Sunset Boulevard Revisited When the film Sunset Boulevard premiered in Hollywood in 1950, the picture caused a riot in the theatre after the feature finished. Director Billy Wilder commented, “I’ve never seen so many prominent people at once – the word was out that this was a stunner, you see. After the picture ended there were violent reactions, from excitement to pure horror”(May 570). Wilder did whatever he could to keep the plot of Sunset Boulevard a secret outside of the walls of Paramount
Sunset Boulevard (Wilder 1950) explores the intermingling of public and private realms, puncturing the illusion of the former and unveiling the grim and often disturbing reality of the latter. By delving into the personal delusions of its characters and showing the devastation caused by disrupting those fantasies, the film provides not only a commentary on the industry of which it is a product but also a shared anxiety about the corrupting influence of external perception. Narrated by a dead man
The main character in Sunset Boulevard is Joe Gillis played by William Holden. Joe is the protagonist of the film because he is a primary character who is pursuing a goal. His goal when he meets Norma Desmond is to finally end his financial woes. He couldn’t pay for the car he had and once he was with Norma he had everything he ever wanted. But with Joe being in a relationship just to be living in a big mansion and the clothes he got free didn’t satisfy him. In the first half of the film Joe was
theoretically cast away in a dark rainy alley, like bag of garbage or a typical film-noire hero. Sunset Boulevard is a satisfyingly humorous film-noire film about the inner workings of the vicious “jungle”, that one would know of as Hollywood. It was perhaps the purposely over acted antics of antagonist Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), that makes Billy Wilder’s black comedy so memorable. Sunset Boulevard fits the definition of film-noire thanks to Wilder’s use of the typical film-noire style characters
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 Norma’s
Sunset Boulevard Billy Wilder’s “Sunset Boulevard” is a 1950’s film about famous, but forgotten, Norma Desmond, a silent film star, who has been living in exile, in her gloomy rundown mansion. William Holden stars as Joe Gillis, a struggling Hollywood screenwriter looking for work with no success. During a car chase between Joe Gillis, and the repo men who are after his car, his tires blow out leaving him stranded in Desmond’s deserted mansion. Desmond spends her time watching her old films, dreaming
The film Sunset Boulevard, presented in 1950 is a black and white film. The film is about Norma Desmond an old actress, who has issues accepting that she is becoming old. The main actor in the film is Gloria Swanson, who plays Norma Desmond, an older woman who believes she is still young. Desmond is not content with the fact that Hollywood has replaced her with younger actresses. The next actor Nancy Olson, plays Betty Schaffer who falls in love with Gillis despite being engaged to his friend. The
Embittered Older Woman in Great Expectations, A Rose for Emily, and Sunset Boulevard The character of the delusional, embittered older woman is prevalent in literature and movies. Since Dickens created the memorable Miss Havisham in Great Expectations, she has evolved with the times into many other well-known characters, including Miss Emily in Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" and Norma Desmond in the film Sunset Boulevard. In each of these incarnations, the woman seeks revenge after a man's betrayal
achievement, but an individual recognized for his/her reputation created by the media. The phase of stardom is slippery, and media may choose to represent celebrities varying from exaggerated admiration to mockery. The three texts chosen, movie "Sunset Boulevard", feature article "Over the Hilton" and television show "Celebrity Uncensored Six" are texts presenting different perception of celebrities than their usual images - either corrupted by the encircling media, overloads oneself with self-indulgence
Alex's Restaurant, an ethnography The Wiseguys (scene one): *These four old guys (definitely into their late sixties, early seventies) sell cars at one of the dealerships on the boulevard. I would bet fifty dollars that they all work for Cadillac. They come in once a week, on Friday afternoons. They love me. They like to give me a hard time, ask why I don’t love them anymore, when I’m going to run away with them, etc, etc. They are caricatures of car salesmen but are obviously unaware of this
