Before Sunset by Linklater - Movie Review Example

“Before Sunset” by Linklater Urban Planning, Urban Design and Urban Environment Evaluation Issues concerning urban planning prove inevitable in the contemporary society. Because of urban planning, most countries are termed as developed, developing, or underdeveloped. Evidently, from Linklater’s movie “Before Sunset,” significance of open space for cities, physical landscape for big towns and surrounding all are eminent issues that concern urban planning. The movie is fascinating and intriguing in terms of its effective presentation of urban planning of the city of Paris. This city gives a perfect example of the manner in which big city should be structured for the well-being of citizens and tourists. Structures in Paris seem to present contemporary architectural complexity as the two characters reconnect. Even though Jesse has limited time in Paris because of the plane that he should catch, the two lovers maneuver through the sophisticated city within a very short time (Johnson 56). These characters walk through Paris and talk, sit in a coffee outlet and talk, they movie into a boat where more talks are held, and yet they do not get bored in their conversation. The contemporary city planning allows people to have fan in many different places within a short period. The physical landscape of Paris puts into consideration the urban density. The movie as well reveals the neighborhood of Paris as an imperative part of urban planning. A crucial component in urban planning is the orientation of the city’s open space. By open space, the focus is on streets, parks, squares, and rivers flowing through the city. All these elements serve as open space for residents (Horton and Joanna 102). The movie has a clear depiction of beautiful streets, parks, residential houses, business premises, and Seine River. In fact, the filmmaker has much focus on what happens on the boat in Seine River as the two main protagonists engage in a conversation on the boat. There is a close comparison on the appearance of Paris as a modern city and New York City nine years ago, a time when the two protagonists met in Linklater’s previous film “Before Sunrise.” Contrasted with New York City nine years ago (when Jesse and Celine were in Vienna), streets in Paris (France) appear narrow with fewer vehicles and less pedestrian. This is a clear show of how Europe embraced modernity in city architectural planning. Most structures in their style are aligned on both sides of the streets. The movie director of “Before Sunset” achieves in portraying the urban planning of Paris through Seine River and the park. Based on the increasing pressure on urban centers, contemporary architecture should consider it necessary to create some open spaces for city dwellers. The open space in addition to giving the city its aesthetic value, it serves to give people public space for relaxation and conversation with each other. Lack of adequate open space for big cities may give a dull impression of the urban planning strategy used. For many years now, Seine River is an important and famous landscape for Paris. The mention of this river brings nothing else but memories of people spending their time in Paris. Visiting Paris does not make sense to a tourist if he or she does not get the fascinating sight of Seine River. Furthermore, public areas like the common park offer a great platform for people to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the open space. Through urban planning, the reader realizes that a ferry is a mode of transport in Paris. In this movie, there is a ferry connecting the two sides of the city through Seine River. Apart from the ferry being a mode of transport, it serves as a perfect open space for people to view and enjoy the luxury of the city scenery along the river as they talk to one another (Horton and Joanna 112). Most contemporary cities emanated from population density. There is a clear portrayal of business premises located near residential areas of Paris. For instance, there is a small coffee shop that Jesse and Celine meet, as well as the bookstore where Jesse answers a number of questions from three journalists. Urban planning requires that shopping centers and shops are structured in the region where there is high population density. The rationale behind such urban planning results from increased human activities that cause rapid development of business centers. The small coffee shop and bookstore within the residential area give a clear picture of urban planning for convenience. People would not wish to walk or drive for long distances from their houses in search of a place for coffee. Building the small coffee new residential areas is a great idea for the city planners of Paris. However, through the movie, the audience realizes the negative implications of people living in the suburb regions of the city. One clear disadvantage is stagnated development in terms of the economy for the suburb regions. It is important for federal government to encourage shifting of some business activities to the outskirts of city centers. Lastly, “Before Sunset” brings out the importance of neighborhood. Urban population seems to affect the rate of development in the neighboring regions of the Paris (Stone 34). The contemporary society indicates that people are preoccupied with personal work to the extent of overlooking the neighborhood. This is different when it comes to this movie. Linklater reveals a harmonious Paris neighborhood. People in the neighborhood of the city constantly enjoy a huge barbecue party and converse across balconies of their houses. This shows that people lead a friendly life and care about each other’s welfare. In conclusion, Linklater’s movie “Before Sunset” is a great movie that depicts the structure of good urban planning. The city landscape is good in terms of planning for public spaces where people can relax and meet. Urban planning should consider decongesting the city centers so that life becomes more meaningful in the suburb regions of the city. This is clear with Paris in the movie since there are narrow streets lined with buildings and less pedestrian. People always enjoy their lives through coffee shops and partying. Works Cited Horton, Andrew and Joanna, Rapf. A Companion to Film Comedy. Malden, MA: Wiley- Blackwell, 2012. Print. Johnson, David. Richard Linklater. Urbana: Univ. of Illinois Press, 2012. Print. Stone, Rob. The Cinema of Richard Linklater: Walk, Dont Run. Columbia University Press, 2013. Print. Read More