5 Reasons Why Richard Linklater's Before Midnight Could Complete Perfect Trilogy

4. Both Previous Films Are Completely Interchangeable

A lot of trilogies have those pictures where it's obvious why you could like one more than the other. Maybe you thought the Joker provided for a more mentally stimulating villain and threat, or you thought Short Round was the most annoying sidekick of all time, or the first Lord of the Rings had a serious lack of Orlando Bloom elephant-surfing, and that's just a deal-breaker for you. Whatever you want to say, you're completely within your own right and reasons to justify why one picture is better than the other. A lot of trilogies up the ante in their second feature, or make drastic changes to character, location, or plot. The Before films (so far) do not. Ultimately, they're almost identical, with the "newer" elements being that of passed time and location. It's a rarity and to pull it off effectively is almost unheard of. Think about it. Before Sunrise has two characters meeting, sharing intimate conversation, talking about their past lives, and falling in love in a far-away land (for at least one of them). Before Sunset is the exact same film, with the same scenario, despite the fact that the characters are the same people, but radically evolved from when we last saw them. And yet, the film is as fresh and inspiring as you could imagine. In that respect, you could obviously prefer one over the other, as I know many people who prefer Sunset to Sunrise, but at the end of the day, you're comparing two pictures that find their strongest successes in their likeness.

"Maybe what I'm saying is, is the world might be evolving the way a person evolves. Right? Like, I mean, me for example. Am I getting worse? Am I improving? I don't know. When I was younger, I was healthier, but I was, uh, whacked with insecurity, you know? Now I'm older and my problems are deeper, but I'm more equipped to handle them."