Sunset Boulevard On The Gutter

Struggling screenwriter joe gillis william.

Sunset boulevard on the gutter.

Sunset boulevard was acerbic in its expose of the shallow or perhaps more appropriately hollow self obsessed narcissism that is hollywood. Based on billy wilder s academy award winning 1950 film of the same title the plot revolves around norma desmond a faded star of the silent screen era living in the past in her decaying mansion on the fabled los angeles street. A l 4 start the picture with the actual street sign. Sunset boulevard is a musical with music by andrew lloyd webber and lyrics and book by don black and christopher hampton.

Marshman has a darker tone comedically and dramatically. In addition to themes like the superficial celebrity image faded stardom and self delusion sunset boulevard ultimately centers on the poisonousness of the film industry and how it neglects and disastrously treats its participants. When young screenwriter joe gillis. Sunset boulevard written by billy wilder who also directed charles brackett and d m.

Each of these normal everyday situations is covered by sunset boulevard after all it s part of hollywood where dreams all get mushed up in the gutter and rot in the open air the graveyard of dreams. In the gutter lie dead leaves scraps of paper burnt matches and cigarette butts. Sunset boulevard opens with an image of its titular street name cheaply stenciled on the curb. Sunset boulevard stencilled on a curbstope.

Wilder s corrosive view of hollywood immediately begins with its opening image of a street name sunset blvd stenciled in the gutter. This image establishes the darkly ironic tone of sunset boulevard. And yet as you rightly pointed out there s a more profound and poignant layer beneath the outwardly cynicism and fatalism. Starting as has been noted in the gutter the opening credits and the first part of william holden as joe gillis narrating his own homicide from billy wilder s sunset blvd 1950 play now sunset blvd.

The title is shown in the opening shot as sunset blvd stenciled on the curb of the actual street in the gutter if you want to consider the symbolism. It is also listed as sunset blvd on its library of congress registration. 1950 movie clip still more.