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Sunset Boulevard is probably one of the darkest films of all time. It is probably the darkest psychological story of the 1950s and you will see what I mean when you see it. The start of the film takes you to how that event happened throughout the whole film. Sunset Boulevard takes you on a journey of not only romance but also of psychological behaviours that the characters have. Sunset Boulevard is a classic that has earned a lot of credit including from critics and awards as well. Sunset Boulevard is in my mind a story that you could watch again to get why these events occurred within it and how that sometimes happens in modern day life.
Gloria Swanson's performance as Norma Desmond was a bit similar to Bette Davis's performance as Margo Channing in All About Eve. Both of those two films were released on the same year. I liked Davis' performance more but I was more into the Norma Desmond character. Norma Desmond is a very mysterious character because she has something about her that doesn't quite seem right. Norma is an aging ex silent film star who has moved away to live in a mansion on Sunset Boulevard. Her one companion is Max, her butler, former director and we later learn, first husband, who serves as her protector and shields her from the outside world. Because he is still in love with her, he tells her she is still a star, and cuts her off from the news media to keep her from realizing that she has been completely forgotten by her beloved public. One day she meets Joe Gillis who is a young, unemployed screenwriter. He luckily arrives there because he was being chased by two repo men after a flat tyre. She asks him to write her a script for her. She wants it to be the story of Salome and she plans to star in it though she is way too old. As Gillis and Desmond get closer they fall in love and then there are severe consequences on hold that will leave you reeled with shock. William Holden was really good as well as Joe Gillis. I loved the way Holden made the character feel towards what he was doing regarding his script for Norma and also the way he was holding back against himself by trying to resist her. Their relationship becomes effective when Joe meets a younger screenwriter Betty Schaefer. Nancy Olson's performance was good as Betty and so was Erich Von Stroheim's performance too.
Billy Wilder has created another masterpiece that has gone to legend and has declared its rightful place on one of the best films of all time. Billy Wilder is one of my favourite directors and all I can say why is because he has created different kinds of films that have all turned out masterpieces. Sunset Boulevard is probably Wilder's most famous achievement but I still think that Some Like It Hot is his best film. He has created a film noir film that I got to grips with all the way through it and wanted to know the fates of the characters.
Sunset Boulevard is without a doubt one of the best films of the 1950s. It is a very dark story which is rather rare for a classic to have. Sunset Boulevard isn't Billy Wilder's best film. His best is still Some Like It Hot. Sunset Boulevard deserves his rightful place on one of my all time favourite films. It is a masterpiece that will never be forgotten in my mind.
10/10
