. Joe’s efforts to break free of Norma fail. Oh, no! Analysis of opening sequence to Sunset BoulevardSunset Boulevard is a film noir which was released in … NORMA:  Don’t be silly. What is it you want—money? When did you come home? . .] Where am I? He decides to give up his bid for Hollywood success. Betty knows she’s a lowly script reader and will continue to stay one if she doesn’t promote herself with a good spec. I don’t want to be a reader all my life. She lives secluded in her mansion with one servant, writing a horrible script she’s certain Cecil B. Mille will love and want to direct her in. The setting in which the movie was shot defines quality and nature of its message from the outset. Unlike most of the analysis found here—which simply lists the unique individual story appreciations—this in-depth study details the actual encoding for each structural item. The other most conspicuous aspect of the movie is the props, costumes, and costumes used in producing the film. Norma’s suspicious nature undermines Joe’s efforts to become financially independent of her and have the woman he loves. Just a story won’t do. Just to know you want me. Film Analysis of Sunset Boulevard Synopsis. In one week she received 17,000 fan letters. I could have gone on with my career, only I found everything unendurable after she divorced me. and I thought it was a matter of life and death. He ducks into the driveway of a decaying mansion belonging to Norma Desmond. Once Norma foresees that her star will rise over Hollywood again, she wages an obsessive campaign to make it happen. Paying his rent and buying him clothes helps condition Joe to be tolerant of her overbearing ways, as well. Joe, recently murdered and floating in a swimming pool, wants everyone to know the chain of events leading up to his death. He’s fated to run into Betty again at Artie’s party, only to discover that she’s his friend’s fiancee. Based on theories and materials developed by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley. Norma schemes to return to the screen as the star she once was. Norma goes to see Mr. DeMille at Paramount to make a deal that will transform her from a rich recluse to a glorious screen star; Betty believes she’s going to become a script writer when she convinces Joe to develop his story with her. The overall props and costumes of the film were portrayed nicely thereby giving out the intended picture of the characters who participated in the film. . He hopes the script will make him financially independent of Norma, but along the way he falls in love with Betty. All I know is, they didn’t sell. Conclusion NORMA:  Oh yes, yes. Dramatica is a registered trademark of Screenplay Systems Incorporated. DeMille didn’t have the heart to tell you. This enables viewers to know the roles played by each actor. The studio wanted to rent your car. Joe attempts to learn just how controlling Norma intends to be. His death is depicted at the beginning of the movie. NORMA:  [. MAX:  [. Joe finds out and prepares to leave Norma for good, returning the clothes and trinkets. Only I seemed to have lost my touch. But he quickly becomes dissatisfied with the job and annoyed with Norma. What fun we’re going to have. Embarrassed to confess the truth to his friends, he’s vague about how he’s living. Es basiert auf dem Film Boulevard der Dämmerung von Billy Wilder aus dem Jahr 1950 mit Gloria Swanson in der Hauptrolle. Read also Step Brothers (2008) Analysis “Sunset Boulevard” is a movie made in Hollywood that is about making movies in Hollywood, this is why it is self referential. . The issue of “falsehood” dominates Norma’s actions:  After she kills Joe, Norma’s mind snaps, locking her permanently into her fabricated world. Joe fails to make it as a Hollywood screenwriter and ends up murdered; Norma fails to return to the screen and goes completely mad; Betty doesn’t finish developing the story with Joe as she envisioned; Max doesn’t implement steps to stop Norma from destroying Joe and herself. GILLIS:  I’ve lost my car. NORMA:  [. NORMA:  [. Not even twenty years of obscurity convinces her that she’ll never be a screen queen again. JOE:  . Say it! Norma must learn who is willing to give her another chance at acting; Betty must learn which established writer is willing to collaborate with her to earn her first screen credit; Joe must learn what kind of stories producers want to get his career back on track. 