What filmmaking techniques does Before Sunset use?

CineCode breaks down 4 techniques in Before Sunset (2004): Ticking Clock Structure, Unbroken Dialogue Scene, Steadicam and Real Locations as Character.

Who directed Before Sunset?

Richard Linklater directed Before Sunset, released in 2004. CineCode also covers Dazed and Confused (1993), Before Sunrise (1995), The School of Rock (2003), A Scanner Darkly (2006), Bernie (2012), Before Midnight (2013).

What films are similar to Before Sunset?

Films that share techniques with Before Sunset include Rope (1948), Before Midnight (2013), On the Town (1949), The Hangover (2009).

Drama · Romance

Before Sunset

Richard Linklater, 2004

Nine years after a single night together in Vienna, American novelist Jesse meets Céline again in Paris at the end of his book tour. He has about an hour before his flight, so they walk and talk through the city. Watch how long Steadicam takes and a real-time clock keep the camera out of their way.

1 Narrative 1 Editing 2 Cinematography

At a glance

Before Sunset is a 2004 drama and romance film directed by Richard Linklater. This breakdown covers 4 techniques (1 narrative, 1 editing and 2 cinematography), each with the scene where you can see it. If you like how it is made, Rope uses several of the same techniques.

Narrative

Ticking Clock Structure

Building the story around a clear deadline the hero must beat. The time pressure and the obstacles grow with each scene until the climax.

How this film uses it

Jesse has to leave for the airport in roughly an hour, and the film plays in close to real time. Every minute spent talking is one less minute together. As the flight gets closer, you feel them say the things they held back.

Where to see it

The ride to her apartment: Jesse convinces his driver to take Céline home, even though she keeps saying he will miss his flight.

Editing

Unbroken Dialogue Scene

Letting a conversation run for a long time with very few cuts. The tension builds from the actors sharing the space and from what is said, almost said and left unsaid.

How this film uses it

Linklater lets the conversations run with very few cuts. You watch two people share a space and slide from small talk to the thing they really mean. The tension comes from what they almost say.

Where to see it

The talk about the novel: As they roam Paris, Céline admits she read Jesse's novel twice, and the two of them start talking about the night in Vienna that the book describes.

Cinematography

Steadicam

Mounting the camera on a stabilizing rig worn by the operator so it can glide smoothly through a space. It moves as freely as handheld but without the shake.

How this film uses it

The film is known for Steadicam tracking shots, and the longest runs about 11 minutes. The operator glides alongside the two leads through Paris streets without a shake. You feel like a third person walking with them.

Where to see it

The walk through Paris: Jesse and Céline wander the city together while the camera moves with them and the talk gets more personal.

Cinematography

Real Locations as Character

Filming in recognizable real places so the setting acts like part of the cast. Streets, buildings and landscapes shape the mood of the story.

How this film uses it

The whole film was shot on location in Paris. It opens inside Shakespeare and Company, a real bookstore on the Left Bank, and then follows them through streets and onto a barge on the Seine. The city feels like a third character in the romance.

Where to see it

The opening at Shakespeare and Company: Jesse talks to journalists about his novel, and Céline appears as he finishes.

Questions

Before Sunset: quick answers

What filmmaking techniques does Before Sunset use?: CineCode breaks down 4 techniques in Before Sunset (2004): Ticking Clock Structure, Unbroken Dialogue Scene, Steadicam and Real Locations as Character.
Who directed Before Sunset?: Richard Linklater directed Before Sunset, released in 2004. CineCode also covers Dazed and Confused (1993), Before Sunrise (1995), The School of Rock (2003), A Scanner Darkly (2006), Bernie (2012), Before Midnight (2013).
What films are similar to Before Sunset?: Films that share techniques with Before Sunset include Rope (1948), Before Midnight (2013), On the Town (1949), The Hangover (2009).

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