"Sunset Boulevard" Oral Commentary

"Sunset Boulevard" Oral Presentation Part 4: Narrative

The Film "Sunset Boulevard" is told in a fairly interesting way, as the beginning sequence is actually the end of the film.  We are thrown in seeing police cars and ambulances racing down Sunset Boulevard.  We arrive at a huge mansion, and the pool is surrounded by police officers looking at the floating main character: Joe.  We hear the deceased Joe narrating this scene from heaven or hell, giving us a little bit of background about himself, but no clue to how he was killed, and why he's floating in the pool of a fallen Hollywood star.

The shots used to capture Joe floating in the pool are extremely interesting, especially the one shown above. This shot was made possibly by a sheet of glass/plexiglass at the bottom of the pool, leaving a little room for the camera to be placed, and creating a legendary shot. This shot captures a lot: the fact that Joe is dead as a doornail, chucked into a pool with his eyes still open, which is sort of shocking. Along with the numerous police officers surrounding, taking pictures of the recently deceased man.  It shows how fast news spreads in Hollywood, and how quick and how many people come when someone of importance has committed a crime.

After showing Joe, the story moves back in time a few weeks, back to when Joe was a writer, struggling to get by, and how everything unfolded. This type of storytelling keeps the audience on their toes, making them think about how everything contributed to how the small clip of the beginning happening. This film also uses a sort of argument to tell it's interesting story, basically arguing that Hollywood can corrupt people beyond repair, and that being neglected leads to a crazed, lonely life full of dreaming, but never going out and actually doing.  Norma Desmond portrays this beautifully, and is able to make the audience believe she really is a deranged, insane fallen idol.

While watching this movie, we really feel what the actors want us to feel. Our engagements make us feel exactly what they want us to feel, especially the pity for Norma. Another big part of the acting is the love-hate relationship that we feel Joe. In his encounters with Norma, we like him and feel bad that he's trapped in a money-filled dystopia, but hate him for refusing to work with Betty, and eventually breaking her heart by telling her lies -- but overall is the right decision in the circumstances. 

Overall, the narrative of "Sunset Boulevard" contributed to the success of the movie, creating a great way to tell the story to the viewers, and keep them extremely entertained.

"Sunset Boulevard" Oral Presentation Part 3: Socio-Cultural Context

The film "Sunset Boulevard" is such an interesting film because it doesn't relate to the culture that it was released in. Back in the late 40's/early 50's, Hollywood tried its hardest to cover up it's dark secrets that lie behind the scenes. It discussed many controversial topics, such as how the transition from the silent age to the sound era ruined many actors careers. A famous scene where this is gone over is when Joe references them as the "waxworks" when Norma has a few has-been actors and actresses over to play a game of bridge.

There is a sort of an eerie tone to the scene, as don't talk much, and seem to have a look of discontent painted onto their faces. The fact that director Billy Wilder was able to get those actors on board to be in that scene, playing themselves as a few has-been actors, seems to solidify the fact that they've accepted their roles, and their falls from being on the big screen as big actors and actresses. This film was knocked by many critics and Hollywood folk who didn't want the truth about how Hollywood really worked. This made this film in-between genres: made in the era of classics, but paving new ground towards films of the future. The fact that it addresses so many controversial subjects makes it a great movie for anyone who wasn't easily offended back in the day.

This film shows how much the industry has changed since its release. It stirred up loads of controversy in its release, but a movie like this released today would have little effect on the audience. In the 50's, it was huge to create a movie that shows the dark sides of anything, but now-a-days it's normal protocol. Showing something that goes against the flow is almost something that has to be done in order for your film to be successful. People want to see something that unsettles them, something that could talk about. Hey, look at me now for example: I'm writing a long blog post about how much this movie was a little crazy.

"Sunset Boulevard" was made to show the world that it's not all good, a truth that needed to be said sooner or later. It opened up quite a few eyes, and made them say "could that really happen to someone so well-known and rich?" and sadly, yes it can. Norma was the face of the dark side of the business: showing how an angel can fall and become someone so desperate, even though they have it all.

"Sunset Boulevard" Oral Presentation Part 2: Historical and Institutional Factors

"Sunset Boulevard" was produced by Paramount Pictures, a famous production company that has produced countless other critically-acclaimed films.  Since it's such a successful production company, it has the juice to produce some awesome films with great casting and settings. Interestingly enough, Paramount was also mentioned many times in the film, and ends up being a focal point for Norma and Joe.

Joe attempts to pitch his film to a head guy at Paramount, but gets shot down.  Although, he meets Betty Schaefer there, a relationship that will be revisited in-depth and made a very apparent part of the film. Paramount seems to symbolize where everyone wants to go, and what everyone wants. Norma desperately wants her film to be accepted and filmed, Joe desperately needs money from them, and Betty desperately wants Joe to work with her on his film idea.  This makes it a coveted item, and symbolizes how people will do anything to get big in Hollywood, even if it means hurting others.

Hollywood was as big as ever in the 1950's, consisting of all the glitz and glamor it does today.  They all had mansions, swimming pools, and all the money anyone ever wanted, and more. But this film showed something different than many others: the dark side of Hollywood. Most films of the time showcased how great Hollywood was, how everyone was happy and nothing ever went wrong, so this picture shattered that into little pieces. Norma was the example of what was wrong with Hollywood. She was filthy rich, and could get any material item she wanted, but was never satisfied. She wanted to be back in the limelight of Hollywood, and most of all she wanted to be loved.

She showed the masses that even people who have it all can break, just like anyone else. The "love" that she had for Joe was completely empty. All she wanted was somebody to adore her, just like they had in the golden days, but her selfishness showed through, along with the fact that she was unable to express any love besides showering him in gifts. "Sunset Boulevard" showed the harsh truth of Hollywood, a side that people needed to see.

"Sunset Boulevard" Oral Presenation Part 1: Genre and Audience

"Sunset Boulevard" is critically acclaimed, controversial, and wrapped up in a bunch of dark humor that pokes fun at Hollywood as a whole. Sounds great, right? It was a Noir film that premiered in 1950, starring Gloria Swanson as the creepy and eccentric fallen star: Norma Desmond.  The late 40's and early 50's was Noir film's peak, but also during the transition from silent films to films with sound, which knocked many actors out of the business, including the fictional Norma Desmond.

Everything about this film screams Noir, from the femme fatale to the controversial topics discussed and portrayed all throughout the film.  This picture was like no other, but has some connections to Beauty and the Beast (1946).  The gender roles are reversed, as Norma seems to be the beast in film, while Joe is Beauty.  It's an interesting film to be connected to, as the movies are like a paralleled same: one has a hard life and runs away from something, only to find themselves in a seemingly abandoned mansion inhabited by a misunderstood millionaire.

This film was brilliantly directed by Billy Wilder, who seemed to do everything right.  From the casting, the locations, and the hidden meaning sprinkled throughout.  It's apparent Wilder really wanted this picture to be as perfect as possible in every way, and that he loves to stir up controversies through his pictures, which he successfully did with "Sunset Boulevard". This was a film you either loved or hated, no in between. Wilder seemed to bask in the criticism, as he always had a witty reply for any shots fired at his film.

This film has many themes, varying from the how Hollywood makes you corrupt and lonely, how money doesn't buy happiness, and how there's a difference between the right thing and the thing you want to do. These were ground-breaking and controversial at the time. And, as previously stated, Wilder took lots of criticism for revealing some truths about how Hollywood actually works. The film could've reached out to many audiences, pretty much anyone who wasn't a member of Hollywood and didn't have any secrets to hide could enjoy this legendary noir film.