For the past few weeks, I’ve been rather ill – to put it lightly. I’ve been bedridden, haven’t gone to class, and may have become slightly depressed. So with all this spare time (because I also haven’t been doing my work), you already know I watched some good movies. Now, two of these movies in particular sparked this idea that I haven’t been able to get out of my mind. I watched them back-to-back not knowing that they would create this interwebbing of thoughts in my mind about the idea of escapism and how films portray it in a vast amount of ways. Both Before Sunrise and Midnight In Paris go hand in hand with how they portray a different or new life as something one can escape to. Something new and exciting, contrasting to the “boring” or “mundane” lifestyle both protagonists come from. But is this an accurate representation of another’s way of living? Or is it all just a glossy finish over a life others live that they may see as their own mundane?

Before Sunrise is a beautiful film, and I’m surprised I haven’t watched it up until now. It follows Jesse and Celine, two people who meet on a train coming from Budapest. Jesse is on his way home, catching a plane from Vienna, while Celine is on her way back from her grandmother’s and going back to university. The two strike up some conversation, and when they reach Vienna, Jesse insists the two spend the night together roaming the city and getting to know each other. This sets our two leads in a whirlwind of fun, unique experiences that are driven by deep conversations about a range of topics. Since the film is based in conversation, the audience can really grasp who these individuals are. From their opinions about life and death to their reactions when encountering an eclectic character in the night, Jesse and Celine are revealed to be complex characters, making the film very compelling. 

In particular, the film places Jesse in an abnormal environment, Europe. And although it’s revealed he’s been traveling on his own for a bit, he seems lost and full of awe during his time in Vienna. He mentions how he has used Europe as a sort of escape from his life back home, that he extended his trip to stay in this new and exciting way of living. Jesse’s story actually parallels that of Ulysses by James Joyce. Now it’s very matter of fact, but it’s simply the idea of one not wanting to go home and longing for something as a distraction from the inevitable to come. Dublin in the novel is replaced with Vienna in the film, the events take place on a single day (same date for both the novel and film, June 16) and it helps that Jesse’s name is James, alluding to the author himself. Now, Celine is of course the opposite and very accustomed to the way of life there, having grown up in Paris and immersed in European living. However, throughout the film, both characters are wanting more for themselves. The theme of self-fulfillment is very prominent in their longing for more in life. They try to understand themselves and the world around them through the events of the night and use it to try and see what else is out for them in the world.

Now Midnight in Paris has a completely different plot line, but I think there’s a lot that the two films share. This film follows Gil, a screenwriter from California, and his fiance Inez, on their trip to Paris with her family. From the beginning, the audience can tell that the two have opposite lifestyles, that at most times clash with one another. Inez views Paris as just a nice place to visit, very exotic and new to her. She spends the film interested in the sights around the city, but more through an academic lens. Gil, on the other hand, falls in love with the city. When he gets there he immediately romanticizes it and tries to find all aspects of the city beautiful – noting that he thinks Paris is the most beautiful in the rain. However, he also longs to know what the city was like in the 1920s – a decade that is of peak interest to him due to the immense amount of art that flowed through the city at the time. He uncovers a way that allows him to shift time and ends up embarking on wonderful and wild adventures at night. This in turn lures him into the appeal of Paris and feeds his want to live there permanently. 

Now that’s cool and all right? Like, imagine going back in time with some famous art people and just getting to pick their minds about their work. It seems too good to be true – which Gil begins to realize. When he sees that characters in the 1920s want to go back to the Edwardian area because they believe that that is the true era of art and culture, he realizes that this idea of craving an escape to another time period is cyclical. That many have seen other times and places as “the right ones for them” and use it as a form of escapism from their present. 

This is where the two films intersect. In Before Sunrise, you have Jesse yearning for a new and exciting place to fill the void that living in America has given him. He extends his trip in the hopes of finding something for himself in the new places he visits. Which to him is a success, but how much is it really? He ends up going home and back to his regular life, he may have learned many things during his trip, but he still goes right back to where he’s from to live life normally again. 

Similarly, Gil imagines what the ideal world of 1920s Paris was and romanticizes life at the time. And although he does discover and is immersed in a culture that he loves, it can only last for so long. Because as soon as he realizes this can’t last forever, and that living in the present is more important, he stops himself from feeding into his escapist tendencies.

Now I think both these films portray this idea really well, the idea that we are never happy with our current situation and we’re always looking for something more. Like at the beginning, I said I was sick right, and what did I do – I watched movies to escape my current state. Those few hours were able to help me forget about my present self and immersed me in a new world. So just know this isn’t a bad thing, and I think using forms of media and literature is good as forms of escapism. The caution is to what extent are we using it to, and to remember that no matter how much you are not content with your state now, you’re here, present, and should make the most of what you have.