19, 2025
It’s wonderful to have a smart analysis of all three films in a slim volume even if the author may not be old enough to see into the third film as clearly as he does the first two.
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July 28, 2026“Cinephilia is my sexual orientation.” -p.11
“Linklater has said that connecting with another person was the most dramatic thing that has ever happened to him. He exemplifies autodidacticism as a film-maker and as a person interested in the ways of the universe. Cinephiles are likewise usually self-taught — or more accurately, self-invented — in their voracious but idiosyncratic seeking-out of moments of bliss and beauty at the movies.” -p.19
“Based on what we know — he flew to Europe to see a girlfriend who did not love him — he falls in love easily, whereas, by Céline's account, her most recent relationship was essentially a pity fuck. Men can be more sentimental than women; they're just usually worse at expressing it.” -p.41
“[Céline and Jesse] love to listen to each other's perspectives, and their teasing banter communicates that they know each other, even when they fight. They remind us that being truly interested in another person is an act of generosity and that avidity can be a way of life.” -p.96
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9/10.
“Linklater has said that connecting with another person was the most dramatic thing that has ever happened to him. He exemplifies autodidacticism as a film-maker and as a person interested in the ways of the universe. Cinephiles are likewise usually self-taught — or more accurately, self-invented — in their voracious but idiosyncratic seeking-out of moments of bliss and beauty at the movies.” -p.19
“Based on what we know — he flew to Europe to see a girlfriend who did not love him — he falls in love easily, whereas, by Céline's account, her most recent relationship was essentially a pity fuck. Men can be more sentimental than women; they're just usually worse at expressing it.” -p.41
“[Céline and Jesse] love to listen to each other's perspectives, and their teasing banter communicates that they know each other, even when they fight. They remind us that being truly interested in another person is an act of generosity and that avidity can be a way of life.” -p.96
——————
9/10.
March 15, 2026
“They remind us that being truly interested in another person is an act of generosity, and that avidity can be a way of life.”
Lucas Hilderbrand’s The Before Trilogy is a thoughtful and insightful analysis of one of my favorite film trilogies. What I appreciated most was how the book explores the emotional depth of the films, the way conversation, curiosity, and time shape relationships. It captures why these movies feel so intimate and meaningful. A lovely bonus is that the book also includes photo stills from the movies, which made revisiting those moments even more special while reading.
As someone who loves the trilogy, it was fascinating to see its themes of love, connection, and growing older examined so carefully. Hilderbrand clearly understands what makes these films special. A great read for anyone who wants to reflect a little deeper on a trilogy that feels so real and human <3
Lucas Hilderbrand’s The Before Trilogy is a thoughtful and insightful analysis of one of my favorite film trilogies. What I appreciated most was how the book explores the emotional depth of the films, the way conversation, curiosity, and time shape relationships. It captures why these movies feel so intimate and meaningful. A lovely bonus is that the book also includes photo stills from the movies, which made revisiting those moments even more special while reading.
As someone who loves the trilogy, it was fascinating to see its themes of love, connection, and growing older examined so carefully. Hilderbrand clearly understands what makes these films special. A great read for anyone who wants to reflect a little deeper on a trilogy that feels so real and human <3
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February 12, 2026review text for 4321
July 5, 2026
Yes, I too have fallen in love with a movie❤️
August 26, 2026
Not anywhere near a masterpiece of a book, but these are three of my favorite movies. So any additional time spent with these characters is a 5 star experience.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews