11/24/10 - Sunset Blvd.

Sunset Blvd. (1950, 110 min)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043014/

This movie is a rewatch of a movie I have already written about. The previous post is here:
09/10/09 - Sunset Blvd.

Since watching Sunset Blvd. I've seen lots of other noir movies and just older movies in general. For starters, stuff like Double Indemnity, The Third Man or other Billy Wilder movies such as Stalag 17 or Love in the Afternoon have all contributed to what I feel is a richer knowledge of older cinema. All this has made me at least be more familiar with the pacing of from the 1950s as well so this viewing I was basically on the edge of my seat the whole time. Also, I knew what was coming in most of the scenes (and the conclusion and that) but the small quibbles I had with the pacing last time were non-existent on this viewing.

Next, I think one thing I really like about Sunset Blvd. is how it tells its story. While I've seen more older movies now, I still don't know when this form of narrative came to be. I like that Gillis is narrating everything from beyond the grave. I like how the whole movie builds to a conclusion that we already know. This forces the movie to be entertaining in exactly how the movie gets to that conclusion and it sure doesn't disappoint. Really, we know all along that Gillis will die somehow but instead the movie builds up suspense via a swirling relationship that gets more depressing and dangerous the longer it lasts.

The other thing I really took away from this viewing was Swanson's performance. I've now decided that Paul Newman as Luke in Cool Hand Luke is my favorite male performance and that Swanson as Norma Desmond is my favorite female performance. What I'm stunned by is her lack of an Oscar for this role with only a nomination and instead Judy Holliday (from Born Yesterday) taking the win. While Born Yesterday was never really on my "to watch" list I think I might just have to check it out to see how good this performance was. There's also All About Eve from 1950 where most discussion seems to place the best actress from that year so I'll also need to see it. Anyway, for Swanson's performance what I liked most is how she just completely embodied the character. There's an odd blend of humor as well such as when she dressed up like Charlie Chaplin. Swanson is convincing as Norma Desmond and that's the most important thing.

Overall, I gave this film a 9/10 this time. Sunset Blvd. is a fantastic noir and its incredibly well paced and enjoyable for a movie now 60 years old. This is a step up from the 8/10 from my last viewing but I realize now that that score was too low.