Review of Sunset Boulevard (1950) by Jwasu R — 09 Feb 2012

I'm going to write this review just because I seem to be the only person that didn't enjoy it. I found it pretty boring. The acting was fine, the direction was fine, but the plot was dull, and uneventful.

Watching the character of Norma Desmond wave herself around the screen in melodramatic delusion made me cringe, and I'm just glad I've never met the bitch, in real life. I don't watch too many films pre-1960, so I don't know if it was the norm, but the constant voice-over narration took a while to get used to as well.

I'm glad they got rid of the device - there's no need to tell me a character is angry, and staring at someone, when I'm seeing it for myself. I'll admit that dramas aren't my thing in the first place, but why this movie is a classic baffles me.

If this is one of the best movies of that era, I'd hate to see the rest of them.