Billy Wilder’s iconic film noir, Sunset Boulevard chronicles the downfall of a down-and-out screenwriter, Joe Gillis, and an obsolete sweetheart of the bygone silent era, Norma Desmond. Infusing the harsh reality of the filming industry, Wilder exposes Hollywood’s deceptive image that drives individuals to strive for unobtainable success and fame. Through further embracing the grief behind such pseudo-grandeur Hollywood, Wilder conveys that individuals resort to manipulation forming fantasy for each other and themselves for profit and highlights how ultimately, those facing reality are able to develop in the face of changing life in Hollywood. Wilder highlights that Hollywood’s deceptive fantasy as an icon of success and fame propels individuals …show more content…
With the self-enforced duty to “not let [Norma] be destroyed,” Max goes to all lengths to prevent Norma from being exposed to the reality of her faded career. His act of “feeding her lies” eventually drives Norma to a resolute delusion that “she is the greatest star of them all.” At the same time, Max’s manipulation of Norma for the reason of protection serves to also reason with the loss of his prestigious career as a director which he describes to be “humiliating”. His pride in Norma’s success as a young actress also maintains his status as Norma’s first lover and the director that “found her” keeping him away from the reality that Norma has “made [him] a servant.” Despite this, Norma often reveals to have “moments of melancholy”, where she becomes subconscious of her delusionment, becoming fraught with unbearable pain facing her dejected life. As during the New Year’s Eve following her “sad, embarrassing revelation”, Joe’s rejection causes Norma to fail to reassure herself that she is still being loved momentarily, breaking away from the fantasy crafted by Max. However, upon the arrival of Joe, Norma strives to escape from the harsh truth by manipulating Joe that she will “do it again”. Eventually the camera blurs as it closely captures Norma’s arms clawing around Joe, whispering “Happy New …show more content…
Characterisation in Sunset Boulevard leaves a stark representation of those who fall as victims of the notorious Hollywood machine and those who strive forward despite the grim reality behind it. The prime example is Betty, who works as a counterforce to Norma. Despite Betty being once subjected to Hollywood’s demanding beauty standard, which “[costs her] three hundred dollars” for her nose because “[the producers] didn’t like it,” Betty remains optimistic in the face of failed dreams of becoming an actress, questioning with confidence “what’s wrong with being on the other side of cameras?”. While Betty dresses in casual office clothes, often seen eating apples and smelling of “freshly laundered handkerchief”, Norma is dressed as a typical femme fatale, her house “always [having] champagne” and smelling of “tuberoses.” Eventually Betty is the one achieving youth and true love of Joe, both of which Norma desires to possess in the most manipulative and tragic way. Thus Wilder stresses on the importance of being able to face the present and leaving the past behind, to truly achieve what is meaningful. Another comparison lies between DeMille and Max, both famous directors of the silent era. With DeMille admitting that “pictures have changed quite a
You don’t need to see so many film noir to know the convention, so who wrote the rules and why after more than 60 years after the genre were find we like to play . Film noir represents a dark night of the soul in American cinema; a dark play with a fancy French name a place where the sun is died and people get by with nil. In the 1920s and 30s the most popular genre was the Western, with its tales of courage, self-reliance, male toughness and female sweetness. Westerns were infused with the values
Discuss ‘The film is a warning about the dangers of obsessive ambition and fame.’ Discuss. Billy Wilder portrays Hollywood as a toxic entity in his 1950 film noir, Sunset Boulevard. It follows protagonist Joe Gillis, a struggling yet ambitious screenwriter as he stumbles into the garden of Old Hollywood actress, Norma Desmond, whose grand mansion shields her from reality. Wilder uses his film to caution the audience and those within the film industry about the perilous consequences of excessive
Sunset Boulevard is a classic film noir with all the noir likings and tropes present. I will focus on three characteristics of film noir and how they manifest in this film and our post-1970 film. Most noirs found themselves to greatly take place at night or maybe a back alley or dimly lit rooms or maybe the PI’s office or a bar. The lighting in these films is the most noticeable as they greatly utilized low-key lighting. Low-key lighting is a lighting technique used to create a chiaroscuro effect
Film Noir, a term coined by the French to describe a style of film characterized by dark themes, storylines, and visuals, has been influencing cinematic industries since the 1940’s. With roots in German expressionistic films and Italian postwar documentaries, film noir has made its way into American film as well, particularly identified in mob and crime pictures. However, such settings are not exclusive to American film noir. One noteworthy example is Billy Wilder’s film Sunset Boulevard, which follows
