Round of 64 (Tier 1): Before Sunset vs. Harold and Maude

Round one is here. 61 years of film with 3 convenient ties. What film will come out on top?

For this round, we start with:

BEFORE SUNSET, the tender romantic reuniting of characters from Linklater's earlier BEFORE SUNRISE, but here we deal with the creeping regret and the dawning of the realization that we may be running out of chances.

Against...

HAROLD AND MAUDE, the prototypical quirky black comedy about the connections we make that can be otherwise challenged or suppressed by societal pressure. In a world with so much ugliness, is it wrong to accept tenderness in a relationship that everyone disapproves of?

The winner will move on to the next round. The full bracket is attached below.

 

@OhTheWater did you vote for the wrong film on accident?

 

I haven’t seen Before Sunset in a few years. I liked Harold and Maude!

 

tough choice but gotta go with BS

 

How long is voting open for and how quickly are we moving the bracket along?

just want to see if I how much time to watch the ones I haven't seen.

 

4 days per cluster. It will take 32 days to finish round one.

 

Harold and Maude is fun. It is one of the movies that I saw with the only girlfriend I have ever had that was "into" movies, but I haven't seen it in years. So much "quirky" humor would come from it, but like early Wes Anderson, Harold and Maude knew to balance it with genuine heart and emotion. It is all fun until people die.

Before Sunset has to triumph, though, as it is the best film in a remarkable romantic trilogy. How is it even possible, these three people that took very different career paths, but manage to craft such human characters that we want to see again and again? We can talk about Celine and Jesse like they are real people, and everyone can see part of themselves.

 

saw Harold and Maude for my first rewatch recently on a trip to LA at Tarantino’s theater on 35mm and it was quite the experience. But yeah. Sunset is special. Midnight is my favorite of the trilogy but Sunset is probably the best.

 

before sunset gang checking in

 

With 77 percent of the vote, Before Sunset will face The Big Lebowski in the Round of 32.