KULTURA / CULTURE
SUNSET BOULEVARD 75 th anniversary of Wilder’s Masterpiece In the new era of Hollywood, rereleases of films from the good old days have become all the rage, which is how Sunset Boulevard found itself before American audiences – in the form of a restored 4k HD version P aramount Studios is this year commemorating the 75 th anniversary of Billy Wilder’s 1951 film, which won Oscars for best screen- play and best art direction. Many believe that its star, Gloria Swanson, was unfair- ly “robbed” of the Oscar for best actress, which was won that year by Judy Holli- day for her performance in the film Born Yesterday. Interestingly, Sunset Boule- vard found itself competing directly at that year’s Oscars against another Holly- wood masterpiece: Joseph L. Mankiew- icz’s All About Eve, starring Bette Davis. Hollywood was never previously por- trayed as authentically as it was in Sun- set Boulevard. Wilder utilised realism instead of the romanticised vision that was most often used to represent the city of dreams in romantic comedies. To- day considered one of the best and most important noir films of the ‘50s, the magic that Wilder created in this very cynical and pessimistic work has stood the test of time and been discovered time and again over the previous sev- en decades by generations of film buffs, though they’ve never previously had a chance to see it in a restored 4k version. By the early 20 th century, Hollywood had already become the beating heart of the film world, and the place where stars are born and dreams come true. Glam- our and prestige were the most common desires people dreamt of in America.
Gowns, make-up, spotlights, premiere performances and popularity became synonymous with the untouchability of the capital city of the seventh art. Over the decades that followed, many actors survived this brutal struggle, though there were many that didn’t. This is the story told by Sunset Boulevard, which follows the life of actress Norma Des- mond. She didn’t manage to survive the transition from silent films to talkies, re- maining trapped in her home in Holly- wood, refusing to accept reality and face her destiny. The film is dedicated to the hundreds of actors that Hollywood cre- ated only to reject, because they didn’t handle the shift due to their acting style, accent or voice. The plot unfolds from the perspective of Joe Gillis, an impoverished screen- writer who has yet to make his Holly- wood breakthrough. His opportunism leads him to Norma, who he tries to use in every way in order to break onto the scene. Through flashbacks in the claus- trophobic home of Norma Desmond, we are exposed to the suffering, humil- iation, broken dreams and exploitation of a woman who longs for populari-
ty, acceptance and love. The only per- son who truly actually cares about her is the butler Max von Mayerling, who attempts to maintain her illusions and thus save her from a tragic reality. Alongside the impressive performanc- es of Gloria Swanson, William Hold- en and Erich von Stroheim, this film re- mains remembered for its photography, which characterises the era of noir films visually by creating a claustrophobic at- mosphere that depicts the loneliness of the protagonist, while it is also remem- bered for its historical significance in dealing with the period after World War I and the Great Depression, relying on nostalgia to do so. Its portrayal of an- ti-heroes and underdogs was also a rari- ty for Hollywood films of the time. The film will hit big screens nation- wide across America several times this year, primarily in the theatres of cin- ema chains like AMC and Alamo. We can debate the quality of today’s Hol- lywood productions, but we can al- ways be grateful to Hollywood for films like this, and for the decades when re- al stars were born and timeless classics were created.
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