Movie: Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Genre: Drama, Film Noir
Director: Billy Wilder
Writers: Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder
Cast: Gloria Swanson, William Holden, Erich Stroheim, Nancy Olson
Genre: Drama, Film Noir
Director: Billy Wilder
Writers: Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder
Cast: Gloria Swanson, William Holden, Erich Stroheim, Nancy Olson
Feature films come with a certain age
of their own barring a few which get etched in your psyche as long as
you exist. Sunset Boulevard falls in the latter. A 1950 American film
noir, Sunset BLVD is a tale of love, dreams and giving up on them.
Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), a
silent actress after being side kicked by the advent of talkies, lives
in a constant state of denial and recluse. Dreaming of a comeback, a
term that she hates and prefers a return instead, she appoints Joe
Gills (William Holden), a small time struggling writer trying to make
his ends meet, as a script doctor. Max (Erich Stroheim), the then
director who made Norma a star, is an epitome of love and loyalty.
Being her first husband, he chose to be Norma's butler in order to
stay by her side for life.
Norma falls in love with Joe and Joe,
out of desperation, continues being her companion only to be
shuddered out of his pretentious identity by Betty (Nancy Olson), a
script reader and his friend director's girl. Towards the end of the movie, a heinous crime is committed ensued by complete madness that haunts you for a at-least a night.
Gloria, a powerhouse of talent, has
effortlessly brought her larger than life character to life with her magnificent performance. Her flamboyant nature oozes our through her dramatic gestures and a stern voice except for a few instances when she falls weak. She, at one point says, “I am big. It's the pictures
that got small.” reflecting the illusionary life she lives and the fame and glamour she had once experienced. She has
undoubtedly stolen every scene of the film. The transition from a comic performance to being in a fit of rage within a fraction of a second in the Chaplin scene is commendable.
The dark, witty and cleverly written
script coinciding with the gloomy black and white makes it a
masterpiece. Had it been made in color, it wouldn't have been as
enthralling. What allures the audience even more is the metaphorical narration by Joe with a slight tinge of dry humor throughout the movie. "Come think of it, the whole place seemed to have been
stricken with the kind of creeping paralysis... out of beat with the rest of
the world... crumbling apart in slow motion." justifies the above made judgement.
This queer combination of humor and eeriness makes it a classic film of all time. The closing line of the film, "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." seals the deal making it virtually flawless.