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 limited budget of $2.5M, Before Sunrise became a financial success, 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) showcases strategically placed dramatic framework, characteristic of Richard Linklater's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-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 traveling through Europe, a young American adrift and emotionally disconnected, having just visited his ex-girlfriend in Madrid. His solitude establishes his state of romantic disillusionment.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when As the train approaches Vienna, Jesse makes his impulsive proposition: since his flight leaves in the morning and he has no money for a hotel, he asks Celine to get off the train with him and spend the night walking around Vienna together.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 23 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 22% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Celine makes the active choice to step off the train with Jesse in Vienna. This irreversible decision launches them into their one-night adventure together, leaving behind her planned journey to Paris., moving from reaction to action.
At 45 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 45% of the runtime—arriving early, accelerating into Act IIb complications. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat On the Ferris wheel overlooking Vienna, Jesse and Celine share their first kiss. This false victory marks the height of romantic possibility - they are falling in love, but the clock is already ticking toward dawn and separation., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 68 minutes (67% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, In a dark alley, Jesse and Celine confront the impossibility of their situation. They discuss how beautiful things must end, and Celine admits she's afraid of never seeing him again. The whiff of death is the imminent death of their connection at sunrise., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 72 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 71% of the runtime. Jesse and Celine make a pact: no addresses, no phone numbers, but they will meet again in exactly six months on this same platform in Vienna. They choose faith in romantic destiny over practical arrangements, synthesizing spontaneity with commitment., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Before Sunrise's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. 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 Bad Guys, Ella Enchanted and The Evening Star. For more Richard Linklater analyses, see Hit Man, Boyhood and Before Sunset.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Jesse sits alone on a train traveling through Europe, a young American adrift and emotionally disconnected, having just visited his ex-girlfriend in Madrid. His solitude establishes his state of romantic disillusionment.
Theme
A German couple argues loudly on the train about their relationship, prompting Celine to move seats. This moment poses the film's central question: can genuine romantic connection survive the constraints of time and circumstance?
Worldbuilding
Jesse and Celine meet on the train when she changes seats to escape the arguing couple. They begin talking, discovering shared interests in books, relationships, and philosophy. The transient space of the train establishes the temporary nature of their connection.
Disruption
As the train approaches Vienna, Jesse makes his impulsive proposition: since his flight leaves in the morning and he has no money for a hotel, he asks Celine to get off the train with him and spend the night walking around Vienna together.
Resistance
Celine considers Jesse's unusual request. He makes a philosophical argument about the romantic possibilities of one night together versus wondering "what if" for the rest of their lives. Celine debates internally, weighing risk against curiosity.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Celine makes the active choice to step off the train with Jesse in Vienna. This irreversible decision launches them into their one-night adventure together, leaving behind her planned journey to Paris.
Mirror World
Walking through Vienna at sunset, Jesse and Celine encounter a street poet who writes them a poem containing the word "milkshake." This whimsical moment establishes the magical, serendipitous nature of their night together and the city as a character facilitating their connection.
Premise
Jesse and Celine wander through Vienna, visiting a record store listening booth, riding the Ferris wheel, and engaging in increasingly intimate philosophical conversations about love, death, religion, and identity. The promise of the premise unfolds as two strangers fall in love through dialogue alone.
Midpoint
On the Ferris wheel overlooking Vienna, Jesse and Celine share their first kiss. This false victory marks the height of romantic possibility - they are falling in love, but the clock is already ticking toward dawn and separation.
Opposition
As night deepens, their conversations turn to past relationships, fears, and the growing awareness that morning will separate them. They visit a church, a bar, and play a game of pretend phone calls to friends, each revealing vulnerability while time relentlessly advances toward Jesse's flight.
Collapse
In a dark alley, Jesse and Celine confront the impossibility of their situation. They discuss how beautiful things must end, and Celine admits she's afraid of never seeing him again. The whiff of death is the imminent death of their connection at sunrise.
Crisis
Walking along the Danube Canal in the pre-dawn hours, Jesse and Celine grapple with their feelings. They lie together in the grass, discussing whether to exchange contact information or let this remain a perfect, untainted memory.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Jesse and Celine make a pact: no addresses, no phone numbers, but they will meet again in exactly six months on this same platform in Vienna. They choose faith in romantic destiny over practical arrangements, synthesizing spontaneity with commitment.
Synthesis
As dawn breaks over Vienna, Jesse and Celine walk to the train station for their final moments together. They share tender goodbyes, each processing the weight of their decision to trust in a future reunion rather than exchange contact information.
Transformation
Jesse boards his train to the airport while Celine boards hers to Paris. A montage shows the empty locations of their night together - now suffused with meaning and memory. Both characters are transformed: no longer cynical about love but believers in romantic possibility, carrying their night in Vienna as proof that profound connection exists.