It is both a movie and a literary work. "The Before Trilogy" tells the story of the intersection of two strangers due to a chance encounter.

ChungT.
2月27日
讀畢需時 4 分鐘

"There is only so much that can be expressed in words. We have many impressions that cannot be conveyed in words, so for most of our lives, Yongda has been unable to express himself to others."

"The Before Trilogy" [25th Anniversary Precious Collector's Edition]

Spanning twenty years, can Céline and Jesse face real life together?

"Before Sunrise"

In 1995, on a train from Budapest to Vienna, American youth Jesse met French girl Céline. The chance encounter made them change their itinerary: Jesse invited Céline to get off in Vienna and tour Vienna together. Even though they knew this might be their only and last chance to see each other, they still decided to spend a few hours together and agreed to meet again in half a year.

"Before at Sunset"

In 2004, Jesse, who had become a writer, came to Paris to promote the book based on this encounter, and on the day of the press conference, Céline showed up. Jesse, who was about to catch a flight back to the United States after sunset, used the last few hours in Paris to walk with Céline on the streets of Paris. They talked about their experiences over the past nine years and quickly regained the close connection they had when they first met, and lamented the changes in life.

"Before Midnight"

In 2013, Jesse and Céline continued their love in the ancient streets of Greece after Vienna and Paris. Now in their forties, the two have finally gotten married and have a pair of twin daughters. Under the poetic and beautiful scenery of Greece, they examine the past, present and future together, redefine family and romance, reveal real life, work and external temptations, and explore what true love is.

The complete classic play of "The Before Trilogy", relive the love story of Jesse and Céline!

Breaking the traditional love movie formula, it depicts the story of two strangers who intersect because of a chance encounter and then completely change their lives. The hero and heroine talk about everything from daily trivia, feelings, ambitions to the taste of life and perspectives on life, making people feel as if they are in their real world, following them through these 18 years of life experiences.

Excerpt One

Jesse

Listen, if somebody gave me the choice right now, of to never see you again or to marry you, alright, I would marry you, alright. And maybe that's a lot of romantic bullshit, but people have gotten married for a lot less.

Celine

Actually, I think I had decided I wanted to sleep with you when we got off the train. But now that we've talked so much, I don't know anymore. Why do I make everything so complicated?

Excerpt Two

JESSE

Look at this - it’s beautiful. I mean, could you imagine an American architect saying, “Hey, Bob, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we put a giant angel on top of this building just for people to have something beautiful to look at.” It might start out like that, but before too long it’d be, “Sorry, Hank, boss said nix on the giant angel. He’s thinking more along the lines of a flagpole.”

CELINE

Americans always think Europe is perfect. But such beauty and history can be really oppressive. It reduces the individual to nothing. It just reminds you all the time you are just a little speck in a long history, where in America you feel like you could be making history. That’s why I liked Los Angeles because it is so...

Whether you have seen these three movies or not, you must have heard their names: "Before Sunrise", "Before Sunset", "Before Midnight"

This is not a blockbuster film, nor does it follow the conventional way of writing a screenplay. This romantic love movie has no main plot, but guides the audience with a nearly real timeline. A marathon conversation, full of ups and downs and spontaneity. The conversation may seem insignificant, but that's life. Movies weave life into literary works and write experiences into short stories. Language is a channel of communication, but it is also a tool for escape, misleading, and self-protection. In the world of beauty, it is easy to fall into the sophistry of language. When love comes, time may not be as important as we think, and the eternity of the moment seems to be real.

From youth, youth to middle age; from romance, confusion to maturity.

"The Before Trilogy" presents three forms of love, allowing the audience to re-explore their own hearts again and again. There is no perfect relationship in this world. Life is long and boring. Romance dramas don't happen every day. Sometimes there is happiness, sometimes there is sadness. Daily companionship is the noblest romance. When people interact with each other, the topics of conversation are not limited to politics, current affairs, interpersonal relationships, and vague memories, but they reveal the truth about themselves through endless anecdotes. In this way, the connection between people is established. The technique of this movie is the same, allowing the audience to directly feel the story of Jesse and Celine, and reflect through these stories, when did we forget ourselves and give up the instinct to love many things. All the experiences in the past were once so wonderful, why is there only endless pain now?

A script, a movie, a piece of literature.

"The Before Trilogy" breaks the routine of traditional romance films and tells the story of two strangers who are intertwined by an accidental encounter and experience spanning 18 years. In 2020, the film celebrated its 25th anniversary and released a collection of the trilogy scripts with complete Chinese translation subtitles, rather than the film version. The male translator translated Jesse and the female translator translated Celine, accurately grasping the characters' personalities and staying closer to the spirit of the original text. This collector's edition includes complete scenes and dialogue, as well as some beautiful stills. Even if you don't want to learn how to write movie scripts, you can read this book as a novel and savor it carefully.