Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Written by Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, & D. M. Marshman Jr.
Directed by Billy Wilder
1998 List Ranking: 12
2007 List Ranking: 16
Glenn Close as (my favorite) Norma Desmond in the original Broadway cast of Sunset Boulevard
My journey with Sunset Boulevard began nearly 30 years ago. I was at my grandparents’ house in Palos Verdes, and my parents were given the soundtrack, on two cassette tapes, to a new Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Sunset Boulevard. I had obviously never heard of it, but we listened to it on the way home and it quickly joined the regular rotation of musicals that we would listen to, such as The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Les Misérables, and Miss Saigon. Like those other shows, I quickly learned the plot and the score. And, in early 1996, I got to go spend a weekend in New York, and that first night, I went to my first Broadway show: Sunset Boulevard.
All this to say that, not only is Sunset in my top five favorite musicals, but it also introduced to me the idea of the oft-neglected detrimental effects the introduction of sound had on the film industry, particularly its actors. I’ve mentioned before that this era of film history is particularly interesting, and Sunset Boulevard is to thank. I had seen the film once before in the late 1990’s, and this viewing was a great experience to relive it all over again.
Joe (William Holden) struggles with Norma’s awful Salome script
Joe Gillis (portrayed by William Holden) is a down-on-his-luck screenwriter who is just about to quit Hollywood when, in a series of events, ends up inside the overly-opulent mansion of Norma Desmond (played brilliantly by Gloria Swanson), a former silent-film star who, with the introduction of the talkies, was unable to transition and now, unbeknownst to her, has been nearly completely forgotten. Joe is soon caught in her manipulative web as she tries to prepare for a comeback (“a return”, as she insists). The web has a tragic ending (for nearly everyone), but it’s a thrilling ride along the way.
Gloria Swanson as the deliriously delicious Norma Desmond
The standout performance is, of course, Swanson as Norma Desmond. While her real-life career somewhat mirrored that of the fictional Desmond, Swanson achieved the return that Desmond craves with this film. Her Norma is imperial and regal, yet also childish and manipulative, uncaring of who she hurts as long as she gets her way. Her absolute refusal to see the truth is so devastating, not in the least that those delusions are aided and abetted by everyone around her. After all, we all know what they say about the road to hell and good intentions.
Nancy Olsen as the sweetly innocent Betty Schaefer
The performances of the three other leads, Holden, Nancy Olsen (as Betty Schaefer), and Erich von Stroheim (as Max), are all able to hold their own, as well. Holden walks the fine line between antagonistically cynical and believably likable very well, and his anguish between the different wants in his soul is palpable. Olsen is a newcomer to films, but her pure innocence is a perfect match to the role she plays within the film (essentially, the antithesis to Norma). Finally, like Swanson, Stroheim’s life somewhat inspired his role as a former director (which is true) who has become Norma’s servant and ex-husband (which is not). All three give much more subtle performances than Swanson (which, in light of her performance, isn’t exactly difficult), but they create a unified whole that seemingly effortlessly propels the plot along.
Light and dark
Like Double Indemnity, this is a noir film (ANOTHER noir film) that counterbalances the sunny views of California with the darkness and shadows the genre demands. It’s not so surprising that the two films share the same cinematographer (who also shot another noir film I enjoyed, The Lost Weekend), and clearly John F. Seitz is a brilliant cinematographer. Many of the noir films on this list are sometimes too dark for their own good (as much as I liked The Third Man, there were times I couldn’t SEE anything), so that balance between light and dark is greatly appreciated here.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, my favorite aspect of the film is its gritty look at Hollywood itself, something that at the time wasn’t done very much. Hollywood was the original place where dreams came true and the studios viciously defended that image; the fear that audiences would turn away from films if they knew its truly seedy underbelly was very real. As such, a film that shows just how the greats of the silent era were cruelly cast aside and forgotten, as well as the cutthroat nature of the business, caused a stir within the industry, with one studio head berating director Billy Wilder as, essentially, biting the hand that fed him.
Since I know the Lloyd Webber musical so well (seriously, it continually alternates with Miss Saigon for the number two and three spot on my favorite musicals of all time), it was a pleasure to see the film again and to see just how faithful the musical is to its source material. Even without the show, however, Sunset Boulevard remains a highlight of cinematic history, telling a horrific yet engaging story of the icons we toss aside and the results of such actions. Hoisted to brilliance by the performance of Gloria Swanson, Sunset is a classic, a true benchmark against which other films can adequately be measured against.
FINAL GRADE: A+
