Sunset Blvd. (1950) (Not Rated)

Sunset Blvd. (1950) (Not Rated)

Directed by Billy Wilder

Starring: William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson

Daddy Says:

When people think of great film directors lots of names will pop up: Hitchcock, Spielberg, Kubrick, Ford, Welles. But most will not remember the name of Billy Wilder. Yet, he is responsible for some of Hollywood's most beloved movies: Double Indemnity, Some Like It Hot and The Apartment just to name a few. But I think his masterpiece may have been this one.

Sunset Blvd. is a story told in flashback by a dead man. We see him lying face down in the pool of a mansion as he tells us this in voiceover. The rest of the film details how he came to be in this predicament. William Holden plays our narrator, a struggling screenwriter named Joe Gillis. He's on the run from car creditors who want to repossess his only valuable possession, when a blowout leads him to turn into the driveway of what appears to be a deserted house. It's not, of course, but it's occupants are certainly not ordinary.

We meet former silent film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) and her butler/driver/caretaker Max (film director Erich von Stroheim) as they are preparing for a funeral for a monkey. When Joe finds out that Norma has a script she needs rewritten, he smells an opportunity to get some quick cash to save his precious automobile. But as we saw at the film's beginning, this is probably not going to end well for him.

Sunset Blvd. is one of the best movies made about the making of movies. It's a movie made in Hollywood, that simultaneously glamorizes itself and skewers itself. Many famous actors and directors appear as themselves in the film. They could have cast an actor to play famous film director Cecil B. DeMille, but why do that when you can just get the director to play himself? When the scandal breaks at the mansion, it's only natural that gossip columnist Hedda Hopper would be there covering it for the tabloids. Even silent film star Buster Keaton shows up as one of the "waxworks" that Norma invites over to play bridge with her. By casting real actors and directors as themselves, it lends an amount of authenticity to the surroundings.

As I've mentioned before, I love film noir, and Sunset Blvd. is one of the best. If you've somehow missed out watching this classic film, don't hesitate to screen it as soon as you can.

Rating for Sunset Blvd.: *****.

Daughter Says:

Sunset Blvd. is a movie of a different kind. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. I’ve never heard of anyone being stuck in a house against their will but enjoying it. Joe Gillis did just that, and they made a movie about it.

You’d think a movie about a screenwriter hooking up with a retired actress to make money would sound really boring, but the drama made it so much more interesting. Gloria Swanson pulled off being an insane silent actress so well it shocked me. She really gave me the creeps, and William Holden worked so well with her. Together they made the dangerous and most dramatic couple I have seen since Romeo and Juliet. One wanted the other and the other wanted to just make money and be in love with another woman. How could their relationship ever possibly work out?

I know I complain about black and white movies a lot, and I’m sure you are probably starting to wonder if I even hate them at all. Once again there is another really good black and white to put on my list. The black and white part of this film really helped in my opinion. It gave the whole movie a mysterious look about it that helped make the insanity of the main actress creepier. It also gave me the uncertainty about the house. I never expected any of the things that happened inside the house, or even outside. The whole story was really just bizarre.

So if you like odd and different stories then this movie is for you. It definitely is different. I’ve never seen a film about an insane actress before so it really fascinated me. I’m glad I can say I’ve seen Sunset Blvd. but I don’t know if I’m actually ever going to watch again for a really long time. I’m still digesting what happened.

Rating for Sunset Blvd.: ****.