Grade: A- (93/100)
Director: Billy Wilder
Year Released: 1950
There's self-deprecation, and then there's what Gloria Swanson does to herself in the role of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. It's no wonder to me that so many other actresses of the silent film age, notably Greta Garbo and Mary Pickford, turned down the role- to say that the character of Norma Desmond is a direct parody of many aged starlets of the silent film era is beyond obvious, as she is most certainly based on actresses such as Garbo, Pickford, Clara Bow, and even Swanson herself. I always love it when people (especially famous people) are able to make fun of themselves in good humor, especially when it means something for others. The parody of Hollywood and its stars encapsulated by Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard is that kind of important self-deprecation.
I think, overall, that Sunset Boulevard is a smart movie. The writing is fantastic and delightfully gossipy, aided greatly by the many celebrity cameos (which can go easily unnoticed by younger viewers- I myself would not have picked out Buster Keaton in Norma's sad group of aging actor friends but luckily noticed his name in the credits and put two and two together). The fact that Sunset Boulevard mingles fantasy with reality is ultimately its most crucial aspect, allowing an effective parody of Hollywood as well as better describing the delusional world of quasi-reality in which Norma lives. At the end of the day, we learn, it does not matter if you are real- it matters if you are relevant. For Norma Desmond, reality is only a roadblock to her dreams of the fountain of youth and success which form the bedrock of her will to live.
William Holden is slightly more than adequate as a struggling screenwriter-turned-boy toy; his performance thrives on his ability to be conflicted as his character so thoroughly demands. He goes through the motions of waving off the expensive gifts and attention that Norma offers him but it's evident- particularly in the scene in which the salesman encourages him to purchase the most expensive coats because he's not paying for them- that he not only enjoys his predicament to a certain extent, but also that he has fallen under Norma's spell.
Gloria Swanson's performance as Norma Desmond is legendary and admired by every dramatic actress and fabulous old woman alive, real or imaginary. Her character clearly lends inspiration to all different types of female stock characters, from the pampered rich girl faced with loss to the bitchy fashion editor à la The Devil Wears Prada to Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove. The role of Norma Desmond is every actress's dream- the ability to play a woman so over the top that she is able to dress glamorously, do ridiculous facial expressions and hand gestures, and speak with a delivery that is both far too much and uncannily appropriate. Swanson revels in Norma's delusions, but also gives humanity to the role, evoking the charm that captured the hearts of her fans, her husbands, and Holden's character, Joe Gillis. It's clear in scenes like the one in which she entertains Joe with a delightful Vaudeville act that she is not only talented but fun, and her charisma eases the melodrama enough for the audience to see her youth glint out like a sequin, just briefly as the sun hits it.
Sunset Boulevard really is a movie about many things; aside from its commentary on Hollywood (which is generally, I found, sympathetic in its satire) and the effects of waning fame, so much of the film is a commentary on denial, loneliness, inner demons, and the effects of money and power. Joe Gillis is ever the optimist about the benefits of success, but his encounter with Norma (which, as we know, does not end well for him) leaves him disillusioned with the effects of money and power. The juxtaposition of Joe's relationships with the aging but very well-known Norma and the young and unknown Betty elaborates on the cliché conclusion that fame is not everything.
Norma's fall from grace starts long before she meets Joe Gillis, but his presence in her life kickstarts a free-fall that results in the complete annihilation of any sort of remaining sanity left. It's tragic but inevitable; the film leads to its climactic conclusion, as melodramatic and tragic as Norma herself, with the viewer reveling in dramatic irony. We know that Joe Gillis will wind up dead in Norma's swimming pool; by the end of the film we know that it was the result of getting in, so to speak, over his head. From beginning to end, Sunset Boulevard retains its strength as a smart, dryly funny and yet tragic film that has irrigated pop cultural references since its release 66 years ago.
I watched Sunset Boulevard on Netflix. It's also available on Amazon Video and, I'm sure, at your local video store.
Director: Billy Wilder
Year Released: 1950
I think, overall, that Sunset Boulevard is a smart movie. The writing is fantastic and delightfully gossipy, aided greatly by the many celebrity cameos (which can go easily unnoticed by younger viewers- I myself would not have picked out Buster Keaton in Norma's sad group of aging actor friends but luckily noticed his name in the credits and put two and two together). The fact that Sunset Boulevard mingles fantasy with reality is ultimately its most crucial aspect, allowing an effective parody of Hollywood as well as better describing the delusional world of quasi-reality in which Norma lives. At the end of the day, we learn, it does not matter if you are real- it matters if you are relevant. For Norma Desmond, reality is only a roadblock to her dreams of the fountain of youth and success which form the bedrock of her will to live.
William Holden is slightly more than adequate as a struggling screenwriter-turned-boy toy; his performance thrives on his ability to be conflicted as his character so thoroughly demands. He goes through the motions of waving off the expensive gifts and attention that Norma offers him but it's evident- particularly in the scene in which the salesman encourages him to purchase the most expensive coats because he's not paying for them- that he not only enjoys his predicament to a certain extent, but also that he has fallen under Norma's spell.
Gloria Swanson's performance as Norma Desmond is legendary and admired by every dramatic actress and fabulous old woman alive, real or imaginary. Her character clearly lends inspiration to all different types of female stock characters, from the pampered rich girl faced with loss to the bitchy fashion editor à la The Devil Wears Prada to Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove. The role of Norma Desmond is every actress's dream- the ability to play a woman so over the top that she is able to dress glamorously, do ridiculous facial expressions and hand gestures, and speak with a delivery that is both far too much and uncannily appropriate. Swanson revels in Norma's delusions, but also gives humanity to the role, evoking the charm that captured the hearts of her fans, her husbands, and Holden's character, Joe Gillis. It's clear in scenes like the one in which she entertains Joe with a delightful Vaudeville act that she is not only talented but fun, and her charisma eases the melodrama enough for the audience to see her youth glint out like a sequin, just briefly as the sun hits it.
 |
| Coincidence? I think not. |
Norma's fall from grace starts long before she meets Joe Gillis, but his presence in her life kickstarts a free-fall that results in the complete annihilation of any sort of remaining sanity left. It's tragic but inevitable; the film leads to its climactic conclusion, as melodramatic and tragic as Norma herself, with the viewer reveling in dramatic irony. We know that Joe Gillis will wind up dead in Norma's swimming pool; by the end of the film we know that it was the result of getting in, so to speak, over his head. From beginning to end, Sunset Boulevard retains its strength as a smart, dryly funny and yet tragic film that has irrigated pop cultural references since its release 66 years ago.
I watched Sunset Boulevard on Netflix. It's also available on Amazon Video and, I'm sure, at your local video store.
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