Well, I finally got to scratch this one off my List of Shame…that mental checklist of classics I should have seen by now, but for one reason or another, just never got around to it. There are a lot of films on my list, and if you call yourself a movie lover, so do you. While I’ve always been aware of Sunset Boulevard, but it wasn’t until I heard and read it being described as film noir that it truly piqued my interest.
Fairly late in the game, I’ve grown to love film noir, checking many of them off my List of Shame, and seldom have I been disappointed. While I wasn’t disappointed in Sunset Boulevard either (it certainly deserves the praise it’s gotten over the years), I don’t know if I’d consider it true noir. Far be it from me to disagree with the likes of Eddie Muller (who ranks it at #3 on his list of the genre’s all time best), but by and large, it’s more of a compelling drama - with black comedy thrown in - about the dark side of Hollywood stardom.
Sure, there are elements that could easily support the whole “noirgument.” You’ve got your cynical protagonist and narrator in Joe Gillis (William Holden), a down-on-his-luck screenwriter who stumbles upon an job opportunity to polish a terrible screenplay written by has-been silent movie star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson). Of course, his financial dire straits force him to forsake his principals. And yeah, his ultimate fate - foreshadowed in the prologue - looks and plays like classic noir. Finally, it’s deftly directed by the great Billy Wilder, responsible for the greatest film noir ever made (in my opinion), Double Indemnity.
Call me crazy, but while watching this, the film that kept coming to mind was the recent body horror masterpiece, The Substance. Though obviously hailing from different eras and genres, I found some interesting thematic similarities between the two. Both films are a condemnation of an industry that tends to use people until they’ve outlived their value. Both feature a female main character going to extremes to maintain her beauty, youth and relevance. Both have a key scene where the public is horrified at what she’s become. Both conclude with the haunting image of the character’s face, still in denial that she’s now a monster.
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| Master of (shadow) Puppets. |
Or maybe someone simply spiked my coffee while I was writing this. Whether Sunset Boulevard is considered noir, drama, satire or horror, what ultimately matters is that it’s a great film, one of the best of the 1950s and well worth revisiting from time to time for its rich performances (Holden is every bit Swanson’s equal), great dialogue and Wilder’s typically brilliant direction.
Since the film is new to me, I won’t make any technical comparisons between this 4K restoration and previous versions. However, the overall picture is excellent, nicely showcasing John F. Seitz’ beautiful black & white cinematography. It also features two audio options, a brand new Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track an a more traditional mono mix. There are no new bonus features, but this set includes the 2012 Blu-ray version, which is loaded.
EXTRA KIBBLES
4K, BLU-RAY & DIGITAL COPIES
SUNSET BOULEVARD FEATURETTES - Sunset Boulevard - The Beginning; Sunset Boulevard - A Look Back; The Noir Side of Sunset Boulevard (Okay, FINE It’s noir! Happy now?); Sunset Boulevard Becomes a Classic; Two Sides of Ms. Swanson; Stories of Sunset Boulevard; Mad About the Boy - A Portrait of William Holden; Recording Sunset Boulevard; Franz Waxman and the Music of Sunset Boulevard; The City of Sunset Boulevard.
PARAMOUNT PICTURES FEATURETTES - Behind the Gate - The Lot; Edith Head - The Paramount Years; Paramount in the ‘50s.
AUDIO COMMENTARY - By Billy Wilder biographer Ed Sikov.
PROLOGUE SCRIPT PAGES
HOLLYWOOD LOCATION MAP
DELETED SCENES
GALLERIES
TRAILER
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