Delving into the duplicitous world of 1950s America, Billy Wilder’s iconic noir film, Sunset Boulevard chronicles the downfall of down-and-out writer Joe Gillis and obsolete sweetheart of the bygone silent era, Norma Desmond. Infusing the despair behind the film industry’s pseudo-glamour, Wilder initially exposes the challenging and exploitative environment of Hollywood that pushes one to survive on its materialistic desires. Through disclosing the tragic entanglement of deceit and manipulation,
Delving into the duplicitous world of 1950s America, Billy Wilder’s iconic noir film Sunset Boulevard chronicles the downfall of down-and-out screenwriter Joe Gillis and an obsolete sweetheart of the bygone silent era, Norma Desmond. By infusing the harsh reality behind the film industry, the film embraces the despair behind Hollywood’s pseudo-glamour, portraying it as a force taking advantage of innocent dreams of success using fame as a bait. Through disclosing the entanglement of deceit and control
world too. So they opened their big mouths and out came talk. Talk! TALK!” (Sunset Boulevard). The film Sunset Boulevard directed by Billy Wilder focuses on a struggling screen writer who is hired to rewrite a silent film star’s script leading to a dysfunctional and fatal relationship. Sunset Boulevard is heavily influenced by the history of cinema starting from the 1930s to 1950 when the film was released. Sunset Boulevard was released in 1950; five years after WWII. Five years after WWII, the cold
Film Analysis Essay Sunset Boulevard is a hollywood classic film that digs into the aftermath of the sound era caused. Sunset blvd came out on August 10, 1950. The film was directed by Billy Wilder, produced by Charles Brackett, and starred William Holden and Gloria Swanson. Sunset blvd shows us the aftermath of Norma Desmond and how she is stuck in the past of silent hollywood. The darkness and bitterness that many silent movie experienced after they were kicked to the curb once sound came. The
Film Noir is a fairly self-explanatory name. French for “Dark” or “Black Film”, this style (not genre) of film is pretty much summed up in those two words. These films started being made in a 1940’s, Post WWII paranoia, with the threat of nuclear missiles looming over the heads of all United States citizens, Hollywood included. This paranoia led to disillusioned attitudes and existential feelings, which in turn were reflected in Film Noirs through things such as characters, with the two most prominent
Film noir, by translation alone, means dark film, and by that measurement Sunset Boulevard certainly fits the genre. A gloomy story that follows a jaded and sarcastic protagonist, Joe Gillis from his initial dire circumstances to his untimely death, Sunset Blvd. earns the description “dark” several times over. But there is more to film noir than crushingly depressing plotlines. There are common motifs and icons that are found in most film noirs, such as crime, dark alleys, guns and alcohol. Deeper
pictures to talkies; with his film Sunset Boulevard. Sunset Boulevard is a 1950 American classic film noir, starring Gloria Swanson (Norma Desmond), William Holden (Joe Gillis), and Erich Von Stroheim (Butler Max).
The Culture of Hollywood Overview A new edition to the course lineup, this week's film classic, Sunset Boulevard. This film will focus on the culture and environment of the Hollywood studio system that produces the kind of motion pictures that the whole world recognizes as "Hollywood movies." There have been many movies from the silent era to the present that either glamorize or vilify the culture of Hollywood, typically focusing on the celebrities (both in front of and behind the camera) who populate
1950, Sunset Boulevard is a film noir of a forgotten silent film star, Norma Desmond, that dreams of a comeback and an unsuccessful screenwriter, Joe Gillis, working together. Ultimately an uncomfortable relationship evolves between Norma and Joe that Joe does not want a part of. Sunset Boulevard starts off with an establishing shot from a high angle shot with a narrative leading to a crime scene from a long shot (a dead body is found floating in a pool), this narrative throughout the film establishes
“Sunset Boulevard” Directed by Billy Wilder, is a film noir that deconstructs the pursuit of money and career success, serving as a driving force for the characters in Sunset Boulevard, reflecting the harsh realities of Hollywood’s cutthroat industry. The film unfolds through the eyes of Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter who coincidentally becomes entangled with Norma Desmond, a faded silent film star. The film explores the destructive consequences of chasing money and career success instead
This was not my first time viewing Sunset Boulevard. I once watched it in my high school English class and enjoyed it very much. Sunset Boulevard’s main plot was about Norma Desmond, a silent-screen “goddess“ whose pathetic belief in her own indestructibility has turned her into a demented loner, who falls in love with Joe Gillis, a small-time writer who later on becomes her lover. Their relationship, which rarely leaves the walls of the crumbling Sunset Boulevard mansion where they live with only