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Sunset Boulevard
1950
Billy Wilder's masterpiece, a corrosive black comedy that remains the most memorable assault on the emptiness and vanity of the movie business, it stars William Holden as young, down-and-out screenwriter Joe Gillis. Narrated in flashbacks by the now-deceased scribe, the film unwinds the series of events that left him lying face .. Read more
| Starring | Gloria Swanson, William Holden, Erich Von Stroheim, Nancy Olson |
|---|---|
| Director | Billy Wilder |
| Genres | Drama |
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Sunset Boulevard
Billy Wilder's masterpiece, a corrosive black comedy that remains the most memorable assault on the emptiness and vanity of the movie business, it stars William Holden as young, down-and-out screenwriter Joe Gillis. Narrated in flashbacks by the now-deceased scribe, the film unwinds the series of events that left him lying face down in a pool. Unable to sell his most recent chef-d'oeuvre, and in hock up to his eyeballs, Joe stashes his car in the driveway of what appears to be an abandoned mansion on Sunset Boulevard, while trying to elude some persistent repo men. Closer inspection reveals the decrepit property to be inhabited by grandiose former silent movie goddess Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), and her zombie-like manservant Max (Erich von Stroheim). Upon hearing that he's a writer, the lonely but still wealthy woman offers to pay him generously to stay at the house and work on her 'comeback' script on the life of Salome. Although spooked by the people and the surroundings, in desperate straits, Joe takes the job, little suspecting the madness of the netherworld he's entered. Wilder's merciless portrait of the dangers of a profession that trades in fantasy, cagily couples the cynical amorality of the never-was with the near-psychotic narcissism of the has-been to reveal the vacuity of wealth and the transience of fame.
| Starring | Gloria Swanson, William Holden, Erich Von Stroheim, Nancy Olson, Fred Clark, Jack Warden, Buster Keaton, Cecil B. DeMille |
|---|---|
| Director | Billy Wilder |
| Studio | PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 45 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Collections | 100 Feisty Females |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Dubbed | French, German, Italian, Spanish |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Subtitles | DVD: Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Serbian, Slovenian |
| Released | DVD: 07 Apr 2003 Production year: 1950 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (2)
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Incisive melodrama with marvellous moments but a tendency to overstay its welcome; the first reels are certainly the best, though the last scene is worth waiting for and the malicious observation throughout is a treat.
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One of Wilder's finest, and certainly the blackest of all Hollywood's scab-scratching accounts of itself, this... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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15 out of 15 people found this review helpful
Excellent Hollywood Expose
Wilder directs a fantastic film about the evils of Hollywood. Holden, Swanson and Olsen give iconic performances. The film displays the way Hollywood can shine in the heat of the glory one minute but once the spotlights dim, how you can be left in the cold. The script is sharp and witty with plenty of classic lines that are often repeated. The disc comes with excellent extras which include three good documentaries detailing the making, costumes and music. If your a fan of this film, the extas alone make this one to rent. If you have never seen this film, I suggest you see this and enjoy.
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Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
A Timeless Masterpiece!
Simply fantastic and a joy to watch - this film may be 55 years old, but it's as sharp and true today as it was then! Wilder has done a great job in bringing Swanson back into a film after a 15 year absense following the arrival of 'talkies' and so her own situation perfectly mirrors that of her character Norma. This film is a must see! Absolutely fantastic!
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News and features
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Coppola to immortalise the Chateau Marmont in movie
- 18 Apr 2009
Six years after she immortalised a Tokyo, Japan hotel in Lost In Translation, director Sofia Coppola is checking in again for a new movie based on Hollywood's infamous Chateau Marmont. Steven Dorff has signed to star as a famous actor, living in the hotel, who is forced to raise his 11-year-old daughter when she appears in his life. Dakota Fanning's sister Elle is in talks to play Dorff's daughter. According to Daily Variety, Coppola has been given permission to shoot the movie in the Sunset... Read more
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Sunset Boulevard
Billy Wilder's masterpiece, a corrosive black comedy that remains the most memorable assault on the emptiness and vanity of the movie business, it stars William Holden as young, down-and-out screenwriter Joe Gillis. Narrated in flashbacks by the now-deceased scribe, the film unwinds the series of ...
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