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Summary: "I am big! it's the pictures that got smaller!"
Review: this is my favourite quote from the movie, and the way she says it! This is a masterpiece, another timeless movie like we don't get anymore nowadays; just go for it
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Summary: GLORIA SWANSON IN MOST FAMOUS ROLE
Review: Strange; but after only 55 years, the movie- industry already had ghosts of yesterday. In Billy Wilder`s SUNSET BOULEVARD(1950) Norma Desmond is such a ghost. She used to be a silent moviestar. Maybe t h e greatest(with Garbo, as she herself says in the film). She lives in the past. Sees her own old movies. And is filthy rich. Has-been Gloria Swanson excells as Norma. But William Holden as her gigolo, Erich Von Stroheim as her one-time husband and now her butler & Nancy Olson as Holden`s real loveinterest are quite good. Billy Wilder`s screenplay is filled with high camp; comedy; drama; film noir; tragedy; u name it... It is a piece of moviemaking that reaches for high art - and succeeeds. Many stars were set to play Norma Desmond, including Mae West. Silent star Mae Murray reportedly ended up like Norma; living in the past just seeing and reliving her own old movies.
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Summary: A classic of its time that is miraculously timeless
Review: How can this movie possibly hold up so well? Afterall, it deals with a silent film star's tragic hopes for a comeback, subject matter that seems inevitably dated. Somehow, the film never seems dated, though. There will always be stars past their prime, longing for the glories of their youth. There will always be young, hungry hustlers, trying to score a break and not get sent packing back home. I just hope there will always be someone like Billy Wilder around to capture such stories with such breathtaking artistry.
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Summary: A Must For Any True Film Buff
Review: This is one of those classic Hollywood films to be seen more than once over the space of time. Swanson & Holden are superb in their roles, and watching "Nora Desmond" emote you can't help but smile and realize how right on Carol Burnett's spoof of her character was on her tv show! This movie is an unforgettable story and highly recommended.
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Summary: A TRUE HOLLYWOOD STAR PERFORMANCE!
Review: This movie is problaby one of the best examples of what is a classic Hollywood star. Gloria Swanson Is Norma Desmond, the greatest star of ALL! An excentric silent film star at the end of her career, who is desperate to hold on to the hopes of a triumpant return to the screen. She gives a mesmorizing performance especially in the final scene, as she escapes reality and revels in her own psychotic episode of stardom. A true DIVA in her own mind! A must see!!!
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Summary: Sunset Boulevard is an example of Hollywood at it's best.
Review: At the first sight of Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, a washed up silent movie actress in Cecil B. DeMille's Sunset Boulevard, I felt a shudder go through my entire body. The image is more frightening than anything Wes Craven or Stephen King could ever imagine. The albino figure with dark glasses covering those unforgettable eyes are simply a shot never to forget. As Joe Gillis, an out-of-work Hollywood screen writer played with ease by William Holden, accidently stumbles upon Ms. Desmond in her ancient Hollywood home, the motion picture buisness was changed forever. In my opinion, this film is one of the best ever made. The frightening but true story of Hollywood as never seen before, through the eyes of those who lived there. No singing and dancing, no friendly faces smiling at everyone, but the cruel harsh reality of life. The washed-up Norma falling for the fresh young face of Joe Gillis, who falls for the young face of Betty Schafer (played with superb innocence by Nancy Olsen) who's secretly in love with Joe while engaged to his best friend. And by the climax, when Norma shoots Joe out of rage with his leaving her to be alone once more in her terribbly dreadful life alone in her big house with her ex-husband and director Max Von Merlein. The whole movie is shown in flashback, by the dead Joe Gillis. We are introduced to Joe when we see his dead body floating in Norma's pool, shot dead by her hours earlier. Gloria Swanson is superb when she has to play Norma breaking down, escaping into the falseity of real life ("...I'm ready for my close-up."). Swanson is so believing you'd think that she'd had experienced the same when she went through the escape from silent movies and lost her life to "talkies". The film is so auto-biographal to Swanson's life that the film is perfect for her. Holden also adds a great touch, which took it's place in history as one of the best movies ever made, and in my opinion, the best. Thank you, Billy Wilder.
