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Sunset Boulevard

post #1 of 7
3/5/08 at 2:21am
Thread Starter 
Just watched this for the first time. God damn. Still haven't seen as much Wilder as I should have, but this might be tied with The Apartment as one of my favorites of all time.
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post #2 of 7
3/5/08 at 6:28am
Wilder just can't go wrong in my book. Although my personal favorite of his is Ace in the Hole, Blvd. is definitely of the overall finer films of all time, and my second favorite William Holden performance. Absolutely tremendous film.
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post #3 of 7
3/5/08 at 1:38pm
I have a really hard time choosing between Sunset Blvd, Double Indemnity and The Apartment. In the end, if I have to, I'll pick Double Indemnity for being so damn cool, but it's a very close call.
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post #4 of 7
3/5/08 at 1:43pm
Hate to be that guy, but I give you the "Sunset Blvd" thread.

I will say, again, that this is an absolutely stunning movie, although, like Cobblepot, I've got to give the nod to Double Indemnity. If your awareness of Fred Macmuray extends only to "My Three Sons" and Disney movies, Indemnity will blow your mind.
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post #5 of 7
3/5/08 at 8:43pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattioli View Post
Hate to be that guy, but I give you the "Sunset Blvd" thread.
Thanks for that. But, if The Thing deserves a thousand threads, then this one does as well.

Anyway, I started listening to the commentary track on the DVD while I was getting ready this morning, and it was pretty terrible. They pulled in some "expert" on the film, I think that he wrote a Wilder biography, as well. He was obviously reading from index cards or something, too, so his delivery sounded extremely off. Some of his Wilder stories were fascinating, but his understanding of the film seemed quite a bit limited, in that he only focused on it as a satire of Hollywood, but I found that Sunset Blvd also worked quite well as a commentary on the line between art and popular entertainment, as Joe Gillis is caught between the two. Moreover, the commentator saw Gillis as being trapped by Norma Desmond, but I think that WIlder makes it clear that Gillis always has a choice. While it is true that he is trapped, its by his own weakness that Gillis is stuck. He doesn't have the guts to choose art when the choice presents itself, and he chooses death (creative, as well as literal) at the end.

While the film is admirable as a satire on Hollywood, its true genius lies in its depiction of the problem of the modern artist, maybe even the modern individual. This is something a lot of "film people" seem to forget in the criticism I've read. Now that I mention it, I think the film does represent "the modern philosophical dilemma" quite effectively. Hell, Wilder probably name drops Dostoevsky for a reason...
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post #6 of 7
3/7/08 at 3:21am
Billy Wilder is awesome. Sunset Boulevard is my favorite of his films with Some Like it Hot at number two and Double Indemnity at number three. I've never seen Ace in the Hole of The Apartment sadly. Stalag 17 is a very good movie too.
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post #7 of 7
5/20/11 at 2:33pm

Of three threads I chose this one because it's the most recent (and Mattioli linked to the second most recent thread above).

 

I'd seen a few Billy Wilder's before, but wasn't prepared for this. The Apartment is a favorite, as I love Jack Lemmon. That movie not only pulled off a satire of the business world perfectly, but it felt quite edgy for its time (sleazy bosses, young women sleeping around in the big city, attempts at suicide). Well, Sunset Boulevard is not only ahead of its time but is universal in its appeal.

 

Like it's already been said, Gloria Swanson and William Holden are a treat to behold. The former tears up the screen, and is genuinely creepy (especially that fourth-wall breaking moment at the end). I do appreciate, however, that we get the scene at Paramount when Norma recaptures the spotlight. She was loved for a reason, and the movie provides ample evidence for that. A movie these days would have just stated that fact without proving it. Holden, meanwhile, is very relatable and easy to love and hate: I can't decide if the scene when he brings Betty to the mansion and scares her out of his life is noble or idiotic. I'd only seen Holden in The Wild Bunch before, so he's definitely on my radar now.

 

The shooting scene was fascinating. Was Gillis aware he'd been shot that first time, and kept walking out of stubbornness? Wanting to die? Or was he in shock and kept trudging forward unaware?

 

An odd choice to have a posthumus voiceover. I kept expecting a last minute twist to reveal he hadn't actually died. Usually I'm not a fan of voiceovers, but this is one of the better ones: not only does it introduce valuble insight into Gillis's character, but it's important that the "talkie" aspect of this film be played up to contrast Norma's past as a silent film star.

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