| Overall Grade: |
A+ |
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| Story: |
A+ |
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|
| Acting: |
A |
|
|
| Direction: |
A+ |
|
|
| Visuals: |
A+ |
|
|
One of the best films ever
by JasonC (movies profile)
Nov 21, 2005
1
of
2 people found this review helpful
Sunset Boulevard is very character based. Gillis (Holden) is a victim but at the same time is a parasite, depending on Norma Desmond (Swanson) while also disliking her and staying under her control. When Gillis is out of the house, we see how much of an influence Norma is on him. Whatever he does, he cannot escape from the paradise that he is in.
Definitely a big role is Max von Mayerling. The twist about his character (which I will not spoil) is completely unexpected, but once you see it, it makes sense. Also, Norma's brainwashed personality creates a haunting image.
The corpse in the pool seen in the beginning is disturbing. It shows the ending, with Norma's selfishness coming into play. Gillis is deserting her, so he must pay. Notice how in Gillis's death scene, everything is dark except for the pool. 'Coincidentally,' this is where he dies.
The final scene shows a brainwashed Desmond, still believing that she "is the movies" although the fact that she is not has been explained to her many times. Desmond cannot face reality; that is why she creates her own by getting 'fan mail,' creating her own script with Gillis, and believing that she is still the biggest star. In the end, she is still stuck in the world of her own. |
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