"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.