2021 Essay-Samples.com, All rights reserved. NORMA:  I’m in love with you. GILLIS:  The rest of the jewelry is in the top drawer. Max loves Norma so much he lets her treat him like a servant, supporting her fantasy for so long that she feels justified to enslave Joe, and arrive on the Paramount lot as if she were a queen. Norma’s memories of her stardom and the adulation that went with it, drives her obsession to resurrect her acting career. Joe envisions milking Norma for five hundred a week, going back to writing his own stories, and eventually selling them to producers. Required fields are marked *. When Joe rejects her declaration of love, Norma impulsively reacts by slashing her wrists with his razor. Lighting, cinematography, and design Sunset Boulevard (1950) is a classic black comedy/drama, and perhaps the most acclaimed, but darkest film-noir story about "behind the scenes" Hollywood, self-deceit, spiritual and spatial emptiness, and the price of fame, greed, narcissism, and ambition. The character’s use of speculation causes problems:  Max deeply believes it’s possible to sustain Norma’s dream world forever, risking her loss of sanity if this dream world is shattered. In fact everything he does speeds him along the path to becoming another casualty of Hollywood. He allows her to buy him expensive clothes and jewelry, and install him in her mansion. Norma conditions Joe to do what she wants by throwing temper tantrums and threatening suicide. BETTY:  It’s not your career—it’s mine. Where were you? Joe, finally fed up with Norma and disgusted with what he’s become, leaves her for good. He returns and becomes her lover, a kept man totally dependent upon her for life’s necessities. . She employs Joe Gillis, a disillusioned young writer, to work on the script with which she hopes to make a comeback, even though Cecil B. DeMille has turned it down. You've reached the "hub" for any and all Dramatica analysis of Sunset Boulevard. .] Norma declares that “no-one leaves a star,” and shoots Joe as he leaves the house. You took the car. The objective characters envision how Joe or themselves can make it in Hollywood. He learns that losing his only means of transportation and independence means nothing to Norma. As the subjective story progresses, Joe learns more and more about just how “big” Norma was as a silent film star; how obsessed she is to revive her stardom when she rages at the private film screening; how strong-willed and domineering she is when she interrogates him about where he goes after she’s asleep; how ruthless she is when he overhears her phone call to Betty; how crazy she is when she shoots him. Joe, who was successful and rich, wore expensive clothes depicting his richness. You see, I was her first husband. Wealthy silent film queen Norma Desmond hires Joe Gillis to rewrite a script she hopes Cecil B. DeMille will make, starring herself. Norma, depressed by obscurity, longs to be a star again. Artie’s so busy developing his talent as a director, he leaves Betty alone to fall in love with Joe. You don’t know what I’ve been through these last weeks. Joe takes action to solve his problems:  When he needs money to make his car payments, he immediately hustles to raise the it; when the finance men chase him, he races up Sunset Blvd. Satire Essay, Subcategory: Unfortunately, these efforts are only temporary and the story ends in failure. Caught in a desperate situation that many struggling screen writers find themselves in, Joe comes up with ideas to score some quick cash from Sheldrake, his agent, and his friends. . runden Glitzer Kugeln, Warum soll man Sunset Boulevard Schmuck im Internet kaufen? .] Further, when he was alive, his concern was to avoid his past life as a lowly newspaper man. NORMA:  Those idiot producers! As he exits the house Norma shoots him, and he lands dead in her swimming pool. For instance, during dark times or when criminal acts are undertaken including coverage of the crime scene, a low-key light was adopted. GILLIS:  He was trying to spare your feelings. This paper gives detailed analysis of the movie titled “Sunset Boulevard (1950)”. Around her throat there is a leopard-patterned scarf, and wound about her head a turban of the same material. The cast crew of a film is an imperative aspect of the film as it depicts the realness of the film with the actors’ abilities to portray the intended characters. Joe judges his progress by how things are going in his life. . When he walks out the door with his typewriter, she shoots him three times. Joe Gillis, a scriptwriter desperate to prevent his car from being repossessed, accepts a rewrite job from Norma Desmond for some quick cash. You don’t believe me, but I did, I did! . We had faces. . Having fallen in love with the younger Joe, Norma attempts to buy his affections, then fights to keep him from leaving her for another woman. That is my job. I can’t go on with the scene. In front of him, on a straight chair, is a portable typewriter. It’s fate that pulls him back to Norma after his first attempt to break free, sealing his doom. GILLIS:  Oh, you’re one of the message kids. GILLIS:  It was all very queer, but queerer things were yet to come. Thinking she’s going to face the movie cameras again, Norma begins a strict beauty regime desperate to shed years from her fifty-year-old body. In fact, the main female character of the film (Norma Desmond) plays a … He’s trying to get my price down. BETTY:  I just think pictures should say a