Through its macabre subtext and circular structure, Billy Wilder's ‘Sunset Boulevard’ encapsulates the nihilistic world of 1950s Hollywood, with essences of pessimism and cynicism ingrained in post-war America. The posthumous narration of protagonist Joe Gillis presents fame as a poisoned chalice that can leave you literally dead. Wilder highlights the human’s inherent desire for love and the detrimental consequences as it gets equated with infatuation with self-image and possession within interpersonal relationships. He explores how artistic integrity is ultimately attainable, and that both true sacrifice and indulgence are a necessity in this art making. The silent film star, Norma Desmond unveils the fleeting nature of fame, her mistaken
Wilder’s film Sunset Boulevard tells the twisted tale of an aged silent film starlet unable to come to terms with the loss of her fame. It is clear from the start of the film that the actress, Norma Desmond, is not quite in
Released September 29, 1950, Sunset Boulevard is a film noir of a forgotten silent film star, Norma Desmond, that dreams of a comeback and an unsuccessful screenwriter, Joe Gillis, working together. Ultimately an uncomfortable relationship evolves between Norma and Joe that Joe does not want a part of. Sunset Boulevard starts off with an establishing shot from a high angle shot with a narrative leading to a crime scene shot in long shot (a dead body is found floating in a pool). The narrative throughout the film established a formalist film. Cinematography John F. Seitz used lighting and camera angles in such a way to create a loneliness and hopefulness atmosphere.
However, when Joe is visiting another scriptwriter in the night, secretly and against Norma's wishes the style becomes much darker and much more shadowy. This again helps to back up the point of Joe being the central noir figure. An unusual noir in both style and content, much can be learned about the themes and styles of noir when viewing Sunset Boulevard in comparison to many other film noirs. One thing is for sure though, Sunset Boulevard remains just as enticing and fascinating and is truly one of the great
Georgia B Sanchez Literary Interpretation #1017870.07 7.14.2023 Bridge San Luis Rey Interpretive Essay The Bridge of San Luis Rey was written by Thornton Wilder a great Author who wrote many books, this book in particular is as close to a perfect moral fable. The bridge Of San Luis Rey was published in the year 1927. Marquesa de Montemayer a daughter of a wealthy man who sells things and trades them, in around the eighteen century in colonial Peru.
Characters such as Tod and Homer come to Hollywood expecting to receive all that they desire. “The Burning of Los Angeles,” is
During the 1920s, American society began to adopt values that threatened the traditional values that remained from the 1800s. Many of these changes were a direct result of the youth culture of the time and how their uncertainty of who they were helped contribute to these changes in values. Throughout the decade, the struggle between modern and anti-modern values was exemplified in literature, drama and silent film of the American culture. “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans” represents the conflicting modernist and anti-modernist sentiments of the time through its use of cinematography and characterization. “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans”, the 1927 film by F.W. Murnau, is a shining example of the struggle between modern and anti-modern values that
Sunset Boulevard (1950), directed by Billy Wilder, is a black and white film, where Norma Desmond, a famous actress of the silent film era, cannot come to terms with her career’s end. Desmond meets a guy named Joe Gillis, a struggling writer who is in financial trouble. The two come to an agreement that Gillis will polish up her script, which Norma believes will be her ticket back to the big screen, and Norma will take care of Joe financially. The one thing Norma and Joe have in common is that Hollywood has deemed both of them as undesirable. Norma experiences delusions of grandeur, and Joe cannot get his scripts picked up by a studio.
Two Sizes Too Big: Clothing in Macbeth Represents Inadequacy to Rule The way people wear clothing reveals a lot about their character. If clothing is too big, it most likely means that they are not ready to wear those clothes. One’s clothing can be used to represent ranks in power and how they are judged in society. This idea is exemplified in the tragic play Macbeth by William Shakespeare.
This film specifically emphasizes Mia and Sebastian’s loneliness. They are the only ones who are alone in the film while the background always contains couples, pairs of two, or groups of people. For example, when Mia goes to a pool party in the spring, she is seen roaming through the party alone and the background full of people and couples dancing. Even when Mia walks by the city sidewalk, the viewers should notice a painting on the wall in the background, containing groups of people together. This conveys another similarity between the two- that they are single and lonely, and unknowing of the fact that they need someone to push them to achieve the dreams they have longed for- as well as, more information about the characters and how the film shows this even through the blurry yet significant
Every now and then the art world is struck by a wave of change that leaves a strong impression, which can last for a long time. Visual arts saw the rise of impressionism and cubism, surrealism and realism took literature to an opposite direction, and film has evolved over the years through cultural and artistic development such as expressionism, auteurism and film noir (House, p.61). The 1940s and post World War II gave rise to a new style of American film, these films appeared pessimistic and dark in mood, theme, and subject. The world created within these films were portrayed as corrupt, hopeless, lacked human sympathy, and “a world where women with a past and men with no future spent eternal nights in one-room walk-ups surrounded by the
The most apparent themes in this film are loneliness and isolation. Based on the cinematography, it is evident that wide shots of the characters occupy a small space alone or an extremely large space with many people who are completely unaware of their existence. Both of these things work to portray the idea that Murray's character, Bob, and Johansson's character, Charlotte, are lonely, isolated, and missing something. The director also uses the concept of balance to pass the message on the emotional state of the characters.
In the film Sunset Boulevard many characters struggled with wishes, lies and dreams of fame and fortune. The film states the corruption in Hollywood and that people will do anything to get ahead. With hope and delusion each character tries to gain happiness, while only being self-destructive and isolating themselves. The characters ultimately deny their problems and confuse those around them. One character in the film who struggles with her wishes, lies and dreams is, Norma Desmond, a washed up actress.
In the film Sunset Boulevard many character struggled with wishes, lies and dreams of fame and fortune. The film states the corruption in hollywood and that people will do anything to get ahead. With hope and delusion each character tries to gain happiness, while only being self-destructive and isolating themselves. The characters ultimately deny their problems and confuse those around them. One character in the film who struggles with her wishes, lies and dreams is, Norma Desmond, a washed up actress.
John Nash’s emotions are expressed through various cinematography. The opening scene of the film shows shifting camera movement and this is done through physical displacement of the camera. The movements of the camera show John Nash is not confident in himself due to his schizophrenia. Different colours throughout the film express different emotions.
