Sunset Boulevard...what a movie. I have heard of it before but never took the time to sit down and watch it. With a consistent theme of the movie business and stardom, this film projects a not so glamorous image of Hollywood. It follows a washed-up silent film star, Norma Desmond, who is desperately trying to get into the spotlight again. She uses a film writer, Joe Gillis, to make her feel wanted and young again. Yet throughout the movie, I found myself sitting there thinking that even with the fame Norma had when she was young, it was not worth losing half of your life to feelings of isolation and unimportance. Even today, as glamorous as celebrities may seem, I do not desire their lifestyle simply because it comes with far too much pressure and attention. It seems that this film was trying to show its audience that the movie-making business is not as glamorous as it seems and that actors/actresses are subject to flaws as well.
Throughout the movie, I found several things that struck me as being unique. I loved the creativity at the beginning of the movie, including the shot of the curb with "Sunset Boulevard" painted on it. Even the way that the credits were being filmed on a moving road boosted the movie's overall effect. Another part of the movie that was unique was that Joe Gillis was the narrator telling his story. By having a narrator, it makes you feel closer to Joe's character as he tells you about his tragedy and even foreshadows several events. In addition, one camera shot at the very beginning was of Joe Gillis floating in Norma's pool, but the shot was underwater, looking up at Joe Gillis' face. It is such a bold camera angle that truly grabs the audience's attention. And the fact that this shot represents the end of the film but was shown at the beginning is another creative element of the movie.
After the movie, we discussed how Sunset Boulevard falls into the genre of movies called film noir. I had never heard of this genre before, but after discussing the elements of film noir, I could gradually see how this film could fit into that category. The fact that it was a black and white film in 1950 is one reason it is part of the film noir genre. It seems that the dark lighting and lack of color add to the darkness and tragedy within the plot. Yet the sound and music was one of the best features of this film by far. The opening scenes of the movie have powerful and suspenseful music that draw you into the story. As the plot and actions of the characters thicken, so does the sound. Yet the sound and music seems to be intensified around Norma. Whether her emotions were dark or uplifted, the music hinted at her present mood. I can understand why this movie won an award for its music; it was powerful and just as much a part of the movie as its acting.
After seeing this movie, it makes me want to see other classic films. The only film that is "old" that I can say I have seen and loved is Gone With the Wind, and I would definitely be interested in increasing this list. I love modern movies, but it seems that they are lacking the classic features that films from decades ago mastered. If anyone has any suggestions as to which movies I should watch, let me know!
You should watch It Happened One Night.
ReplyDeleteA lot of modern movies have soundtracks, some of the songs are usually recognizable by the audience. Songs I recognize grab my attention more. Sadly, the music and sound I was not drawn particularly too and don't remember it having any great effect on my film experience. I wonder how different it would have been had I recognized more sound.
I'm glad you noticed the music behind the opening scene. Though it is a really cool shot, the music is what makes it. The unique shot and dramatic music work together to set the tone of the entire move right off the bat. Something like a thrilling suspense film but there is a hint of something more.
ReplyDeleteStart with Roger Ebert's The Great Movies list and go on from there. There's enough wonderfulness in those lists to last you until middle age.
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