little something. We have gathered all of them to show you the qualification and high professional level of our writers. Things appear to pick up for Joe when he’s hired to rewrite Norma’s script, but the job turns sour. Max? Norma thinks that she’s the greatest movie star that ever was; that she’ll returned to the screen and prove she’s still a great star. And we’re not helping her any, feeding her lies and more lies. Sunset Boulevard Summary Police cars race down Sunset Boulevard, a famous street in Los Angeles, where the lifeless body of Joe Gillis is found floating in the swimming pool of a palatial mansion. Norma envisions writing her script, getting it to DeMille, he jumping on it and directing her in a glorious comeback picture; Max envisions that by forging fan letters and mailing them to Norma, he’ll keep her happy. We’ve made twelve pictures together. Joe’s affection becomes the cornerstone of Norma’s campaign to recapture her stardom. Norma’s use of speculation about her career dominates her life and entraps Joe in a nightmare that ultimately destroys him. Getting herself ready for a picture. Because she’s happy even in her torment, Max supports Norma in the falsehood, and warns Joe not to upset her: [. Where were you? . She’s written a horrible movie script, hoping to star in it and make a glorious comeback. The director used all the three lighting skills; low-key lighting, high-key lighting, and three-point lighting techniques enhance the visual of the film. Joe tends to solve problems by using linear thinking:  When his car is about to be repossessed, Joe tries to sell a story to a producer, when that effort fails he asks for money from everyone he knows to make the payments; when he feels suffocated by Norma on New Year’s Eve, he leaves to find a happier party; when offered a chance to work on one of his stories that might sell, Joe sneaks out of Norma’s house to develop the idea; when he decides that he’s no good for Betty, he disgusts her into forgetting about him and marrying a better man. Each aspect of the movie was represented well, and the overall outcome of the movie was outstanding. The script is also less offensive as it portrays a less vulgar environment with the vulgar language being minimal which makes the movie to be appropriate to the audience of above 15 years. NORMA:  I know that trick! Norma’s a forgotten woman living alone with her memories. . Filmischer Score erweckt die 1940er Jahre zum Leben . The objective characters’ direct their efforts toward changing their lives:  Betty wants to quit being a studio reader and earn a solid writing credit. Project Summary. . . Joe’s worried because he hasn’t written for a studio in months. NORMA:  You can’t work from an apartment where you owe three month’s rent. The classy environment of Joe Gillis and Norma Desmond is well depicted with both actors dressed in attires that depict their lavish lifestyle and love for wealth. The closer Norma believes she is to getting back into pictures, the more demanding and possessive she is of Joe. Not lately. The story is moved along by actions:  When the finance men try to repossess Joe’s car he runs from them, gets a flat tire, and hides in Norma’s driveway. Now you’ll have to write. The objective characters are concerned with how to realize their career objectives using Joe’s talent as a writer. As discussed above, the lighting aspect of the film as well depicted had a great impact on the mood of the audience. . Film and Theater. Patent #5,734,916; #6,105,046. Cecil B. DeMille considers himself to be Norma’s kindly mentor even after twenty years; he lies about doing another picture with her so his dear “young fellow” won’t be hurt. Funding Source. . Joe knows that he has nothing to offer Betty and tells her how he’s been living. .] Artie Green struggles in his apprenticeship as a assistant director. Driven by the instinct to keep her man, Norma fights dirty with taunting phone calls to Betty, and loses Joe for good. . After Betty declares her love for Joe, he directs his thoughts to himself and his future: . [. Norma endeavors to resurrect her long dead acting career, partly by using Joe’s skills as a writer. At the start of the story, Joe’s floating in a swimming pool, dead. The overall lighting of the film was satisfying for a 1950 film and in support of its theme. .] He returns and they become lovers. Joe’s hopes for a future with Betty are destroyed when he discovers that Norma has tainted their relationship with harassing phone calls. Me! For example, the arrangement of reporters and police officers in the crime scene where Joe’s corpse was found floating on the swimming pool creates a realistic setting for a real crime scene. It critiques Hollywood’s star system. However, the low light that characterized the larger part of the film makes people understand its theme and criminal nature from the preamble stages. The shot from the bottom of the pool, looking up at the floating