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Sunset Blvd. -
This remains a classic about the dark side of the Hollywood dream. I'm a fan of stories that pair someone who is relatively new to an industry with someone who has been around the block in it, so to speak, and this is a prime example of this trope. I approve of how Joe Gillis demonstrates that if you're not consistently churning out hits - or better yet, what Hollywood thinks will be hits - you might as well be dead. As for Norma, I like how she makes fame seem like a drug, i.e., one in which the consequences of long-term withdrawal are dangerous. William Holden has relatable everyman "voice of reason" qualities, which make him a perfect fit for the role of the failed too soon screenwriter from Ohio, and Swanson's Norma remains an iconic portrait of a faded star as well as of a narcissist. As for Nancy Olson, who could ask for a better and more charming writing partner?
It's hard to imagine this movie not making anyone interested or even more interested in Hollywood, but if it doesn't, it's still enjoyable as quality noir, especially with its hard-boiled dialogue. As silly as it sounds, I was excited when it was anyone's turn to speak because pretty much every line is memorable. It ends up being a movie that succeeds at making a compelling argument that if things are going south for you in Hollywood, you should get out as soon as you can while also making you wonder if doing so is even possible. Oh, and as a David Lynch fan, I like that it makes me appreciate his work even more since it's chock full of his influences.
This remains a classic about the dark side of the Hollywood dream. I'm a fan of stories that pair someone who is relatively new to an industry with someone who has been around the block in it, so to speak, and this is a prime example of this trope. I approve of how Joe Gillis demonstrates that if you're not consistently churning out hits - or better yet, what Hollywood thinks will be hits - you might as well be dead. As for Norma, I like how she makes fame seem like a drug, i.e., one in which the consequences of long-term withdrawal are dangerous. William Holden has relatable everyman "voice of reason" qualities, which make him a perfect fit for the role of the failed too soon screenwriter from Ohio, and Swanson's Norma remains an iconic portrait of a faded star as well as of a narcissist. As for Nancy Olson, who could ask for a better and more charming writing partner?
It's hard to imagine this movie not making anyone interested or even more interested in Hollywood, but if it doesn't, it's still enjoyable as quality noir, especially with its hard-boiled dialogue. As silly as it sounds, I was excited when it was anyone's turn to speak because pretty much every line is memorable. It ends up being a movie that succeeds at making a compelling argument that if things are going south for you in Hollywood, you should get out as soon as you can while also making you wonder if doing so is even possible. Oh, and as a David Lynch fan, I like that it makes me appreciate his work even more since it's chock full of his influences.