Relationship Maintenance and Development Pattern among the Main Characters
of the Movies ‘Before Sunrise’ and ‘Before Sunset’
Problem: How were the characters able to develop and maintain their relationship
throughout the movie?
Main Objective: To make use of existing contextual communication theories in
providing an explanation for relationship maintenance and development among the
characters in the movies ‘Before Sunrise’ and ‘Before Sunset’
Specific Objectives:
1. To identify specific instances which suggest relationship maintenance and
development among the characters in the movie;
2. To explain these instances to various contextual communication theories that
may give an understanding on how relationship was maintained and developed
by the characters;
3. To integrate these theories to come up with a model that may aid in explaining
and understanding how relationship was maintained and developed by the
characters.
The movie ‘Before Sunrise’ is a movie about yadayada . It involves two complete
strangers …. ‘Before sunset’ starts ten years after… yadayadayada picking up where
they left off… yadayada (introduce the movie… and tell that it is about the two strangers
that became soulmates).. If it helps, here are the write-ups found at the back of the DVD:
Before Sunrise
Yesterday strangers, today inseparable soulmates. But separate they must in just a few hours, Jesse and
Celine are making every moment count, pouring as much living as they can into the time before sunrise.
From Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused) comes another smartly observed tale of young people at
crossroads. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy play twentysomethings who meet on a train in Europe, sense a
connection and explore after-hours Vienna together. The people, places and allure of the city become their
sudden itineraries. Love is their destination. Along the way, there is a mutual sharing of hopes, jokes and
dreams, worry and wonder. It’s a day to linger in their memories and a valentine to young love forever.
Before Sunset
Jesse, writer from the US and Celine, a French working for an environment protection organization have
acquainted nine years ago on the train from Budapest to Vienna and meet again when Jesse arrives in Paris
for a reading of his new book. As they have only a few hours until his plane leaves, they stroll through Paris,
talking about their experiences, views and whether they still love each other, although jesse is already
married with a kid.
Ganito, eto ang delegation ng tasks….
Ako ang sa model and any questions pertaining to that (kasi baka Malabo sa inyo etc))…
ako rin yung sa iba sa social penetration…
Si Kriz sa proofreading at paggawa ng coherent and final paper natin based on our
contributions, kung gusto mo—dahil favorite mo—you can also add some things
regarding dialectic
Carla, sana ikaw yung sa Social Penetration (kahit onti lang) at yung sa (eto talga ang
sayo) uncertainty reduction aspect ng before sunrise and before sunset...
China … ikaw yung sa backgrounder… this film is about two strangers something
something…
Keks.. ikaw yung dun sa dialectic sana at sa ibang theories na pwedeng ilaga (lalo na
yung intra processes—kung mayroon man)
*Follow the model, ayt? Para coherent tayo. You can add in suggestions and inputs,
mamaya ko na lang pagagandahin yan pag final na.*
*Start tayo with a chronological account of events with explanations using social
penetration and uncertainty reduction. Just follow our objectives (cite an instance, then
associate with a theory) tapos later, we integrate them ‘parang kunwari may pattern
tayong nakita—our model, that is’ (mamaya pa iyan, hehe. You don’t need to worry
about that muna) For uncertainty reduction, for example, cite instances when they were
clarifying their points of view. For social penetration, yung instances when they share
some private things (life for example yung instance na yung si Celine described her
sexual experience and childhood memories). Remember that everything is chronological
so don’t mix the first and the second movies—we should consider them as separate,
ayt?
Then for relationship maintenance, yung interactional and dialectic. There are some
instances in the movie kung saan may mga internal dialectics. (Especially dun sa before
sunrise… yung sa sex part at yung sa ‘whether we should meet each other again or not’
or whether we should exchange phone numbers/addresses or not’). Marami pa dun.
Remember na separate dapat sila, wokei? Walang social exchange… Mas maganda if
you can cite from the book if you have readings. Wala pa kasi akong ganun eh.
Feel free to cite some intrapersonal instances and theories as well. Since dialoguedriven siya, much can be cited. That includes the processes that are going on in their
minds—more or less. The model is still subject to change depending on you. If you
happen to see the importance of some intrapersonal aspects sa development ng
relationship nila, we can add them to our model.
Syempre, di pwedeng simulan kung walang model. Open pa lahat ito sa suggestion and
criticism ninyo. Hehe.
The two circles represent two things (intimacy/closeness, as shown by the distances
between the circles) and shared knowledge about each other ….about Celine and Jesse
(modified version yan ng social penetration model—operates the same way as pero
different).
During the first movie (kaya nga nasa area ng before sunrise) most of the relationship
starts off with social penetration and uncertainty reduction (examples) ganun din sa
start ng before sunset. (bulk ay focused on these two goals)
On the second movie, as well as on the last part of the first movie, dialectics (kung
pwedeng ilagay yung international view rin) plays a big role in their relationship
development and maintenance.
As you can see in our model, they become more close and more shared knowledge is
disclosed as the relationship progresses. With more shared knowledge among the
characters, dialectics start to set in (paano kayo magkakakadialectiic kung wala kayong
alam sa isa’t isa diba?)
ALL these result to what they had at the end of the movie.