corpse, is an iconic image —one of the most famous features of the movie as a whole. GILLIS’S VOICE:  Let’s go back about six months. plötzlich von gepflegten Rasenflächen, blühenden Büschen und stattlichen Bäumen begleitet. Norma submerges herself in memories of stardom by watching her old movies over and over. But that wasn’t good enough. The film’s cinematography also helps in portraying the criminal aspect that forms the story line in its content. She reminds Joe of this when he rejects her idea that they work together: . Analysis of the movie Environmental Education and Awareness: Providing environmental knowledge promotes environmental attitudes and behaviors in beach-goers at Fort-Desoto National Park towards the conservation of beach-nesting birds. Desperate for cash, screenwriter Joe Gillis has a chance meeting with a faded silent film star. On the other hand, Norma who loved her beauty and extravagant life style wore a beautiful dress with expensive jewelry to give out her character. Joe walks out on Norma, so she decides if she can’t have him, no-one else will. The writer of the script portrayed excellent skills where produced a script with different combined elements such as satire, flashback, comedy, drama, and suspense. Norma’s focus on “ability” causes problems for Joe:  Her vitality and flair for the dramatic overwhelms Joe. The scene of Joe’s corpse portrays excellent skills of cinematography in the movie. He wants to belittle me. His first effort to leave her fails when she attempts suicide. He’s certain his luck will change if only he can scrape up some cash to get his creditors off his back so he can keep writing. GILLIS:  [. Later he strangled himself with it. I thought if I really got going I could toss it off in a couple of weeks. As the story progresses Norma considers more ways to regain her stardom:  Knowing how popular biblical epics are, she contemplates using the epic story of Salome as a vehicle for her comeback; realizing the impact her presence makes, she arrives in the flesh at Paramount to get a commitment from DeMille to direct her picture. Dostoevsky? This story set in '50s Hollywood and the film industry during that time is more advances which sound or audio is coming in with the motion picture. When he returns the jewelry she’s given him, Norma offers him more: I hadn’t worked for a studio for a long time. . These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Sunset Boulevard by Billy Wilder. The film has an great overall lighting where the characters can be seen even in the dark scenes. . This is an excellent decision for students, who are striving to deliver the essay on time and don’t know what to do when they are facing an especially complicated text. He’s so discouraged that he considers returning to his newspaper job in Ohio. The setting has helped in portraying its major theme and the American tradition in the 20th century. I’ve got a good thing here. At the end of the movie, the flashback ends, and reporters including police officers are seen wondering around the scene of incident looking for evidence. Joe, floating in his watery grave, acknowledges that twisted bit of fate. GILLIS:  [. . Sunset Boulevard . When we first meet Joe Gillis, he's already dead—his corpse is floating in Norma Desmond's swimming pool, after she shot and murdered him. He allows Norma to turn him into a replacement for her dead monkey with gifts and a lavish lifestyle; becomes an attendant who empties her ashtray and fetches cigarettes at the drug store. Students. The first film studio in L.A. opened on Sunset Boulevard in 1911—and the street's been at the center of the movie business since then, cutting straight through L.A. and Beverly Hills. I cannot let her be destroyed. The objective characters focus on their abilities to achieve success in Hollywood. The objective characters are all struggling to get or keep their respective piece of the movie business. I’ve got the most wonderful news for you. His greatest successes. The costumes of the characters in the film were also outstanding in the way they portrayed the characters. Norma falls in love with Joe, and smothers him with clothes, jewelry, and her unwanted affections. Billy Wilder, the director, portrayed his excellent directing skills throughout the movie. So help me! .] Joe pretends to be a heartless gigolo so Betty will stop loving him and marry Artie; Max pretends to be a film director to lure Norma downstairs to be arrested for killing Joe; Norma acts like the silent screen star she once was when she madly glides down the staircase to the newsreel cameras. He needs to start telling the truth to the finance men, to Norma about her script, to Artie and Betty about his relationship with Norma, if he hopes to set things straight in his life. This is based on the tone, the weapons covered, the kind of arguments under focus and the horrible pictures covered. those headlines would kill her. He becomes her lover and kept man. .] When he eventually tells Norma the truth about her own fantasies, she shoots him. This also means it has been incorporated into the Dramatica Story Expert application itself as an easily referenced contextual example. . Artie Green travels to Arizona as an assistant director to become a full-fledged director, and unwittingly gives Betty the chance to fall in love with Joe. Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program. Norma discovers his secret and makes harassing phone calls to the girl. She might realize that her career is over, and with her wealth and self-determination find another way to self-fulfillment. An example of how the objective characters use projection to solve the story problem is illustrated in the minor character of Cecil B. DeMille:  He allows Norma to continue to believe the calls from the studio were because he loved her script and wants to direct her in another picture. NORMA:  There was a time when this business had the eyes of the whole wide world. Betty’s love for Joe makes her act like a teary-eyed romantic. Norma thinks that she belongs back in the limelight and can manipulate her way to her goal; Joe thinks that Norma’s strange, but he can get some quick cash from her then escape back into the “real” world; Betty believes that if she can convince Joe to co-write his story with her, she’ll launch her screenwriting career; Artie thinks that Betty and Joe should put action scenes in their picture so he can work on it as an assistant director; Max thinks that by sending Norma phony fan letters he can keep her happy and prevent more suicide attempts; Mr. DeMille thinks that by not telling Norma she’ll never do another picture with him, he’s keeping her from being hurt. . When DeMille reinforces her false belief, Norma locks onto it with a vengeance, working herself into a frenzy as she gets ready to face the cameras at age fifty. Norma’s obsession to change from a forgotten actress to a star makes Joe’s life unbearable. The standard of cinematography used in capturing the floating corpse and the activities of the police officers including other participants depicts the criminal aspect of the movie. Acting upon the little decency he has left, he packs only his old belongings, and takes off the gold watch Norma’s given him: Norma pauses at the top of the stairs: It exclusively portrays a flashback episode on various events relating to Joe’s life. ‘SUNSET BOULEVARD’ is a brave look at Hollywood, and another masterpiece from William Wilder which reminds us that there was a time when actors needed only their faces to perform, with no need to tell a single word. Norma has made Joe financially dependent upon her and he’s unable to act on his free will—this stalls the subjective story. The quality of the production or capturing of the police deliberations, activities and Joe’s body helps individuals to understand how the story unfolded. She is dressed in black house pajamas and black high-heeled pumps. In addition to the Storyform, you'll also find any additional analysis or media related to the story in question. . But it's also a love story, and the love keeps it from becoming simply a waxworks or a freak show. For instance, Norma Desmond is given the character of the lead actor role where she is used to manipulating Joe due to her beauty and attractiveness. Producer Sheldrake searches for his next hit movie so he can keep his job and afford his fabulous home. . Sunset Boulevard, directed by Billy wilder in 1950, is considered to be the greatest film about Hollywood ever put on celluloid by Hollywood. . NORMA:  I am big. For example, the walls of Joe’s house are painted cream, and this had a huge impact to the lighting of the film in the house episode especially in the dark episodes. Settings Musikalisch erweckt SUNSET BOULEVARD die 1940er Jahre zum Leben, … Norma hires Joe Gillis to edit her screenplay so she can send it to Cecil B. DeMille, and get back into the movies. Hollywood is a great place if you’re a hot movie star or director. Joe understands how a job working on Norma’s script can solve his problems: Suppose you make up your mind. Betty does everything she can to get Joe to develop his story with her, then she tries to convince him to leave Norma and come away with her until he makes her believe that he’s a lost cause. We are writing Sunset Boulevard Analysis Essays all types of papers, regardless of Sunset Boulevard Analysis Essays their complexity. The moment Norma realizes that Joe is a writer she decides to use him to achieve an acting comeback. She was a fool, and I loved her and I’d been a heel not to tell her. Joe Gillis — Destitute Young Screenwriter. Sunset Boulevard depicts Hollywood as a place where dreams go to die—or to be fulfilled for a little while before winding up drowned in the nearest pool. The extreme example is, of course, Norma Desmond:  Norma perceives herself to be the greatest star of them all past, present, and