Review of Sunset Boulevard (1950) by Parker S — 26 Jun 2012

What I have noticed about these 50's and 60's movies is the similarities of the main characters, specifically if the leading roles are a guy and woman. The male protagonist is usually stoic, quiet, and not boring, but dull.

The female protagonist is usually outspoken, overly-lovestruck, and exaggerated. This movie continues the trend. And while this isn't a bad thing, I bring it up for the sake of observation. It begins with a voice over, of what you soon figure out is the main character, a man on the run, Joe.

This isn't particularly interesting, I've seen this technique in a countless number of films, but the first scene is him being shot and falling into a pool, which creates a weird sense that everything you see Joe do or accomplish will end in tragedy.

You see it coming, yet you still hope it isn't him that dies. Anyway, Joe is the typical tough, you-can't-phase-me protagonist that I was talking about. However, he still keeps interest throughout most of the movie, even if he occasionally bored me.

What I feel somewhat torn about is the other character, Norma Desmond. She is incredibly freaky, her dismeanor is from the get go suspicious, and she keeps the movie from becoming tedious. However, this same behavior is a little annoying.

But this can be overlooked, because Sunset Boulevard creates an incredible amount of suspense. This paired with pretty great performances, an interesting story, and unique cinematics and ideas, makes this film a success in my eyes although not quite as good as the critics made it out to be.