The Golden Globe-winning filmmaker Richard Linklater has experimented all. From indie to crowd-pleasing studio, decade-long inspiring films to teen comedy-drama. He has experimented with cinema with his long journey of two decades, contributing to World Cinema. Linklater has kept a continuous generosity of spirit and emphasis on intellectual and spatial openness throughout — his characters can’t and shouldn’t, be contained.
Below is the best cinema by Richard Linklater.
1. Before Sunset
Jesse, a writer from the United States. Celine, a Frenchwoman who works for an environmental group. They have met on the train from Budapest to Vienna nine years ago. Now, they will meet again when Jesse arrives in Paris for a reading of his new book. They stroll across Paris, talking about their experiences, perspectives, and whether they still love each other, despite the fact that Jesse is already married with a child because they only have a few hours before his plane departs.
2. Dazed And Confused
In a small Texas enclave, the class of 1977 at Robert E. Lee High School performs rites of passage for the new, incoming freshmen on the last day of school in 1976. Freshman boys are subjected to physical punishment, while freshmen girls are subjected to verbal abuse and humiliation. There are two primary characters who emerge. Mitch Kramer, an incoming freshman, has a new understanding of his role as a key target of senior hazing. Randall “Pink” Floyd, the school’s standout quarterback, is among the seniors, moving with ease among groups of greasers, nerds, stoners, and athletes alike.
3. Slacker
Using a series of linear vignettes depicts a day in the life of Austin’s social outcasts and misfits, namely the twenty-something group. These characters, who don’t fit into the established conventions in some way, flow from one scene to the next. Resulting in randomly entering and exiting one other’s lives. A UFO enthusiast who maintains that the United States has been on the moon since the 1950s. A woman who provides a glass slide reportedly showing Madonna’s pap smear, and an elderly anarchist who gently shares his philosophy of life with a robber are among the highlights.
4. Before Midnight
Eighteen years after their initial encounter aboard a train in Vienna, writer Jesse Wallace is married to Céline and they have twin daughters, Ella and Nina. They live in Paris but are spending their summer vacation in Greece at Jesse’s friends’ house. Jesse brings his fourteen-year-old son Hank to the airport at the conclusion of his vacation to fly to Chicago, where he lives with his mother. Jesse and Céline are offered a hotel room by one of his Greek friends for a farewell dream night. However, they instead examine their relationship.
5. Before Sunrise
Jesse, an American, has been wandering aimlessly over Europe on his Eurail pass for the past few weeks. Vienna is his final destination, and he is currently on his way there. Celine, a Parisienne, was visiting her grandma in Budapest. Jesse and Celine happen to be on the same westbound train out of Budapest at the same time. The connection they feel from their little train talk is enough for Jesse to suggest at the last minute that they get off the train together in Vienna and spend some time together. They converse about their beliefs of life and love as they travel through Vienna. They also discuss scheduling and logistical concerns.
5. Waking Life
This is the story of a young child who dreams of floating, but if he doesn’t hold on, he will float away into the sky. This thought comes up again and again, even when he is an adult. Following an unusual injury, he wanders through what appears to be a dream, passing through numerous scenes and seeing diverse personalities. People he encounters discuss physics, philosophy, and the lives of dreaming and waking, and the protagonist gets increasingly concerned that he is unable to awaken from this perplexing dream trip.
6. School Of Rock
Dewey Finn, a lazy musician, is facing a stack of debts and misery after getting kicked out of his rock band. He lives with his best friend, Ned Schneebly, a former member of the band who is now a substitute teacher. Dewey obtains a substitute teaching position at a snooty private elementary school, where his attitude and shenanigans have a significant impact on his classmates. He discovers that they are great teenage musicians and decides to establish a rock band with them in order to compete for a $10,000 prize in a local band contest. The prize money would fix Dewey’s financial woes and put him back in the rock music spotlight if he won a tournament dubbed “Battle of the Bands.”
7. A Scanner Darkly
In a near-future authoritarian state, undercover detective Bob Arctor works with a tiny group of drug addicts. They track down the main distributors of a brain-damaging substance known as Substance D. His assignment is promoted by the New Path Corporation recovery facility. However, when Bob begins to lose his own identity and exhibit schizophrenic behavior, he is subjected to mental health exams.
