Before Sunrise And The Slacker Genre Film Studies Essay

Before Sunrise, is a movie featuring two strangers, Celine and Jesse, who met on a train and spent a night sharing experiences, thoughts and affections, but parted before sunrise. The movie has a taken a minimalist plot as it involves the two characters walking around the city of Vienna, sharing their experiences openly as they believe they may never get to see each other again. Its sequel is a 2004 movie called Before Sunset, which continues with the story. Celine and Jesse meet each other after nine years. They walk around the city of Paris talking about their experiences especially on issues to do with life and love, and they realize they still love each other. They agree to meet again at the same place six months later as the train leaves.

This paper presents a review of the genre of the two movies and the significance of the applied genre.

Slacker genre

Before Sunrise and Before Sunset belong to the slacker genre. They have deviated from the convention plot which characterizes Hollywood movies. The movies have a minimalist plot whereby the characters are followed throughout the cities as they walk and talk about their experiences. Because of this, nothing much seems to happen and the movies therefore seem to have no plot. Lack of plot in the movies is also emphasized by the fact that the movies have no antagonists or protagonists, and they do not revolve around a conflict as is the case with Hollywood movies. The two characters simply stroll around the respective cities in the two movies and talk about issues ranging from religion, life, love, and the cities. At no point do they engage in a conflict.

Generation X films and Characters

The characters in the movies belong to Generation X. Jesse and Celine’s love reflects that of teens whose grasp of aspects such as reality, and emotions seems weird. They fall in love deeply despite the reality facing them that they may never see each other again. In Before Sunrise, the characters engage in low key laughter, which seems to emerge from interactions of the main characters. The way they relate makes the film look like a love story rather than like a romantic comedy. Their love seems perfect with no commitments, obstacles, conflicts, or change of lifestyle to fit in to the others world. Thei9r love seems so real and it is the best kind of love ever seen on screen (Before Sunrise). In Before Sunset, the same kind of love continues between the characters. It seems as if they have been together all along. Obstacles that would seemingly affect the love such as Jesse’s wife and son, and Celine’s boyfriend do not come in to their way. The two movies showcase a love only possible among the generation X who do not let anything get in to their way. The characters are thus exemplary of Generation X.

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The two characters seem to be hyper-talkative. Unlike in the Hollywood movies which center the main idea around a conflict which needs to be resolved urgently, these movies present a situation where the characters are living in the moment. They are totally open to each other due to their heightened romantic involvement; unlike in Hollywood Movies whose source of conflict is secrets and lack of openness. Jesse and Celine want to share the moments they have and make it last forever.

The movies setting and ideals as well as the genre are clear indications that the target group is young people, who believe in a love that can endure all kinds of obstacles. The movies are expressing the strong emotions that are usually repressed in individual’s everyday lives. The movies have taken details found in our everyday lives and transformed them in to moments of strong emotions. These are however a reality among teenagers who believe in a strong kind of love that is unconditional, and they are best expressed in Generation X films. In addition, the idea of wandering in a foreign city with a stranger you have just met but feel emotionally connected brings about a feeling of intoxication among young people than it would in older adults.

Significance of the Deviation from Hollywood Conventional Plot

Deviation from the conventional Hollywood plot brought about a different kind of reality from that brought about in the Hollywood plot. The deviation has enabled the movie to bring about the interpersonal connections that exist between people and that allow them to find new value in their lives. Despite having deviated from the social norms and ideals of the Hollywood conventional plot, the movies are fully achieved art works with a lot of creativity and suspense created through repeated viewings. The movie offers illusion of an eternal moment and a fulfillment of a dream by capturing the significance of each moment in the scenes despite their seemingly messy complexity. Despite being plotless, the movies are well structured in terms of the things the characters say to each other, when, and how they say them (Before Sunrise).

Varying Aspects of the Movies from those of Hollywood narrative Convention

Deviation from the Hollywood plot in the movies was achieved through incorporating or leaving out a variety of aspects. One of these aspects is the setting. Instead of the elaborate setting in movies with convectional plots, these movies revolve around similar settings which are not elaborate. The two characters are first seen in the train where they meet, and after that, the setting changes to the cities where they stroll. In Before Sunrise, they enter in to places such as bars, and restaurants (Before Sunrise). Before Sunset has a similar setting whereby they walk around Paris entering in to places like gardens and restaurants.

The film language is different from that of Hollywood movies. The camera movements of the movies are quite unique. There is a lot of reframing which results to viewing repetitions in Before Sunrise which help in capturing emotions (Before Sunrise). Before Sunset is majorly inclusive of long-take tracking pictures. Their significance is that they have enhanced realism which is non-existent. The movie has contrasting and masterful lighting. The dialogue between the characters is light and calculated as they talk about their lives, love, and their experiences. This is contrary to the conventional plot whose dialogue is strong basing on the conflict.

Character development is not given much significance as the story itself. Celine is presented as a modern woman who is confident and smart. She is also presented as funny and lovely. Jesse on the other hand, is a bit old fashioned, goofy, intelligent, and sensitive. He is also evasive as he avoids confessing of having any romantic feelings.

In order to tell the story without necessarily employing a specific plot, the movies have employed a simple narrative structure. The immediacy of each of his scenes through calculated revelations of the characters about their lives, feelings and opinions about things. The point at which they reveal details about themselves, and how they reveal them are gradual and elaborate. It does not consist of a conflict waiting to be resolved, or protagonists and antagonists. The structure gives the movie its substance which is the details the characters reveal about themselves, how they tell them, and the memories they have about their encounters.

Conclusion

The movies, Before sunrise and Before Sunset present a love story that is strong and fragile at the same time. The movies are however quite unique as they belong to the slacker genre. The movies have completely deviated from the Hollywood Conventional plot through the use of different kinds of settings, lighting, and narrative structure. Most importantly, the storyline deviates from the narrative convention as the storyline itself which does not have such aspects such as protagonist, antagonist or conflict which are considered significant. These aspects have made the movies to be considered as examples of slacker genre, and to the overall success of the movies.