SUNSET BOULEVARD Review
Classics are classics for a reason, so it comes as no surprise that when I finally watched Billy Wilder’s SUNSET BOULEVARD I was more than impressed. For a little context, for whatever reason, but most likely due to their rather slow pacing and “action” for lack of a better term, movies made before the 60’s hardly have ever done it for me, at least in any memorable ways. However, witnessing the bizarre and tragic tale of a faded Hollywood starlet and the down on his luck screenwriter caught in her web kept me entertained and intrigued throughout its entirety.
Nominated for 11 Oscars and winning three of them (Best Writing, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Music), a viewer (like myself) would be confident in guessing that the reason this movie saw so much critical acclaim was because it was just like any other retro Oscar winner of that time focusing on themes of melodramatic love stories or some kind of epic historical retelling or even perhaps a story about the film industry (which usually garners your film at least ONE nomination). Surprisingly though, while SUNSET BOULEVARD hits that checkmark of being a film about Hollywood (with your struggling screenwriters and actors, faded movie stars, and ruthless studio executives), behind its starry gloss lies a sad tale of people living in the past and their violent attempts to reclaim it.
From the first scene, Wilder (and co-writers Charles Brackett and D.M. Marshman Jr.) put their audience on their toes as we open on a dead man in a pool in front of a vast mansion. As Wilder’s camera peers closer towards the corpse, it speaks in the form of Joe Gillis (William Holden) who recounts his bizarre descent into a tale of madness and murder. Wilder and Gillis take us back to the beginning as we follow Gillis’ attempts at a comeback as a screenwriter as a lack of writing jobs has led to him becoming trapped in a well of overdue bills and loan sharks. With no work on the horizon and said sharks nipping at his heels, Gillis books it for his hometown only to end up at the dilapidated mansion of former silent movie star Norma Desmond (real life silent movie star, Gloria Swanson) thanks to a continuing case of bad luck in the form of a flat tire. From there, Joe unwittingly enters into a collaboration with the eccentric and reclusive Norma as she plans to use Joe as her ticket back into the spotlight as he will look over her extravagant self-made screenplay and “touch it up”. Joe, never one to turn down a quick paycheck, takes the job and is soon dragged into her bitter world full of secrets.
It is in this first half of the film, with the first meetings of a down on his luck screenwriter and a macabre movie star, where the movie is perfect. Holden, in the lead role, carries the screen with an effortless charm even when his character is at his most detestable delivering the snappy and snarky dialogue with glee. On his opposite is the exquisite Swanson who, utilizing her past work as a physical performer, hits every over-the-top declaration with gusto while still allowing the seams of her fractured humanity to seep through in a performance that captures the audience every time she appears. Indeed, everytime Holden and Swanson share the screen in scenes that dance between uneasiness and some weird kind of demented romance, SUNSET BOULEVARD becomes a disturbing tale of cat and mouse filmed through Hollywood lens. Even when the film introduces a sane love interest for Joe in the form of Nancy Olson’s innocent aspiring screenwriter Betty, Wilder finds the best rewards in his tale of Joe and Norma’s twisted relationship and the darker backdrop of a ruthless Hollywood system. While Olson and Holden display moments of sweet chemistry, the character of Betty and the subsequent romance feel unnecessary and distracting to the much more interesting central relationship of Holden and Swanson.
As the film barrels to its memorable final third act, where Norma’s descent reaches its inevitable tragic conclusion, Wilder and co. let the twists and reveals arrive in spectacular ways. Honestly, as I’ve already mentioned, this is a surprisingly dark and weird movie but it’s a testament to Wilder that he manages to make these at times, ridiculous twists, sell due in part to how well the world around the characters are crafted. From the vast yet decayed walls of Norma’s mansion to the hectic yet peaceful studio lots to even a random house party, the world of SUNSET feels alive and each location feels vibrant or restrictive (depending on where you are at) so it’s no surprise that this took home awards for its set decoration.
Overall, it was nice to be surprised by a movie built like SUNSET BOULEVARD. While I’m not sure if this will be the movie the movie to get pre-60’s films to finally click with me, I can confidently say that of all the movies I have seen from that vast era, not many were doing it like Billy Wilder and his production team were.
4.5/5
