SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950) - ♦♦♦♦♦

Directed by - Billy Wilder

 

Written by - Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, D.M. Marshman Jr.

 

Starring - William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich Von Stroheim

 

 

 

"Wilder’s genuine portrayal of the glamorous emptyness and vanity of show business is also a faithful portrayal of the dangers of the trade represented in this story of a near psychotic old and rich actress of the silent era that lives off her past glories and dreams of her imminent comeback. From start to end and drawing inspiration from the many scandals that have taken place in Hollywood since the very beginning, the way it is told adds to the effectiveness of the film, as it starts off with the image of a dead man in a pool. Gloria Swanson is memorable, and the final sequence nothing short of haunting, however, although it is a dark drama with hints of film noir, Wilder is careful to sprinkle some irony that make the movie more entertaining."

 

 

Drama, USA