Review of Sunset Boulevard (1950) by S S — 10 May 2010

To start off in simple terms, I love movies. Movies are the defining way of portraying life. What makes me love movies even more is how the movies are made. Billy Wilder was able to portray a little bit of Hollywood cinema in what I call one of the greatest motion pictures ever made PERIOD. This Hollywood is not a happy place, though. It is a place that truly shows how becoming a rising star can leave one in the dark and shut them out of reality completely, and having a monkey do all the work for her. The movie: "Sunset Boulevard.".

"Sunset Boulevard" is a movie that remains true to be the best Hollywood movie made about Hollywood. The camera shots are superb, the feeling of the movie leaves you latched on, the performances are outstanding, and the mixture of dark humor, drama, mystery and film noir combined throughout the movie left me breathless. This is one of those movies that will leave you speechless. Then again, what Billy Wilder doesn't leave you speechless?

My favorite part of this whole movie is Gloria Swanson's outstanding performance of the mad, forgotten actress, Norma Desmond. Gloria portrays Norma as a creepy, mad, scary, darkly hysterical actress, but she does it perfectly. It's performances like these that really tickle my spine, knowing that the character has truly come to life. Norma Desmond is an old silent picture star who believes that she's still got it. She believes everyone out in Hollywood still believes in her, belieivng she will always be the greatest star to ever come to Hollywood. But does anyone else believe that? Tell that to Cecil B. Demille after watching her approach the set of one of his movies, having her think she's going to be in it, then finding out they just wanted to borrow her car? Is Norma really going to make the comeback she wants or is she just a forgotten face on the screen?

To know the answers for sure, we turn the main character, a screenwriter named Joe Gillis (William Holden). Joe is a screenwriter who narrates throughout the entire film (I love film noir so much), describing his life with Norma. Within getting to know Norma, he then becomes just a monkey playing for the organ grinder, accomplishing everything she tells him to do. Little does he know that he may be getting in too deep. You sure don't wanna mess with an old silent picture star after seeing what Joe goes through, believe me.

Billy Wilder's "Sunset Boulevard" is a marvelous spectacle portraying the dark age and dark side of Hollywood. It's a movie that provides audiences members what it is like to work in Hollywood, know the feeling of a falling star, and falling into the traps of those who have simply become mad. I love this motion picture so much, I hail it as one of the greatest movies I have ever seen in my life. I just hope in my life, I watch my back because this monkey won't be dancing for any organ grinders.