Richard Linklater On Conversation as Plot

Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, and Ethan Hawke discuss dialogue-heavy films and the challenge of structuring a story about the development of a relationship. Phillip Lopate moderates this conversation as part of Film Society of Lincoln Center's Summer Talks series. Sponsored by HBO®.
About the film:
Nine years after we last saw Celine and Jesse (Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke), the couple are together in Greece. Richard Linklater's latest collaboration with Hawke and Delpy picks up the story that began nearly two decades ago in Before Sunrise (1995) and then continued with Before Sunset (2004).
In the new film, Before Midnight, Celine and Jesse are now in their 40s and grappling with the past, present and future of their relationship.
Watch the full talk here: • Summer Talks | Before ...

[@TheSimonBOULDER]

I love movies with dialogues. And I think I'm not alone

[@tommygrnrgtamafia197]

you're not alone at all. I think dialogue is key in many films. You can have a really good plot, but if you don't have character then it's boring and you're not into it. You can have all character and no plot and it still be great

[@chumbersdee]

My favorite films are dialogue films.

[@Recep007]

the man from earth

[@user-ko8zk2wu1s]

No, you're not.

[@sreerajsreekumar9764]

Suggests some films 😍

[@adityakripalani]

Loved it. I wish y’all had let Julie finish her like of thoughts though. She almost never had a chance to finish. Wanted to hear her more.

[@v-22]

Nope. The others are much more interesting and have a lot more to say.

[@pedestrian_0]

@@v-22 it's just common courtesy, something your little bum ass could never afford

[@DemocritusWept]

How in heck did Delpy and Hawke not win oscars for their performances? Just reinforces what a joke the awards are.

[@FleurPillager]

Let Julie speak!

[@theguardian6464]

naah...women speak too much anyway...

[@markoos88]

4:59!!!

[@thejokermakeup]

for real! i kept cringing every time they interrupted her

[@surajmichaeljackson]

shit! that blink!

[@mischahutchings71]

She had the smartest and most succinct comments of the three of them.

[@sethuraman8040]

Julie Delpy is allowed to talk only in the movie I suppose..

[@Furtivo95]

I find it a bit rude that Hawk and Linklater don't allow Delpy to finish her sentences. Yet Delpy never interrupts them. I wish they would let her talk because her character is central to the story.

[@varmaraviajay]

I know! So freaking annoying. Guess how that's real conversations go when there's a woman involved. Yuck

[@Furtivo95]

@Adam Harris Hawk and Linklater were trying to drive the convo too much instead of letting it be organically

[@sieteocho]

Julie's character is not central to the story. This is what Celine literally says in "Before Sunrise": "I really believe that if there’s any kind of god, he wouldn’t be in any one of us - not you, not me - but just this space in between. If there’s some magic in this world, it must be in the attempt of understanding someone else, sharing something, even if it’s almost impossible to succeed. But who cares - the answer must be in the attempt. " The Before Trilogy is not about Celine or Jesse. It's about the space in between them.

[@Furtivo95]

@@sieteocho the fact that Celine came up with that magnificent line only proves my point, no? Btw Delpy developed a lot of Celine’s dialogue. Linklater even said that “Sunrise” was inspired by a woman he encountered in Philly. Thank you reminding me of that quote, I’m going to type out and frame it.

[@sieteocho]

@@Furtivo95 Yes it disproves your point, and it should be obvious that Jesse and Celine are equals. Julie Delpy was an active member of the screenwriting team from the second movie onwards, and probably that line was not from her.

[@rachelcain5688]

Julie is trying to say something brilliant and Richard and Ethan keep talking over her...

[@ajmacconville1]

great set of movies. but why do the guys keep interrupting Julie Delpy on this panel? She looks like she's getting really pised off!

[@thomkaping]

one movie imprinted in my heart... I don't know... It has changed my perception of love and life. Greatest I've ever seen.

[@thebossman80s]

thmmj kapnj the second film before sunset is even better, it’s the best of the trilogy

[@KayBeeJay]

Let Julie talk damn it

[@cegalo12]

This video feels why Delpy didn't want to make the fourth film...

[@comfortm1506]

There was gonna be a fourth film?!

[@pedestrian_0]

It's a trilogy not a fast and furious task

[@TheMikiros]

I love dialogue movies

[@Tousicle]

LFTS does a great breakdown of its structure

[@blackcountrywalker]

Will they ever make a Before Dawn film. love in the twight years of our lives.

[@lawsonj39]

Dawn is kind of the same as sunrise. Before Noon, maybe?

[@NoOne-ky1er]

She enters the conversation after it's 1/4th over. Everyone is interrupting eachother, not that they are interrupting 'her' exclusively.

[@123rebelguy]

For me it was a modt hard triology to write .... to be a writter you really have to learn the psychology of charecters and audience at the same time and thats the hardest part ..

[@savannap1338]

omg i can read between the lines yall looked into the future saw an actual real couple who actually lived this way. that is me

[@nict5828]

No , that's me.

[@varmaraviajay]

Why do they keep talking over her?? It's so annoying

[@user-eh6md6bj2i]

Ethan Hawke sexualizing Julie Delpy with those jokes wasn't really necessary. And you can see Julie being put in the awkward situation of having to laugh even though she didn't appreciate it, otherwise she'd be seen as too stuck up. Like Ethan saying the "bimbie" version is her real self, and asking her to dance suggestively in front of everyone. People can say it's harmless. I'm just saying it's annoying and cringe to watch.

[@sieteocho]

First, the sexualisation of Julie Delpy is necessary. I've watched the first 2 films and Julie Delpy being a sexual object of desire for Ethan Hawke was not the main ingredient of the Before series - the intellectual conversation was always going to be the main course - but the movie would not have worked without Julie Delpy being a sexy female. I haven't watched Before Midnight but I can imagine that when Julie Delpy becomes less sexy the dynamic of the relationship will change. Second, it was mentioned in another clip that the entire intention was for Celine to be more than a one dimensional character, so the notion that Celine is a bimbo is just not even worth considering. Third, the Nina Simone scene was brought up as an example of the characters being allowed to act. Not about Julie being sexy. In fact, it goes back to how the conversation is the essential part of the plot. Celine is trying to seduce Jesse before boarding the plane and isn't even trying to be subtle about it. And in general there are a lot of people talking about how Julie is not being allowed to speak, but they're not actually trying to even follow this conversation in the first place. The before trilogy is anti-reductionist but these guys are adamant that they want to reduce this entire panel discussion to "the guys aren't letting Julie speak".

[@davidaaronartist]

When you are empty you became full .zen movie

[@misstery5942]

Privacy and identity $old to the highest bidder... fuck howbthe DEAD WOMAN feels about it!

[@misstery5942]

He has absolutely no right to speak about this DEAD WOMAN without her permission perhaps she doesn't like her life to be made a ridiculous public fairytale movie. And perhaps she wouldn't be so happy to see her real life made public and the whole to learn of her death

[@louise221b]

What dead woman