How Richard Linklater connects ‘Waking Life’ and ‘Before Sunrise’
Director Richard Linklater has one hell of a filmography to his name. He wrote and directed one of the greatest coming-of-age comedies of all time, Dazed and Confused, provided a brilliant adaptation of Philip K. Dick with 2006’s A Scanner Darkly and took charge of one of the most beloved comedies ever made School of Rock, starring Jack Black in one of his best ever roles.
Linklater has been known to mix his filmography together, particularly in his 2001 rotoscope-animated film Waking Life, which features a number of parallels to his 1991 movie Slacker. Both films feature a protagonist who finds themselves in conversation with several eclectic characters, where they discuss philosophical concepts, conspiracy theories and popular and theoretical culture.
Yet perhaps the most curious link with Linklater when it comes to Waking Life is the fact that one scene features the characters Jesse and Celine, played respectively by Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, from his 1995 romantic drama Before Sunrise. The characters are also both featured in the sequel movies Before Sunset and Before Midnight.
The scene in question sees Jesse and Celine discussing the nature of memory, consciousness and reality. They talk about the idea of reincarnation and that one’s life might actually be the final throes of a mind before it shuts down after death. It’s a touching moment in the film and shows Jesse and Celine happily together, talking about the things couples like to ruminate on when spending a sunny morning together in bed.
In an interview with PopMatters, Linklater once opened up on the connection between his two films and how Waking Life might serve audience members who know his previous work differently, and the scene with Delpy and Hawke may appear as a sort of cinematic “memory”.
“Fever dream!” he said. “Personally, I just kind of opened it up, and it’s about film history, too. I just saw my own creations float back in with something to offer this movie. Julie and Ethan, from Before Sunrise — what they’re saying is incredibly relevant to Waking Life.”
Linklater continued, “It’s some of the key thoughts that fit into the film. But it doesn’t mean anything literally, and you don’t have to know them to know what’s happening in the film. I wasn’t too precious about it.” Thankfully, the idea of including the characters made its way into the film, and it’s one of the most memorable scenes in the movie, which admittedly includes several!