History of the Drive-In Movie Theater The story of the drive-in movie theater begins with one man. That man was Richard Milton Hollingshead, Jr., born on February 25, 1900, the "father" of the drive-in. The drive-in got its humble beginnings in the driveway of Hollingshead’s Riverton, New Jersey home, at 212 Thomas Avenue. This is where his first experimentations took place. Setting a 1928 Kodak projector on the hood of the family car, he projected the film onto a screen he had nailed to a
according to their overall fun factor. For a calmer atmosphere and a few good frothy ales, head straight to Antibes’ “Vielle Ville” where you will find an authentic Irish Pub. Otherwise known as The Hop Store, it is located near the marina at 38 Boulevard d’Aguillon and serves a variety of Irish beers on tap as well as tasty little tidbits for the hungry drinker. The bar is also fully equipped with many different types of liquor and wine to cater to any taste. It is a good place to go to for after
unwittingly go on to become the label for the expatriates from the United States and England who had rejected traditional American and British conventions for the more appealing lifestyle of Left Bank, Paris. Congregating in cafés located along the Boulevard Montparnasse to drink, talk and watch the crowds pass by, the Lost Generation was comprised of exiles who had spurned the pre-war values of love, romanticism, optimism, prosperity and hope that they had grown up believing in, all shattered by
featured live performances. It wasn’t until a few months later, in 1974, when Clapton had a substantial solo career, with the release of “461 Ocean Boulevard.” That record had the number one single, “I Shot the Sheriff,” which is still a popular song to this day. In 1975 and 1976, Clapton released three records, as follow-ups to “461 Ocean Boulevard.” “There’s One in Every Crowd,” “ E.C. Was Here,” (live) and “No Reason to Cry,” respectively, had no where near the success of his previous album. But
America, in thy shiny car in the night?" -Jack Kerouac, On the Road Roll the windows down, turn the music up, and drive slowly. Now you're cruising. Cruising is the art of seeing and being seen, and in Tucson the center of this art is Speedway Boulevard. This six-lane street runs east to west through Tucson and is one of the busiest thoroughfares in the city. It hosts a mix of commercial and private buildings: small shops, offices, restaurants, grocery stores, apartment buildings and older homes
The Thematic Intentions of Sunset Boulevard The film Sunset Boulevard directed by Billy Wilder and staring the main characters of Norma Desmond, Joe Gillis, and Max Von Mayerling is ideal example of how important film making techniques help depict a movie’s core theme intentions with vivid clarity. Classic Hollywood is the first thing that comes to mind when one speaks about this film’s style. This signature category combined with the visual style of realism and it’s continuity editing; detailed
Middleton's The Lie of the Land into a film sounds quite exciting. I can just picture the television commercials airing clips from the movie after every sitcom and T.V. show, and posters and billboards mounted high atop tall buildings on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood and even New York. Perhaps The Lie of the Land can be the next blockbuster movie! Just imagine, with an all star cast and a high budget set, this film can have great potential. Our leading man, David Nennius, can be played by none
Since the advent of Hollywood, the media has promoted the benefits and exclusivity of enjoying a lavish and decadent lifestyle. In Billy Wilder’s sardonic and confronting noir film, Sunset Boulevard, the director focuses on how exciting, but also how destructive, it can be to seek wealth and an affluent lifestyle. Through his portrayal of a former film star and a burgeoning writer, he explores the vast influence of celebrity and fame, and how easily people can become lured into the cut-throat world
produced in 1990 and directed by Garry Marshall. It is set in the Hollywood hills and the rough Hollywood Boulevard. Richard Gere and Julia Roberts play the two main characters, Vivien Ward and Edward Lewis. Edward is a wealthy man who is respected and admired by others. Whereas Vivien is a lot poorer. Her only way of earning money is by her job as a prostitute in Hollywood Boulevard. In the film the music is very important. At the beginning it is set at a party. It is Edward's party so
From the lavish mansions of Hollywood stars to the cigarette smoke filled offices of broke screenwriters, the 1950 noir movie Sunset Boulevard remains a timeless classic with a stunning story of an actress gone mad, and a screenwriter just trying to squeak by. This film is the first pre-1960’s flick that has left me with a feeling of awe. The first word that comes to mind after the credits begin to roll is just“wow!”. I was struck by the intriguing plotline and brilliant execution of the story. Not