Urban Setup in the Before Sunset Movie - Essay Example

Urban Setup in the movie ‘Before Sunset The movie ‘Before Sunset’ is a sequel to ‘Before Sunrise’ that is a romantic drama of two individuals, who have been apart for years after a night-long romance. The story picks up after several years, as the protagonists run into each other again randomly and they both have seemingly moved on with their lives; with Jesse as a bestselling author and Celine working for the environment. They catch up from where they had left off, even though years have elapsed but their feelings for one another have remained unchanged and have not been able to find closure for their relationship. The movie has rightfully earned great critical acclaim for portraying the lives of two individuals, who love each other dearly but are always pulled apart because of their circumstances. Moreover, it was not just the plot of the story that was laudable but the premise of the film further entails several themes regarding the geographical and urban design of the contemporary society that has greatly isolated people and restricted interaction on a daily basis. Even in the past, films were tools that were used vastly as a means to promote a particular city or culture. The entire filming before sunrise was done in Paris, providing insight into how urban structure seems to have affected the lives of the masses. I. Urban Isolation The film depicts the life of both the protagonists and the degree to which their lives had changed over the period of their separation. Both Jesse and Celine portray contemporary individuals, who experience the rising problems of an urban society; loneliness being one of the primary issues. This concept is called urban isolation, which arises as a result of the layout of our society that prevents social encounters and interactions. From architecture to the overall communication network, modern civilization has been developed in such a way to protect the privacy of individuals that besides making things easier for people often results in people becoming more and more distant from each other. As a matter of fact, from residential buildings to everyday travel, privacy and seclusion are marketed as an asset and this feature is being made more attractive that makes people want to achieve it. This aspect is ostensible in the movie through the segregation that is believed to have been prolonged because of this aspect of the society. From the first movie, both of them had been heading towards opposite directions, although their circumstances kept them from reaching out to each other, but the period of their separation was further lengthened because of the communication barriers and the intensive privacy settings that further detach people from their surroundings. As they roam through the streets of Paris, this aspect becomes more and more pronounced as Celine’s apartment is completely shut off with hardly any commercial activity and Celine’s life was completely different that further impeded Jesse from finding where she was. This is why he had to rely on the book’s popularity and fame that would eventually draw her towards him so they can rekindle their romance. On a side note, the film actually depicts real life situations; this is vastly due to the fact that every individual is self-sufficient and living alone for an extended period of time makes them inept at socialization that subsequently breaks down the conventional notions of neighborhood and publics spaces. Moreover, with the rising crime rates it is further difficult for individuals to establish stronger bonds with other people because of the perceived threat that the society has ingrained in them. (Zukin, 1995) This can be some of the explanations that may have held both of them apart. Even though, Jesse actually does keep his word and wait for her, but Celine does not show up and unlike Jesse, Celine makes no effort whatsoever to meet because there are plenty of factors that women, in particular have to consider before keeping up with a commitment to meet a man that one has only known for a day. Despite the instant romantic connection they established, one can truly understand the reservations that held Celine back from searching him up. II. Neighborhood gathering places The cinematography of the movies revolves around some of the most picturesque locations of Paris. The couple traverses through antique halls that show the splendor of Parisian architecture and provides a glimpse in to the lives of the inhabitants of the city. Celine has been living in Paris for a very long time and has become quite accustomed to the city. The book shop Celine frequents is eventually visited by Jesse and she runs into him again while Jesse is on a book tour in Paris. Just like the first installment, Before Sunset the geography of the city is shown in a very cryptic manner and the camera shifts from the book store to the semi-crowded streets of Paris. The film also shows the protagonists stopping by at a café where they talk and catch up on all the things they had missed about each other over the years. The camera work can be compared to have a documentary feel to it, for nearly half of the movie the camera simply follows the pair as they walk through the streets of Paris. However, when juxtaposing the representation of society in the movie with that of real life one realizes that the outer world is greatly threatened by the increase in privatization and rapid urbanization. This rapid development has also given rise to the problem of ethnic strife as outlined by Zukin (1995), who further states that out of fear of violence and hate crimes, even public gathering places have lost their place in society and as a result are subjected to heavy surveillance and guarded by private police at all times. Due to the aforementioned fact, the sense of neighborhood in the contemporary is slowly declining as the sense of security within people diminishes. III. Urban Density and Elements of Physical Design When considering real world dynamics, the global society is getting more and more integrated that has led to a rise in urban density. The movie is an exact representation of that as Celine is an American expatriate in Paris and like the character there are several people who immigrate to and emigrate from America that led to a diffusion of population, subsequently giving rise to the urban density. Staying in a foreign land is yet another important theme discussed in the movie and capturing the scenic beauty of the country was an important part of film production. The physical design of the movie is largely based on capturing the lover’s rendezvous in the most beautiful and serene setting that would gradually depict the unfurling of their feelings for one another. The movie makes use of immaculate cinematography and is done vastly on the streets of Paris, with no elaborate sets. It complements the feelings of the two protagonists and further underlined the crossroads of their lives that they are now at, as they have matured and are sure of the choices Jesse and Celine are going to make at the then point of their lives. The film is particularly slow-paced but is indeed a great movie as it does not only have a good plot but also has well-defined protagonists that propel the story further and make it great as highlighted by Thomson (2011). Works Cited ‘Before Sunset’. Dir. Richard Linklater. Perf. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Warner Independent Pictures. 2004. Film. Thomson, David. ‘When is a great movie?: The Perils of Medium and Magic’. Harper’s Magazine. 2011. Print. Zukin, Sharon. ‘Whose Culture? Whose City? From the Cultures of Cities’. New York: Routledge. 1995. Print. Read More