What happens at the beginning of Sunset Boulevard?
Wilder’s 1950 film “Sunset Boulevard,” which he co-wrote with his longtime collaborator, producer Charles Brackett, begins with a dead screenwriter named Joe Gillis (William Holden) floating face-down in a pool, narrating the film from beyond the grave.
Why is Norma writing a script about Salome?
Norma tells Joe that she has been writing a very important (dialogueless) script about Salome, which will be directed by Cecile B. DeMille. She is intending to play the teenage temptress herself. They strike a deal that Joe will edit the work and he moves into a room above the garage (“Salome”).
What is the point of Sunset Boulevard?
Swanson in real life was a health nut who fled from the sun, which no doubt protected her skin (she was 53 when she made the film), but the point in “Sunset Boulevard” is that she has aged not in the flesh but in the mind; she has become fixed at the moment of her greatness, and lives in the past.
What type of narration is used in Sunset Boulevard?
Gothic Narration in Sunset Boulevard: The other principal virtue of the narration, to my mind, is the involvement of the narration in a kind of surreal thematic resonance. Joe Gillis, after all, our stalwart narrator throughout, is a corpse in the first scene of the film.
What makes Sunset Boulevard a film noir?
Film noir literally means “dark film.” Sunset Boulevard is that, both literally and thematically. It is a picture with spooky shadows and visuals throughout its duration. At times it looks and feels like a horror picture.
Why doesn’t Joe go with Betty near the end of Sunset Boulevard?
Joe’s decision to renounce Betty is obviously a difficult one. He has a real connection with her. They have common interests and their chemistry is organic and founded upon mutual experience and tastes. There could easily be a real bond between them.
What does Norma mean when she says I am big Its the pictures that got smaller?
Norma isn’t too thrilled about the state of Hollywood these days. When Joe tells Norma he recognizes her from her films and that she used to be a big star, she corrects him. She still is a big star. It’s just the movies today aren’t worthy of her greatness.
Why does Joe leave Norma?
The broad answer is that Joe has evaluated his situation and doesn’t like the outcomes. He either remains kept by a woman he doesn’t love and tolerates for material gain, or he follows his desires and pursues the woman he loves, breaking up the relationship of a good man in the process.
What style is Sunset Boulevard?
Sunset Boulevard (1950) Sunset Boulevard (1950) is a classic black comedy/drama, and perhaps the most acclaimed, but darkest film-noir story about “behind the scenes” Hollywood, self-deceit, spiritual and spatial emptiness, and the price of fame, greed, narcissism, and ambition.
Who is Sunset Boulevard narrated by?
What sets Sunset Boulevard so far ahead, however, is its use of the narrator (Joe Gillis, portrayed by William Holden) to support the thematic content of the film.
What’s the famous line from Sunset Boulevard?
Norma Desmond: I’m going to be bigger than peanut butter! Norma Desmond: And I promise you I’ll never desert you again because after ‘Salome’ we’ll make another picture and another picture. You see, this is my life! It always will be!
Why was Sunset Blvd filmed in black and white?
Its shadowy world of deceit and self-deception is perfectly captured in the dark noir cinematography and lighting. Shooting Sunset Boulevard as a black and white picture was a necessary choice in delivering the material in the most holistically effective way.
How is Sunset Boulevard different from film noir?
Despite having a far from traditional story for the Film Noir style, Sunset Boulevard uses character types such as a hardened male protagonist and a femme fatale, along with the classic Film Noir visual style, to create a unique film that definitely fits the definition of what a Film Noir is.
What is Norma planning for her return?
Norma proposes Joe to move to the mansion and help her in writing a screenplay for her comeback to the cinema, and the small-time writer becomes her lover and gigolo. When Joe falls in love for the young aspirant writer Betty Schaefer, Norma becomes jealous and completely insane and her madness leads to a tragic end.
Why did Joe leave Norma?
What is the famous line from Sunset Boulevard?