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Sunset Blvd

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Sunset Blvd

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Summary

Drama starring William Holden, Gloria Swanson and Erich von Stroheim. Screenwriter Joe Gillis floats dead in the swimming pool of a neglected Hollywood mansion. Six months earlier, out of work and desperate, he'd been hired as a writer by former silent screen star Norma Desmond, who was hoping to make a triumphant comeback.

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Review

A star rating of 5 out of 5.

Tony Sloman

Even the title of this dark, deeply satisfying work of cinematic genius can be read as a metaphor for the Hollywood machine and the long fading twilight of once-glittering careers. Master director Billy Wilder's witty, brilliantly constructed Tinseltown satire is both canny and knowing about the film industry and those souls unfortunate, and yet willing, enough to be caught in its wheels. The stark story of former movie queen Norma Desmond, haunted by memories of her past greatness ("I am big. It's the pictures that got small"), is greatly aided by superb casting, notably of silent-movie siren Gloria Swanson, who brings a desperate, vampiric glamour to the role of Norma. William Holden (a last minute replacement for Montgomery Clift) is also excellent as doomed writer Joe Gillis, who narrates the film in flashback from the scene of his death. Savage, dark and wholly original, this is Hollywood laid bare.

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8.4/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameJoe C GillisWilliam Holden (2)Norma DesmondGloria SwansonMax Von MayerlingErich von StroheimBetty SchaeferNancy OlsonSheldrakeFred ClarkMorinoLloyd GoughArtie GreenJack WebbUndertaker / CourtierFranklyn FarnumFirst finance manLarry J BlakeSecond finance manCharles DraytonCecil B DeMilleCecil B DeMilleHedda HopperHedda HopperBuster KeatonBuster KeatonAnna Q NilssonAnna Q NilssonHB WarnerH B WarnerRay EvansRay EvansJay Livingston Jay LivingstonSidney SkolskySidney SkolskyBernice Mosk Bernice Mosk

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Crew

rolenameDirectorBilly Wilder

Details

Theatrical distributor

BFI

Released on

2003-03-14

Languages

English

Available on

video, DVD and Blu-ray

Formats

Black and white

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