SUNSET BLVD. (1950)

From the opening scene of a group of police cars speeding down Sunset Blvd. to the fabled home of silent film star, Norma Desmond, we are enthralled by a story of a woman who always seems on the brink of brilliance, with a dash of madness, and the people who inhabit her inner circle.

When Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter, is drawn into the luxurious world of old Hollywood by a chance encounter with the fabled Hollywood icon, he finds himself consumed by a world that tends to chew up new talent and spit them out. The elegance and allure seem enticing but what Joe soon discovers is that in this world, anything can be a trap waiting to snap.

Swanson’s star turn as Norma Desmond is certainly one of the most recognizable performances in all of cinematic history, so it may come as a shock that she wasn’t awarded the coveted Oscar. Her performance brings the range that is needed when dealing with a character that we, as the audience, try to sympathize with as she is “forgotten” by the talkies audiences but also have to question where her diva side begins and her delusional side ends.

Upon viewing the 1950 film, it is not hard to imagine it being adapted into a very successful stage musical but there is no question that the film is the gold standard when it comes to telling the story, solely for Gloria Swanson’s performance. When she finally delivers her iconic line, “Mr. De Mille, I am ready for my closeup”, we are in her grasp and never want to leave her world because she is that good.

From the stellar production design to the crisp cinematography, there is no question why Sunset Blvd. has stood the test of time and is still considered to be one of the greatest films about old Hollywood. Awarding 3 Oscars certainly wasn’t enough, as anyone who has viewed it can agree.

As Norma so famously says, “No one ever leaves a star. That is what makes a star”, and in this case, it is completely true.