future; she dedicates her life to convincing current movie producers that she’s still a star. Betty knows a good story when she reads one, and prepares notes on how to develop Joe’s story and sell it. It exclusively portrays a flashback episode on various events relating to Joe’s life. story. The objective characters are motivated by how they see themselves. . She’s actually surrounded by police and reporters, but at the mention of cameras, believes herself on a movie set. Her talent and extravagant lifestyle clearly portray the dark perception on how women can be so manipulative due to their looks. GILLIS:  Stop it. Illustrations of how “interdiction” makes Joe uniquely able to achieve the goal are: Joe successfully postpones the seizure of his car; he manages to escape Norma long enough to achieve some good writing with Betty and see a future of dignity and financial independence. . Joe strives to make a living as a writer in Hollywood. But he keeps pounding out the same old material, “two a week” anyway. Do you mind, Mr. DeMille, if I say a few words [. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. JOE GILLIS, barefooted and wearing nothing except shorts and an old bathrobe, is sitting on the bed. In particular, the film was shot in an environment located between Beverly Hills and Los Angeles in California that is associated with dark undertakings. When that fails he implements a plan to inflate his pay rate, do a quick rewrite on Norma’s script, and pay off his debts. Copyright © Although he tries to turn his luck around, Joe is fated to turn into that particular driveway where Norma is in need of a writer for her script. Betty’s a low-paid script reader who dreams of becoming a writer. NYU Film Professor John Warren breaks the screenplay for the subtle and ruthless classic, SUNSET BOULEVARD by Billy Wilder. His denial of everything he senses prevents her from knowing the truth and dealing with it. Screenwriter Joe Gillis has had some minor success in Hollywood writing B film scripts, but it’s been a long time since he’s sold anything. So I sat grinding out original stories. Contrary to Joe’s belief, he’s not destined to become a successful script writer. How do you like that? . I have to get ready for my scene. Forgotten star a slayer. two a week. Props and costumes Have they forgotten what a star looks like? He’s living in a tiny apartment, and he’s behind in his rent and car payments. I just want to work again. The shock tips the balance in her mind and she walks downstairs to be arrested, believing the cameras and crowds are to welcome her return to the screen. Some carhop, or a dress extra? The drama was well composed, and it remains one of the widely watched comedies globally. [. Betty reads some of Joe’s work and decides there’s one story worth developing. . However, Norma’s instincts tell her that it’s not just a script that’s luring Joe out of her house nights. He lands dead in the swimming pool. NORMA:  What is the scene? Unfortunately, he falls victim to Norma’s money and iron will. Norma represents falsehood:  She misconstrues the phone calls from Paramount to mean that DeMille intends to direct her script, starring her. Your email address will not be published. .] GILLIS:  Maybe DeMille is shooting. Die Alternativmöglichkeit an Sunset Boulevard Schmuck ist ohne Zweifel sehr vielseitig. .] Then he witnesses Norma’s bizarre ritual burial of her pet monkey in the dead of night, but fails to disassociate himself from her. Betty Schaefer envisions that by cornering Joe at Artie’s party she’ll convince him to develop his schoolteacher story with her so she can get a writing credit. Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California in early 1950s Narrator and Point of View Joe Gillis is the narrator re-telling the events leading up to his death from his own highly subjective point of view. NORMA:  I need you as I never needed you. And what made it even worse was that she was around all the time, hovering over me. NORMA:  These are nothing. When the sound era arrived, Norma’s career crashed. Joe might have inferred that if he only wrote a couple B movies so far, and his present work isn’t any good, there’s a probability that he won’t be the hot writer he intended. This may have prevented the violent breakup and saved Joe’s life. Max envisions that by removing all the locks from every door in Norma’s mansion, she won’t attempt suicide again; he envisions that by writing fake fan letters and mailing them from post offices around Los Angeles, Norma will be so happy not to have been forgotten she won’t get depressed over her forced retirement. (Sadoul, p. 362). NORMA:  Oh, I don’t care about the money. Sunset Boulevard study guide contains a biography of Billy Wilder, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. . She becomes more possessive of Joe, and snaps when she discovers that he’s sneaking out of her home to write a love story with a young woman.