Sunset Boulevard is a brilliant movie first of all. I found it a very creative and interesting work of art. One of the first scenes stood out to me the most: a dead man floating in a pool surrounded by police and investigators, all seen from the bottom of the pool. The perspective of this one shot set the tone for the entire movie. The fact that we could see Joe's (as we later find out is the dead man) face and the flash of the investigator's cameras through the water eerily resembles a grotesque stage on which Joe Gillis's floating body is the star. The whole movie seems to follow the tone set by this image in that Norma (played by Gloria Swanson) is performing within her own creepy world throughout the entire film. Her mannerisms, voice, and attitude are dramatic and grandiose (elements only emphasized by the harsh lighting and bursts of playful yet eerie music).
I thought Max was an especially interesting character. I knew he was a little "off" when he shouted at Joe the first time with that Lurch-like posture and entitled/rude attitude. I just felt that he played a more important part in Norma's life than just the butler. While he is the liaison between reality and Norma's delusional world, he also performs. He plays the role of Norma's butler while he continues to watch over Norma (his ex-wife) and "protect" her from the harsh reality that her once-famous face has been all but forgotten. He is the selfless mastermind behind Norma's life and seems to truly love and care for her--especially in that he sticks around to see her marry multiple times and throw herself at Joe. I just wonder why he feels so connected to her. I suppose at one time she was a vibrant and youthful young woman and he feel in love with her spirit (all that crap) but you'd think he would run whenever she started the whole crazy, fame-starved, delusional thing. I think he may derive his meaning of life by keeping her life (however crazy) going.
Joe gets a taste of the twisted life of an "actor" when he plays the role of Norma's lover/companion while trying to continue to live a normal life in the real world. He dresses up in costumes and puts on a character to please his "sugar momma."
Overall, I learned a lot about film noir from this movie and the discussion afterward. The point about which "world" is more believable was particularly interesting. I didn't think about that aspect of the film before Donna brought it up. I found it intriguing that the real world (outside of Norma's house) was less believable than the world within the lavish mansion's walls. I think I wanted to believe the real world so much simply because it was a relief from the eerie atmosphere of Norma's world that I didn't notice the "hokey-ness" (as Donna put it) of it.
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The opening scene of this film was also one of my very favorite parts of the entire movie. It was such an interesting way to open the movie and set the tone from the start. After this shot, we know for a fact that someone will die and he's probably important. I wasn't sure if I would like such an old movie, but my mind was certainly changed by this one.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I like your post title. We obviously have good taste. :)
So glad you enjoyed the movie. It's fun to consider (and film critics enjoy arguing about) whether Betty is really enough of an interesting character for Joe to be attracted to. She has to be kinda white bread to be the anti-Norma -- but that makes her so much less charismatic. It's hard to know what he sees in her ... except normalcy.
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