Sunset Blvd

Sunset Blvd. (1950) was directed by Billy Wilder who also brought us one of the most famous Film Noir's Double Indemnity. Famous in its time for being one of the first films to show the darker side of Hollywood, Sunset Blvd. boasts four remarkable performances (nominated for all four acting Oscars).

Narratively speaking, the film is quite different from other Film Noirs. While there is a crime involved, (the body of a dead man is found floating in a pool in the opening sequence) the film has very little to do with that. It does us a voice over which is a very common part of the noir films but takes a daring new approach by having the narrator dead from the start.

The film is full of shadows in a very figurative way. It shows the shadowy world deceit and self-deceit, self-loathing and perversion. These are all strong characteristics of Noir narrative. Joe Gillis is the Noir centre of the film not Norma Desmond as it often believed. Norma (Gloria Swanson) is just delusional while Joe (William Holden) is caught in a moral battle of genuine love of another screenwriter and the wealth and pity of Norma.

While the narrative is very shadowy, the visual style is anything but. Visually we have a much more fantastical feel. The grandeur of the house, the many elaborate dresses worn by Norma and the many practical lights help to create the strong feelings of delusion Norma suffers from.

The film does use shadows most commonly when referring to Norma's past, particularly the scene where they are watching her old movies and she stands int the projection light, arm held high with very strong light contrast on her face.

In contrast, whenever Norma is not on the scene the film looks almost normal. However, when Joe is visiting another scriptwriter in the night, secretly and against Norma's wishes the style becomes much darker and much more shadowy. This again helps to back up the point of Joe being the central noir figure.

An unusual noir in both style and content, much can be learned about the themes and styles of noir when viewing Sunset Blvd in comparision to many other film noirs. One thing is for sure though, Sunset Blvd remains just as enticing and fasinating and is truly one of the great movie.