Last night, I finally got around to watching 1950′s Sunset Boulevard, which, it turns out is a fantastic movie. Some post-viewing research informed me that it was nominated for eleven Academy Awards (although it only won three), including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. I think we all know though, that awards don’t neccessarily mean something is appealing to the masses, so let me further prove that this film is worth seeing.
Reason #1: Gloria Swanson- I haven’t seen this woman in anything else, but apparently she can act. 
She portrays former silent film actress Norma Desmond. After twenty years of not working, the 50 year old Norma has slipped into a state of madness. She lives in a fantasy world where she is still worshipped by her fans and will one day “return” (she hates the word “comeback”) to the screen. In the mean time, she lives in her mansion on Sunset Boulevard with her butler and a dead chimpanzee while working on her own screenplay. Gloria Swanson captured all this with dignity and ease. While watching it, I couldn’t help but wonder if she created the character with Vivien Leigh in mind, because there were hints of the Blanche Dubois-era Vivien Leigh in her. It amazes me that Gloria didn’t win the Best Actress Oscar for this role.
Reason #2: William Holden- With Gloria Swanson as such a strong lead actress, it would seem that the lead actor would have a difficult time not being upstaged. However, William Holden manages to successfully match Gloria’s acting. Holden plays Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter who stumbles on the life that Norma is living. He somehow finds himself Norma’s companion and the editor of her screenplay. He is essentially trapped in the life that she lives and is conflicted over how to deal with Norma’s madness.
Reason #3: The concept- The film faces the issues that many Hollywood studios of the time were facing. Actors struggled to find work once they reached their late 30s and 40s and studios were having trouble finding scripts that were good enough to produce. The film uses the names of real filmmakers of the time, some of whom even make cameos. These little details of authenticity make the film feel more like a documentary than a work of fiction. It proves to be an interesting look at Hollywood, both back then and now.
As a fan of movies, both old and new, I thoroughly enjoyed Sunset Boulevard and the way it parodies the struggles of actors to hang onto their fame. I invite you to check it out and leave me a comment!
