When we look back at the most defining moments of modern independent cinema, Richard Linklater’s ‘Before Sunrise‘ (1995) stands out for its naturalism. Yet, the effortlessly poetic chemistry between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy almost never happened.
While the naturalist approach helped transform the trilogy into one of the best romantic movies ever made, Hawke did not fully embrace it. After reading the original script, one monologue didn’t sit well with him. In fact, the actor refused to perform it as prescribed. And it was this very strike of creative stubbornness that saved one of the greatest romantic trilogies in cinema history.
How Ethan Hawke Saved ‘Before Sunrise’
In the early nineties, Linklater decided to cast Ethan Hawke after watching him in a play that also featured Anthony Rapp. The latter was one of Linklater’s actors from the production of ‘Dazed and Confused.’ At first glance, the casting choice seemed natural, but the expectations weren’t that simple.
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The filmmaker didn’t just want Hawke to play the role. He also wanted him to help flesh out the screenplay to achieve complete naturalism. The ‘Dead Poets Society’ actor was enthusiastic about the idea and thought he had already booked the part.
“We talked all about it, and he sent me the script, and I thought he was offering me the movie, and I had a lot of notes about it. But then, in fact, he wasn’t offering me the movie. He wanted me to audition,” Hawke told The Hollywood Reporter.
Of course, the audition went well, and Hawke landed the role of Jesse Wallace. But as he progressed through the writing exercise, the actor developed reservations about certain parts of the script. “I said, ‘Well, I’m not sure I want to do it,’” he recalled saying to Linklater.
Since Linklater had already envisioned Hawke bringing life to Jesse, he wanted to leave no stone unturned. When the director asked what didn’t sit well, the actor highlighted a monologue from the original script.
A Monologue That Hawke Pushed Back Against
The monologue in focus was supposed to take place when Jesse tries to convince Celine to get off the train with him in Vienna. Linklater imagined the character reciting a long monologue about John Huston’s ‘The Dead,’ a period drama from 1987.
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“I had a lot of concerns about the script,” Ethan Hawke said. “...I had a long monologue, I mean, I’m talking long, like four pages long, about why John Huston’s ‘The Dead’ is the greatest last movie ever made in the history of cinema. And while I agree with the sentiment, I didn’t think it made for good drama.”
Directed by John Huston, the 1987 classic was an adaptation of James Joyce’s work of the same name. It received positive reviews and is considered one of the most romantic films in cinema. So, why didn’t Hawke want to mention the movie?
The actor felt that reciting lengthy lines to convince a stranger to spend an entire night with him would look ridiculous. “That was what I was supposed to do to woo her, to get off the train or something,” he said, implying that the part lacked conviction.
By ditching the intellectual monologue and framing the conversation as a couple’s argument, the actors gave each other a chance to really talk about their life stories. Instead of a monologue about Huston’s movie, they opted for a more naturally developing conversation.
The characters tell each other what they have read, where they have been, and where they are heading. It creates an atmosphere of slow-burning romance, allowing them to explore each other intellectually and emotionally throughout the movie.
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