Intro.
Everybody knows the line. "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." And just about everyone knows the image that goes with it - Gloria Swanson decked out in a gown and glitzy headpiece from the 1920's, descending the stairs, her chin up and huge eyelashes held on unblinking eyes. I knew this line well, but had never seen the film which featured it: Sunset Boulevard. I just watched it a few nights ago and I have to say, it's my new favorite film. I've always liked movies about Hollywood and the film business, but Sunset Boulevard outdoes any of the others I've seen. Overview
Sunset Boulevard opens on its namesake following a squad of homicide police cars past palm trees and luxuriant mansions. A voiceover tells us he's going to tell us the real story, before you get the messed up version from the reporters. The police all gather around a swimming pool, where we see a dead man floating face-down. The narrators says he's been shot twice in the back and once in the stomach. He's "nobody important. Just a movie-writer with a couple of B-pictures to his name." We get a look at the poor guy's face again as the narrator adds, "poor dope. He always wanted a pool." Then the film goes back to six months earlier, and the narrator switches to telling us about himself. His name is Joe Gillis (William Holden), and he's a penniless writer cranking out two stories a week which he can't sell. The finance company shows up to repossess his car, but he says he lent it to a friend. Joe of course does have the car, and goes to Paramount to talk to a producer friend of his about a story he sent in. The reader's department has given the story a poor rating, so Joe's out of luck. He goes to see his agent, who says that losing his car will be great because he'll be inspired to write more. Just as Joe's driving back, the finance company guys spot him and start to pursue him. Joe pulls into one of the big estates on Sunset Boulevard and hides in a deserted garage. Safely hidden, he goes towards the house, thinking it's deserted. That's why he is so startled to see a butler appear at the door and usher him inside. Turns out that Joe has been mistaken for an undertaker because the homeowner's pet chimp has died. And the homeowner is just as extravagent and outrageous as the house - her name is Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), famous silent film era movie star. "You used to be big," Joe nods in recognition. "I am big," she corrects him. "It's the pictures that got small." She asks Joe to stay and read the script she's been writing for several years - her big picture to mark her return to the screen. She hires Joe to help her rewrite the script. He spends the rest of the day there reading and when he wakes up the next morning, he finds all of his belongings have been moved in for him. Before Joe realizes it, he becomes a kept man. His car is repossessed, Norma won't let him leave, and soon she's buying him clothes and cigarette cases. On New Year's Eve, she throws a party but he's the only guest. He snaps, tells her he wants a life of his own, and storms out to go to his friend Artie's party. He comes back, however, because Norma was so overcome, she took the razor from his room and slit her wrists. She survived, but the night changed them both. Joe stays with Norma after that and she confidently readies herself for her great return to the screen. She even manages to go to Paramount and see Mr. DeMille, who doesn't have the heart to tell her that her script is awful. While at the studio though, Joe sees Artie's girlfriend, Betty Schaefer (Nancy Olson), who proposes making a script out of one of Joe's old short stories. He agrees to start meeting her late at night and continue working on the script. There are a few complications though, as first Betty falls in love with Joe and then Norma discovers a copy of the script with Betty's and Joe's names on it. It all comes to an end when Norma calls Betty to warn her about Joe, but Joe interrupts and tells Betty to come over and see his situation. I won't give away exactly what happens, but it's a wonderful ride all the way to the very end, where the camera finally gives Norma her close-up.Highlights
I love how Sunset Boulevard is written. The dialogue and the narration are both outstanding. Besides the line I quoted at the beginning of this post, there's also the wonderful descriptions and reflections of Joe Gillis. He speaks like a writer, which is probably why it comes across so well. He sees the big mansion and calls it "a big white elephant of a house." He realizes how deeply troubled Norma is as he narrates, "she was still sleepwalking along the giddy heights of a lost career." Then we have Norma's madness-induced lines like "no one ever leaves a star - that's what makes one a star." Through it all we get a keen sense of Joe's cynicism and Norma's desperation. That's what the film really comes down to - two people who have seen the dark side of Hollywood.
Gloria Swanson gives an amazing performance as Norma. I didn't know it at the time, but Gloria had been a star back in the days of silent films, and those movies Norma watches are actually Gloria's old ones from the 20's. As Norma, she is both pitiable and detestable - I really didn't make up my mind about her character until the very last scene, where you can't help but feel sorry for her. The best word for her is denial. In Joe's words, she's "still waving proudly at a parade that had long since passed her by." Her fans, her friends, everyone in the cold world of show business has given her the brush, but she refuses to believe it. Her denial is narcissistic perhaps, but very human. She refuses to believe that she's getting older, that she's past the best years of her life.
Just as Gloria Swanson is a perfect fit as Norma Desmond, William Holden is just as perfect for the role of Joe Gillis. I think very few actors could have delivered that dead-pan cynical narrative as well as Holden. Maybe it was the kind of character he usually played or maybe it was a bit of his own personality, but there's something very engaging in his performance. Just as engaging is the sweet, optimistic Betty, played by the beautiful Nancy Olson. She too has been snubbed by Hollywood, but has adjusted rather well. She and Norma are polar opposites, which may be why Joe is so drawn to Betty. Their dynamic is fun to watch and gives the film a lot more depth.
Finally, I have to comment a little on the satiric look at Hollywood. Entire books have been written about it, so I'm just going to make this short. I loved how real shots of Paramount studios and Schwab's Drugstore were used - it gives a realistic feel to the film. I also loved how real celebrities were discussed - Joe Gillis mentions Selznick, Tyrone Powers, Alan Ladd. And to make it even better, Cecil B. DeMille appears as himself! Also keep your eyes out for Hedda Hopper and Buster Keaton, also playing themselves. It makes the impact of the film more pronounced, more identifiable. It also doesn't shy away from how quickly stars can be forgotten or how cruel fans and reporters can be. We see it every day in pop culture headlines - which celebrities are in rehab, which are in jail, which are causing the latest scandal. But when the publicity stops altogether, that can be the end of a career.
Review and Recommendation
Honestly, I could write a lot more about why Sunset Boulevard is a great movie, but I won't. What I can do is give it one of my strongest "must-see" recommendations. If I had a 5-star system, this would get 8 stars. It's a film about films and movie-lovers everywhere will find something to like and admire. It's easy to see why it won 3 Oscars. So sit back, enjoy and be prepared for Norma Desmond to stare directly at you, you "wonderful people out there in the dark."
P.S. For any Stephen King fans out there, this film definitely reminded me of a non-gory version of Misery. Don't believe me? Watch it and see!
