Review of Sunset Boulevard (1950) by Brooks C — 22 Aug 2012

Hollywood embodies many different personas. Many think of it as a growing corporation where riches are in abundance and make up the backbone of mainstream American culture. Many also associate it with being full of sin and vice. Much stress is involved, much risk-taking, and more escapist mentality. In reality, Hollywood is no different compared to the many places one visits in the world despite its stereotypical representation. Having worked as a movie extra for 5 years and counting, it can be safely said on my part that stress is a key factor, but many of the people I've worked with on the different projects of which I was involved are fantastic in grasping the concept of teamwork. Sunset Boulevard is a flawless film that exposes the more darker side of Hollywood and stardom.

Centering around the dead screenwriter, Joe Gillis the story begins as one big flashback to the times of Mr. Gillis and how he comes to meet his demise. Gillis starts off as a struggling screenwriter who is seeking refuge from the many groups of people that are trying to collect his taxes. He stumbles across a mansion on Sunset Boulevard which he discovers is owned by the famous Norma Desmond. Norma is a former celebrity from the silent movie era who is working on a screenplay that she hopes will return her to her former glory. Gillis decides to collaborate with her on her work and the two begin to form a relationship from there. As he continues deep into the relationship with Desmond, he starts to discover her dark secrets and his life becomes more public to his workers and the many people around him.

Sunset Boulevard has been hailed as one of the best films ever made. Others being Citizen Kane, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Godfather films, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Shawshank Redemption, Gone with the Wind, etc. Sunset Boulevard is a film that not only is what it is, but is one of those films that has earned its success very well. The movie combines many genres of filmmaking. It starts of as a crime-noir, progresses into being a dark comedy, and later goes on to become a character study to the mind of a crazed, fallen celebrity. The structuring is very well done and none of these factors become uneven anywhere during the film's progression. Each part does its role in contributing to the intrigue and they do it unbelievably well.

The main thing that should be worth noting in this review, is the performances. Every single actor sheds light on their characters flawlessly. William Holden does a wonderful job as Joe Gillis. The one performance that must be noted is Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond. Her performance was the one which gained the most notoriety during this film's release and remains on the same level to this day. Many of her lines, such as,"I am big. Only the pictures have gotten small'' and ''I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. Demille" have obtained much recognition by audiences and politicians in America. Every one of her lines is well acted and flawlessly executed.

Another noteworthy thing is the many cameos that appear in the film. Cecil B. Demille (famous for the classic The Ten Commandments) plays himself as the director that Norma constantly pursues to try to get her picture off the ground. Filmmaker Erich von Stroheim plays Norma's butler and there is also a cameo of the Great Stone Face himself, Buster Keaton (famous for the silent classics, The General and Steamboat Bill Jr.).

Overall, Sunset Boulevard is a film that has earned its recognition and has earned it very well. Every bit of content in this film counts and is very evenly balanced thanks to remarkable writing and directing. Along with great story, marvelous execution, strong performances, and memorable lines, Sunset Boulevard is a film that every cinema buff should be required to check out.