“Sunset Blvd.” is a 1950 American film noir containing elements of drama, horror, and black comedy. Directed and co-written by Billy Wilder, it was named for the famous boulevard of the same name that runs through Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. The movie dealt with the “behind the scenes” Hollywood. Hollywood wears a mask to cover all the ugly in the lives of movie stars; there are exceptions of course.
The mask is used to cover, self-deceit, spiritual emptiness, the heavy price of fame, greed, narcissism and ambition. As a young man living in Poland, American Culture mesmerized Billy Wilder. This interest sparked by American films. When Wilder moved to LA in the 40′s, the mansions that were built in the roaring 20′s were still around. Many stars of the silent screen era still lived in these mansions. He wondered about the stars of old. These stars were no longer doing movies, they were older, and Wilder wanted to know how they were living their lives now that “the parade had passed them by.” Hence, he came up with a story of a star who had lost her celebrity status, and box office appeal.
The mood for the movie is set from the very beginning. A man is narrating the story posthumously. We see his body floating in a pool with eyes wide opened and facing down. He’s just been killed. Joe Gillis (William Holden) is the victim and he’d like us the audience to know how he ended up dead. He takes us back to the day that sealed his fate. Joe is a struggling writer, his bills are behind, eviction is pending, and car repossession inevitable. Talk about being at the “end of your rope.” He tries to sell a story he’s written to no avail. He tries to borrow money from a callous & cold-hearted Hollywood big wig who quickly brushes him off. Joe goes to Schwab’s Pharmacy (re-created interior of the pharmacy Lana Turner was discovered) and makes S.O.S. calls to no avail. The car repo guys are after him and as he is trying to elude them he pulls in the driveway of an old Gothic and dark mansion. He decides to park his car in the spacious and empty five-car garage of the mansion.
The estate looks decayed, deserted and unkempt. Joe imagines this estate belonged to a star of long ago. The house is massive—magnificent. A woman (Gloria Swanson) calls out to him from the darkness, “Why are you so late?” He is summoned into the house by an ominous bald-headed butler (Erich von Stroheim) with a German accent that looks like he popped out those gaudy and glamorous days of the 1920′s–white gloves and all. He is escorted into the Gothic house. Joe has no reaction really except maybe a little confusion. All kinds of questions were popping in his head, but he was still thinking of the repo guys. So he went along with everything. He finally finds out he is mistaken for an undertaker. The woman’s pet monkey has died. As he tries to explain to the butler about the mistake–he is cut off in mid conversation and escorted up a curving black marble staircase.
He meets the voice that beckoned him–she is the wealthy, aging, reclusive Norma Desmond a silent screen movie star. She used to be Paramounts greatest star, but now a relic of times gone by. She is dressed in black PJ’s and has a dramatic leopard print scarf wrapped in a turban around her head. Joe recognizes her as an old silent screen star and engages in conversation. They go back and forth about old Hollywood and how it’s changed. Norma criticizes “talkies,” and the new movie stars. She still believes that she is “big” and that movies got “small.” She finds out that he is a screenwriter and her juices start to flow. Maybe he can help her with the script she is working on. The script is for a movie titled “Salome,” a movie for her “return” to Hollywood. She makes him an offer he can’t refuse. He needs money and although he knows her script stinks and that she’ll never make a “comeback,” or as Norma put it a “return,” he will take on the job. He will use her for all she’s got.
He eventually moves in and the relationship between the two becomes one of mutual dependency. Joe is o.k. with it for a while, but Norma becomes possessive, obsessive, and controlling. Joe falls in love with Betty Shaefer (Nancy Olsen) a script reader. He realizes he’s got to end it all with Norma Desmond and hopefully get Betty. He has threatened to leave before, but this time he’s leaving. He’s had it with Norma, what he doesn’t realize is that Norma will not take that. Norma has been abandoned by Hollywood–the pain is all too fresh, another desertion is something she just can’t take.
Billy Wilder exposes the ugliness behind the glitz in this film. I don’t know that anything has changed today. Yes, back in the 50′s we still had studios that pretty much did what they wanted with their stars. The studios were corrupt and devastated many lives. When silent went to “talkies,” many stars lost their status simply because the studios felt they had horrible voices. Huh? The movie depicted the sad life of a star in Hollywood. Yes, they have money, power, and fame, but how long will that last? Every dog has their day, and movie stars are no different.
The film’s dark, shadowy black-and-white film noir cinematography was the work of John F. Seitz who also worked on “Double Indemnity ” The parallels of Gloria Swanson’s real Hollywood life and the role she played are amazing. She was a silent screen star and became a “has been” soon after “talkies” took over. She lived at one time on Sunset Boulevard in a mansion. She worked with Cecil B. De Mille who plays himself in the movie. The script is captivating and at times funny. I loved Desmond’s expressionless comments, and Joe’s sarcastic remarks, which was heard only by the audience because Desmond was so into herself and thoughts.
Sunset Boulevard was honored with eleven Academy Award nominations, and received three Oscars. If you’ve not seen this one, you must. It’s memorable.
