Before Sunrise
American tourist Jesse and French student Celine meet by chance on the train from Budapest to Vienna. Sensing that they are developing a connection, Jesse asks Celine to spend the day with him in Vienna, and she agrees. So they pass the time before his scheduled flight the next morning together. How do two perfect strangers connect so intimately over the course of a single day? What is that special thing that bonds two people so strongly? As their bond turns to love, what will happen to them the next morning when Jesse flies away?
Despite its small-scale budget of $2.5M, Before Sunrise became a solid performer, earning $6.0M worldwide—a 139% return.
1 win & 7 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Before Sunrise (1995) exhibits meticulously timed story structure, characteristic of Richard Linklater's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 9-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 41 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 3.0, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Jesse Wallace
Céline
Main Cast & Characters
Jesse Wallace
Played by Ethan Hawke
An American traveler on his way home from Europe who meets Céline on a train. Idealistic, talkative, and searching for authentic connection.
Céline
Played by Julie Delpy
A French student returning to Paris who decides to spend one night exploring Vienna with Jesse. Intelligent, passionate, and deeply romantic.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Jesse sits alone on a train reading, isolated and detached. Celine sits nearby arguing couple in German, looking uncomfortable and disconnected. Both are in transit, literally and emotionally - observers rather than participants in life.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The Collapse moment at 67 minutes (66% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, In the listening booth record store, Jesse and Celine share an intensely intimate moment of silent connection while pretending to evaluate music. The "death" is metaphorical: they can no longer pretend this is casual. They must face that this perfect night is dying with the approaching dawn., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 73 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 73% of the runtime. Dawn arrives. Final conversations walking to the train station. They don't sleep, choosing to stay present for every remaining moment. Gentle intimacy, quiet acceptance. They board separate trains - she to Paris, he to the airport. No dramatic goodbye, just a lingering look as the train pulls away., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Before Sunrise's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 9 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping Before Sunrise against these established plot points, we can identify how Richard Linklater utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Before Sunrise within the comedy genre.
Richard Linklater's Structural Approach
Among the 10 Richard Linklater films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.0, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Before Sunrise takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Richard Linklater filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Richard Linklater analyses, see Boyhood, Before Sunset and Dazed and Confused.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Jesse sits alone on a train reading, isolated and detached. Celine sits nearby arguing couple in German, looking uncomfortable and disconnected. Both are in transit, literally and emotionally - observers rather than participants in life.
Theme
The arguing couple on the train demonstrates disconnection and inability to communicate. This negative example poses the film's central question: Is genuine connection possible, or are we all just ships passing in the night?
Worldbuilding
Jesse and Celine are established as strangers from different worlds - he's American, cynical about relationships; she's French, intellectual but guarded. Both are young, searching, in transition. The train becomes a liminal space between their old lives and possibility.
Resistance
Celine debates whether to get off the train with Jesse in Vienna. Internal resistance: fear of foolishness, safety concerns, the sensible choice to continue home. Jesse acknowledges the craziness but frames it as seizing a rare moment. She wrestles with spontaneity vs. caution.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The promise of the premise: two strangers wandering Vienna, falling in love through conversation. They visit a cemetery, listen to a street poet, play pinball, ride the Ferris wheel, share philosophies about life, love, death, and connection. Each scene deepens intimacy.
Opposition
The antagonist (time/reality) closes in. Conversations deepen but become tinged with melancholy. They roleplay phone calls to friends, intellectualize their connection to maintain distance, dance around the impending goodbye. The closer they get emotionally, the more painful the time limit becomes.
Collapse
In the listening booth record store, Jesse and Celine share an intensely intimate moment of silent connection while pretending to evaluate music. The "death" is metaphorical: they can no longer pretend this is casual. They must face that this perfect night is dying with the approaching dawn.
Crisis
Jesse and Celine walk in painful awareness of the ending. They discuss past relationships, disappointments, cynicism about love. The mood is darker - they're processing the impossibility of their situation. Should they exchange numbers? Make promises? Or protect themselves from inevitable heartbreak?
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Dawn arrives. Final conversations walking to the train station. They don't sleep, choosing to stay present for every remaining moment. Gentle intimacy, quiet acceptance. They board separate trains - she to Paris, he to the airport. No dramatic goodbye, just a lingering look as the train pulls away.