Things in Sunset Boulevard I Bet You Haven’t Thought About…
Sunset Boulevard is my favourite text this year! There is so much to unpack in this film, but because there’s so many moments to analyse, you’ll need to choose the best moments to impress your assessor. Here are some of my favourite bits from the film that I would love for you to think about.
Some construction to add to your evidence bank:
Mis-en-scene of Norma: Norma is shown sitting on a couch, and on top of her a large portrait that stares at the camera, drawing attention to the portrait Norma rather than the real Norma Desmond sitting underneath it. The oversized portrait looming over her symbolises how her former self (her young, glamorous, Hollywood persona) overshadows her present reality. The real Norma, sitting beneath it, is diminished in comparison, highlighting how she lives in the shadow of her past glory.
Chiaroscuro lighting: When Norma is watching herself in her former film, she snaps upwards, interrupting the projector lighting her old film. With her directly in the light of the projector, Wilder exemplifies her desire to be the same woman in her past.
Norma’s chimp: Norma’s love for her chimp condemns it to a suffocating, unnatural life. Wilder implies that it has been forced to live in a way that Norma approves of, and in death, it is still fussed over in Norma’s extravagant and pedantic way. Even in death, it is surrounded by riches and rituals that bar it from the natural world to which it belongs
More nuanced things to think about:
Is Max a bad person?
So many students tell me they think Max is a terrible person, that he controls Norma out of a possessive need to own her because he made her a star. But I think it’s more complicated than that. Yes, he discovered her and built her career, but I also believe he cared for her so deeply that he just wanted her to be happy. Fame and celebrity brought her happiness, so he kept the illusion alive long after it had faded. It was toxic, and indulging her delusions ultimately led to her downfall, but I found his direction of her ‘final scene’ – guiding her down the stairs – endearing. He truly loved her. Enough to remain her servant for life, to watch his former wife fall for countless men, and to let himself be mistaken for another director in the final moments.
Does Joe ever grow to care for Norma?
At the start of the film, Joe knowingly deceives Norma, charging her higher rates for his editing job – his relationship with her begins in deception. Throughout the scenes, it’s clear he’s uncomfortable whenever Norma becomes affectionate or implies they’re more than just working partners, showering him with expensive gifts and giving him a room near hers. But as time passes, I do think Joe starts to care for her, which becomes most evident when she self-harms, and he rushes back to her. We see him take on a role similar to Max, hiding the truth to sustain her delusions – it seems that those who care about her (Joe, Max, Cecil DeMille) all do this. Maybe he never loves her in a romantic way, but I believe he grows to care for her in his own way.
Is Norma truly a victim?
Norma treats everyone around her as if they’re beneath her, something she’s been accustomed to since her glory days. She’s manipulative toward Joe, making decisions for him without asking and even harming herself to keep him from leaving. Yet, I truly believe Norma is a product of Hollywood discarding her before she was ready to step out of the spotlight. The media inflated her ego so much that she never wanted to come down, and Max refuses to let her, fearing she wouldn’t want to live without it. Her actions toward others are inexcusable, but Wilder makes it difficult to imagine her living a normal life without fame – so maybe she’s a victim, but maybe it was also for her own good.
Is Betty the sweet girl Hollywood portrays her to be?
Betty first bursts onto the screen in Sheldrake’s office, full of energy and ambition, despite her lowly job as a script reader. Her passion and drive are portrayed so positively in the film’s early scenes, reaching a peak when she and Joe collaborate late into the night at Paramount Studios. But when she kisses Joe – cheating on her fiancé, Artie – Wilder swiftly ends their relationship that same evening. As the film progresses, it becomes clearer that Joe is the real talent, while Betty has never written a script on her own. Her desire to work with him was, at least in part, a way to advance her career—which isn’t necessarily bad but paired with the suggestion that she’d leave her fiancé for him, it feels more calculated…
These are just my thoughts – things to consider when piecing together your own analysis of these characters! Discuss this with your friends or your teacher and see what they think!
