100

A final image can be ambiguous or illuminating, ill-defined or razor-sharp, but Billy Wilder takes a moment of supreme clarity and showcases it through gradual opacity; a star slowly succumbing to an out-of-focus recreation of the glory days, one which is, in actuality, confined to a homicidal reality. Ah, showbiz.

"I am big! It's the pictures that got small!"

Masterfully snappy dialogue like only Billy Wilder and the golden age of 40's and 50's film-noir can deliver. A comeback performance from Gloria Swanson to redefine the very notion of a comeback (I still can't get over how expressive her face is). Incisive commentary on the process of filmmaking which extends to the real lives of its cast and crew (Gloria Swanson returning to film as Norma Desmond returning to film; Erich von Stroheim, the director of Gloria Swanson's early films, as Max von Mayerling, the director of Norma Desmond's early films). Prescient awareness of the critical lack of genuinely new stories two decades before anyone would use the term "postmodern" to describe literature. A truly one of a kind film.

Top 10 Film Noir | Metacinema
List of Shame | The Rewatch List

When I first moved to New York I lived in a rent controlled apartment in Chelsea with a 65 year old woman who used to wake me up at three in the morning to tell me about the 70s and who I’m about 80% sure tried to poison me when I was moving out. Was a very stressful living situation but ultimately it was worth it because it allowed me to understand this movie on a level none of you could ever imagine.

i’m the fact that norma decides to trust joe, a complete stranger, solely due to the fact that he is a sagittarius

A re-watch to prepare to be a guest on an upcoming podcast episode. But watching this once again reminded me of just how well crafted it is. I love the insider film references, (like Erich von Stroheim playing the film he actually directed starring Gloria Swanson.) Plus the way it’s both a product of the time in which it was made (you can see how the studio system was starting to falter) and how it shows the way many silent film stars were pushed to the side when they couldn’t make the transition to sound. There’s also plenty to dig into around ageism, sexism, the price of fame and mental health. This is a film I get more from every time I watch it.

Gloria Swanson, the actress, was macrobiotic (basically vegan+) and her character, Norma Desmond, gives a funeral for a monkey. 

What was perceived as eccentric in the 1950s could now literally be conceived of as sympathetic.

I watched this back in September and toootally forgot to log it. I guess...that says something about the film? Was consistently entertained and invested throughout but never found myself extremely blown away by anything. Maybe I wasn’t in the right mood that day?? Perhaps I’ll give it a rewatch. 

SORRY

Bad film screenwriter Joe Gilles is NOT HOT! “Bases Loaded” is a bomb! This Hollywood loser goes from zero to A number one gigolo when he meets THE GREAT Norma Desmond! Thank you President Trump for bringing classic Hollywood glamour back!!

just us... and the cameras.

they don't make beds shaped like old timey ships anymore, huh

**Part of the Best Picture Project**

What a difference several years makes after having last seen a film!

As a younger still growing lover of film, when I first watched this, I merely watched it from a superficial standpoint. I enjoyed the "behind the scenes" aspect of the film, as well as the deteriorating mental state of Swanson's Norma Desmond.

But many years later, I am able to understand who Max was played by and why it was significant, as well as the many cameos (Shit, Buster Keaton!) and references.

Then there's Wilder's direction, which comes to employ silent film technique more and more as the film goes on and Norma Desmond's mental state begins to collapse, which serves as a contrast to how much more grounded William Holden's subplot is.

This is why revisiting films is important.

When a movie pops back into your mind, and you start thinking about how good it was, and then you rewatch it and it's even better and you end up answering "what have you been up to" with "well I've been really into Sunset Boulevard lately

I'm ready for my close-up 🎬

Sagittarius! I like Sagittarians - you can trust them.

So ahead of its time that I’m right on time to watch it; a perfectly rated masterpiece of style, setting, tone, (fill in blank), (fill in blank), (fill in blank)...

This biggest strength of Wilder's films is the strength and consistency of his characters...
You don't just know the characters...you discover them as you go along

no one leaves a stars, that's what makes one a star

eu realmente gosto de noir e de filmes sobre estrelas em declínio...com um toque cômico amargo, então...

One of my favourite movies about the movies

Wilder no sabe hacer una mala película, creo que es sin duda alguna el director con la valoración media más alta. En Sunset Boulevard es el guion lo que brilla por encima de todo lo demás, con una acidez y crítica entreverada que hacen que el jugo que suelta al ser llevado a escena sea delicioso; los diálogos son sobresalientes y la forma de Wilder y compañía de criticar al Hollywood de los años 40 y 50 es soberbia. Me parece curioso también que parte del elenco se interpretan a sí mismos de forma directa (Cecil B. DeMille) o indirecta (Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stronheim) para hablar de su propia experiencia en el paso del cine mudo al sonoro. Esta película una de las que más ha influenciado al cine posterior en muchos géneros, no sólo en el noir: dejó muchas semillas que otros directores irían regando poco a poco para engrandecerlas.

Different from that I’m used to, but I actually was curious to see how it would turn out.