Sunset Boulevard
Gloria Swanson gives a career-defining performance as faded silent screen star Norma Desmond in director Billy Wilder's dark and masterful film classic, Sunset Boulevard. William Holden is Joe Gillis, the young, down-on-his-luck screenwriter whom Norma drafts to help provide her with a workable script for her planned "return" to the modern-day screen. Erich von Stroheim is Max von Mayerling, Norma's devoted servant, who harbors a few personal revelations of his own. Hollywood has never taken a more ominous, compelling or electrifying look at Hollywood than in this brilliant, Oscar-winning tour de force that still mesmerizes with its witty, sardonic script, unforgettable cast, and provocative storyline.
Member Reviews
Brilliant! - SchaeferSchwartz311
I had never seen a Billy Wilder movie before, and now I wish I had! This movie is incredible! The acting, the story, the locations are all amazing. I guarantee you that after seeing this movie you will want to zip ALL of Wilder's other movies, just like me. This movie is like a time-capsule. Capturing a slightly exaggerated time during the late 1940s/early 1950s studio system. For fans of movie making, this is definitely for you. It is a perfect film for people interested in the history of movie making too. And for those of you who are on the fence about B/W movies and movies made prior to 1980s, I guarantee you will also love it. Just zip it already!I'm shocked it didn't win Best Picture - Henry_the_5th
Sunset Blvd. is often overlooked as first-tier Hollywood filmmaking in light of other classics such as Citizen Kane, Casablanca or It's a Wonderful Life. Certainly those films deserve all the praise they get, but Sunset Blvd. is just as good a film, and on many occasions I prefer it to those previously mentioned.
Essentially Sunset Blvd. is two things: Satire (dark Humor) on the most sophisticated level and Drama. Though these two styles have had horrendous results with many pictures, they flawlessly blend together in Sunset Blvd. and end up making a film that simply has nothing at all wrong with it. The drama is very moving and engaging, while the humor gives multiple viewings lasting power.
Billy Wilder (The Apartment, Double Indemnity) directs, and I can say in all honesty that this is his best work. The use of lighting, camera are utilized in a manor that keeps us in relation to the characters and keeps the plot interesting to us. One scene shown early on and then towards the end is one of the best shots in the history of cinema; this famous "Pool Shot" was very difficult to manage, but in the end the trouble really paid off. Wilder is one of the supreme masters of noir, and Sunset Boulevard shows his aptitude for shots and lighting that define him as great.
Finally the most impressive aspect of the film to me was Gloria Swanson's performance. My goodness! She was amazing in the role of a washed up silent film queen who uses a young writer in a last ditch effort to regain her fans. William Holden deserves a nod, but Swanson is the real star here.
Overall one of the all time classics that just can't be missed. Recommended for anybody who enjoys good films. All About Eve might have won best picture, but Sunset Blvd. is the real star of 1950."I am big. Its the pictures that got small" - Radio_Jane
This film packs a real double whammy. Aside from the chilling story of insanity and jealousy, it is a fascinating look at the way Hollywood was. Such a film would not have been possible today. Among the other highlights are a very young Jack Webb (DRAGNET) and some very memorable cameos (Hedda Hopper, Demille and Keaton to name a few) Even the topical references are well enough known today that they are easy to catch ("Meet Joe Gillis, writer, uranium smuggler and Black Dahlia suspect."). This was a tour de force movie, up there with All about Eve and the Philadelphia story.
Member Reviews
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Brilliant! - SchaeferSchwartz311
I had never seen a Billy Wilder movie before, and now I wish I had! This movie is incredible! The acting, the story, the locations are all amazing. I guarantee you that after seeing this movie you will want to zip ALL of Wilder's other movies, just like me. ...I'm shocked it didn't win Best Picture - Henry_the_5th
Sunset Blvd. is often overlooked as first-tier Hollywood filmmaking in light of other classics such as Citizen Kane, Casablanca or It's a Wonderful Life. Certainly those films deserve all the praise they get, but Sunset Blvd. is just as good a film, and on ..."I am big. Its the pictures that got small" - Radio_Jane
This film packs a real double whammy. Aside from the chilling story of insanity and jealousy, it is a fascinating look at the way Hollywood was. Such a film would not have been possible today. Among the other highlights are a very young Jack Webb (DRAGNET) ...