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Summary: A perfect movie... It hardly gets better than this.
Review: Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) is one of the most intriguing, well described and complete characters in film history. Yes she's nuts. But you understand and feel comppassion for her. One of the rare classic movies that can pull a sensible trigger in young viewers. You have to see it to believe it.
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Summary: SWANSON SHOULD HAVE WON THE ACADEMY AWARD
Review: Swanson deserved the Academy Award for this picture. The ending shot alone shows this. A superb film all the way around except for the casting of Nancy Olson. Inexplicably, Olson won a supporting actress nomination from the academy that year, but I fail to see why. Her character gets on my nerves, especially making goo eyes at William Holden. But this is just a little quirk I have. The film succeeds brilliantly mainly because of Swanson. It has an effecting score, great cinematography and great acting from the principle characters (Olson notwithstanding). You will not be disappointed with this one!
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Summary: Dark and Addictive--Melodrama at its best!
Review: Simply put, this is the greatest movie ever. And Gloria Swanson gave the greatest film performance in thie movie. You forget your Bette Davises, your "All About Eve"s, your "Titanic"s, your Katharine Hepburns, your Jack Nicholsons, and your "Citizen Kane"s. This--Hollywood will never produce anything better. A striking film, visually, emotionally, and in every sense, this is a dark, bitter, darkly comical study of what happens when a faded star (who was a bit out of touch with reality to begin with) clings a little too tightly to her gone days of fame. Gloria Swanson gives a phenomenally powerful, over-the-top performance as Norma Desmond, histrionic ex-silent film star. Bill Holden is fine as the down-and-out screenwriter from Dayton, Ohio, that accidentally gets mixed up with her. Max von Stroheim is magnificently creepy as Norma's devoted butler, and Nancy Olson is heartbreaking as the one innocent with no idea of the trouble that surrounds her. Every frame is perfectly filmed, every image marverlously conveyed, every line wonderfully spouted. Nothing is wrong or out of place. And practically every line is a classic. Most remember the last line of the film's insane conclusion: Norma, finally completely descended into madness, sweeping dramatically down the grand staircase as cops, reporters, and even Hedda Hopper look on; the music swells to a deafening height, and Norma--with that deranged look in her eyes--breathes, "I'm ready for my closeup..." But the best line of all, and the line that symbolizes everything that stands for the golden days of Hollywood, is spoken when Joe recognizes Norma and makes the mistake of saying, "You used to be big." She eyes him bitterly, raises her chin, looks down her nose at him and cries, "I AM big! It's the PICTURES that got smaller!" If you have to choose a movie to see one day, and can only choose one, don't let the opportunity go by. See this.
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Summary: An ageless classic
Review: The mark of a truly great film such as "Sunset Boulevard" is that it gets better with each viewing. Thus this is an ideal movie to own. While it is highlighted by magnificent performances by William Holden, Gloria Swanson and a perfect supporting cast, director Billy Wilder's "Sunset Boulevard" is most praise worthy for a brilliant script.
From "I am big it's the pictures that got small" through "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up" the writing is witty and intelligent -- as good as has ever been done.
This collector's edition is a superb edition, highlighted by a superior print. The special features make the total package a bargain. There is a top drawer featurette on the making of "Sunset Boulevard" of the kind that should be compulsory for DVDs of classic films. Another feature looks at fmaed costumer Edith Head. There are also photos of the script showing the original opening (no film footage remains) in which Holden is talking from the morgue with other corpses instead of from the swimming pool. Fascinating reading for film buffs.
There is also a still photo gallery far better than on most DVDs and an excellent interactive site map of key locations from the film.
This is an excellent presentation of one of Hollywood's greatest works.
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