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.
When Billy assaults Jeannette, his father's teaching echoes through his actions, demonstrating how neglectful and misguided parental figures shape a child’s actions in destructive ways. Billy's display of violence towards Jeannette extends to sexually assaulting her, exhibiting his aggressiveness cultivated by external influences. “The more I pulled, the more he pushed, until he was on top of me and I felt his fingers tugging at my shorts” (Walls 86). Billy’s father imparts normalizing violence, leading to Billy internalizing these teachings, causing the violent altercation with Jeannette. The devastating outcome of Billy Deel derives from the unrequited attention he never received from his father.
The film entitled “An American Crime”, is about a young girl name Sylvia Likens that was murdered and physically abused by her caregiver Gertrude Baniszewski and her children. Gertrude was a church member in the community that the Likens family had just moved in. Sylvia and Jenny parents were split, they lived with their mother while their father was on the road working. In July 1965, the father came back into town to get the mother and they decided to leave the kids with Gertrude while they were out on the road, in which he would pay her weekly for keeping the girls. Due to the girl’s parent’s check being late, Gertrude commenced to get physical with the girls.
In Sunset Boulevard (Wilder 1950), the space of mise-en-scene is used to ‘guide the audience 's attention across the screen, shaping the sense of the space that is represented and emphasising certain parts of it ' (Bordwell 2001, p.176). For instance, when Joe Gillis is escaping the repo men at the beginning of the clip, the main focus is the speeding cars coming from the background to the foreground of the shot. Another notable scene is when Norma Desmond 's character lifts the rug and the chimpanzee 's arm flings out and swings back and forth, it instantly captures the audience 's attention. This is done because ‘moving items draw the audience 's attention more quickly than a static item does ' (Bordwell 2001, p.176). This method of presenting action corresponds with the structure of classical Hollywood as it was ‘designed for on-screen events to
She tries to escape from the man but he stabs her over and over with no remorse. Connie was too self absorbed to think twice about the man watching her. The consequence is harsh but her vain and rebellious acts got her into a dangerous
As the debuting film for director Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler is, in its essence, a film not unlike some we’ve watched in class– one that certainly comes to mind is Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard, a movie that inspires thought about not only the industry, but humanity. Instead of Norma’s post-film craze, our own protagonist, Louis “Lou” Bloom (portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal) is in almost a pre-career craze. Ruthlessly ambitious, he is, my opinion, the image of a sociopath on the prowl for the beginnings of a job, and further than that– a way up in the finally chosen field of television news, where after being a thief to get what money he can, he becomes an independent contractor, shooting stories of gruesome events around Los Angeles. Overall,
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.
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.
