Wilder used to tell gloria swanson that her character, norma desmond, was in a sexual relationship with the chimpanzee. Sunset boulevard, directed by billy wilder in 1950, is considered to be the greatest film about hollywood ever put on celluloid by hollywood. A gloomy story that follows a jaded and sarcastic protagonist, joe gillis from his initial dire circumstances to his untimely death, sunset blvd. This study guide consists of approximately 24 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of sunset boulevard. Were at a mansion on sunset boulevard and we see the dead body floating in a pool as the police arrive. Though it does not have the completeness of complexity of kane, there are some provocative similarities. What follows is an excerpt from my biography of wilder, on sunset boulevard. The following analysis reveals a comprehensive look at the storyform for sunset boulevard. Movie analysis of sunset boulevard film studies essay. Sunset boulevard was released during a time when a genre known as film noir was in its heyday.
Billy wilders classic film noir from 1950, sunset boulevard is a dark take on the film industry and the fleeting nature of fame, to this day one of hollywoods most scorching and yet wistful depictions of itself. The term film noir was first coined by french film critics, who had observed increasingly dark themes, scripts and cinematic styles pervading american movies, particularly in films concerning crimes and detectives. Sunset boulevard was the last major hollywood film shot on nitrate negative. Sunset boulevard is a truly great film with a wealth of fascinating ideas, which remains one of the greatest films ever made about hollywood. At andrew lloyd webbers opening night party for his musical version of sunset boulevard 1950, billy wilder provided that answer to a woman asking about the role of the mysterious dead chimpanzee introduced early in the film. Its shadowy world of deceit and selfdeception is perfectly captured in the dark noir cinematography and lighting. Billy wilders sunset boulevard is the portrait of a forgotten silent star, living in exile in her grotesque mansion, screening her old films, dreaming of a comeback. One of the worlds most famous streets, this route links the urban streets of downtown hollywood to the lush, green and upscale residential avenues of beverly hills. Sunset boulevard opening scene analysis cinemaoceania. Through voiceover, a narrator tells us that well get a distorted version of the facts from the hollywood gossip columnists, but hell tell us the true story.
In the same year sunset boulevard was released, perinos moved a few blocks west to 4101 wilshire, but now even that restaurant is gone torn down in 2005 to make way for apartments. Suggested by umg andrew lloyd webber, michael crawford the music of the night. As the police begin converging on the house joes voice narrates, in flashback style, the events leading up to his. Just us, and the cameras, and those wonderful people out. Essay about film noir and billy wilders sunset boulevard. Sunset boulevard is sunset boulevard really a film noir. Sunset boulevard represents one of the best uses of a protagonist narrator in the past. The visual of a film is very important to define the film.
Together they begin a strange, mostly psychological, affair. Gloria swanson, as norma desmond, an aging silentfilm queen, and william holden, as the struggling young screenwriter who is held in thrall by her madness, created two of the screens most. The noir feel isintroduces immediately aswe see the old fashionedcards drive past in low keyblack and white lighting. How misenscene functions in sunset boulevard so much goes into the making of a movie.
Sunset boulevard is twice as chilling a film when you realise that desmond made paramount studios a success, rather than the other way around. While mulholland drive and peeping tom are ultimately. The misenscene is a really important part of watching a film. Gloria swanson gives her greatest performance as the silent star norma. Sunset boulevard 1950 is a classic black comedydrama, and perhaps the most acclaimed, but darkest filmnoir story about behind the scenes hollywood, selfdeceit, spiritual and spatial emptiness, and the price of fame, greed, narcissism, and ambition. Both are based in the american dream, the corruption of a dream, vanity and power. But because im in the business of writing things that might interest or entertain you, i am going to approach this recommendation from the following angle. Film noir, by translation alone, means dark film, and by that measurement sunset boulevard certainly fits the genre. What is the significance of the chimp in sunset boulevard.
But its also a love story, and the love keeps it from becoming simply a waxworks or a freak show. Sunset boulevard is a musical with book and lyrics by don black and christopher hampton and music by andrew lloyd webber. Both have arresting moods, a lot of visual fascination, sharplyetched scripts, and beautiful. The good news is, you can still see the digs of scriptwriter joe gillis, which is the mediterraneanstyle alto nido apartments, 1851 north ivar street. Shooting sunset boulevard as a black and white picture was a necessary choice in delivering the material in the most holistically effective way. While the characters are deeply flawed, some of them beyond any redemption, the film still presents them each as complex, sympathetic, and even endearing. Norma is a washedup silentfilm star who didnt survive the transition to talking pictures. An analysis of the reception of sunset boulevard in postwar america. For every film analysis, students answered the following questions.
The mood of the film is immediately established as decadent and decaying by the posthumous narrator a dead man floating facedown in a. The faltering movie business was built not on fragile. Sunset boulevard uses a lot of highcontrast lighting which also known as low key lighting, for example, in normas house, the lighting are low key and because of this lighting, it creates dark shadows which is also one of the characteristic of film noir. Sunset boulevard employs many elements of film noir, but its seamless fusion of genres cements the film as one of the most beloved american films ever made like most film noirs, sunset boulevard adopts dramatic. Joe is a cynical screenplay writer disenchanted by his ill luck on the hollywood scene. Sunset boulevard is typically classified as a quintessential film noir, a genre used to refer to highlystylized 1940s and 50s crime films saturated with a fatalistic, cynical mood. Sunset boulevard is a good film to compare with citizen kane. So, let us look at the characteristics of visual in sunset boulevard. The film opens up with close up shot of the curb sunset boulevard which serves as both name of the movie and the street. The lifeless body of a young man, joe gillis holden floats in the swimming pool of a palatial mansion. Sunset boulevard is a musical with book and lyrics by don black and christopher hampton, and music by andrew lloyd webber.
Film analysis questions used for psy 280 psychology in film course. That makes it the perfect settingand titlefor a movie about the film industry. An analysis of the reception of sunset boulevard in. Posted on april 15, 2017 april 15, 2017 by truman hopper. Why was sunset boulevard shot in black and white when. This also means it has been incorporated into the dramatica story expert application itself as an easily referenced contextual.
Snippets from an archive interview with gloria swanson are also included. The beginning sd, 23 min interviews with film historians, producers, and actress nancy olson who plays betty in the film are provided, all tracing the movies origins and production. Questions for bowling for columbine,fahrenheit 911, sicko, super size me, andthank you for smoking. It is a classic black comedydrama, and perhaps the most acclaimed, but darkest film noir story about behind the scenes hollywood.
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