Review of Sunset Boulevard (1950) by Lanning : — 20 Feb 2013
From a writing standpoint, kudos for this script. There is something about getting old, in Hollywood, that is imminently topical. In this movie about making movies, the notion of growing too old to draw an audience echoes a kind of universally unspoken nightmare for everyone who becomes a "star.
" How ironic that this really was Gloria Swanson's swan song. After this it was all a path to obscurity for her with mostly TV parts until the end. Her melodramatic acting style is almost so over the top that you might be tempted to laugh in some scenes, but the fact that her character's story is so sad keeps you from doing so.
Swanson would have had my vote for the Oscar. William Holden is so good in this; dying young is one sure solution to the problem of aging. My favorite player is Cecil B. DeMille as himself. He completely and sympathetically understands the aging star's tragedy.
In Hollywood, how old is too old? An interesting commentary on a problem that must plague many Hollywood industry folks even to this day. Okay, here's a question for everyone who might want to think about it: In literature, when a narrator continues to speak after death, is that an artistic problem, or, in this case, is that perhaps a commentary on art and immortality?
This review of Sunset Boulevard (1950) was written by Lanning : on 20 Feb 2013.
Sunset Boulevard has generally received very positive reviews.
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