If it had been up to me, I probably never would have watched Sunset Boulevard because I don’t really like watching old movies especially those in black and white but this movie was actually quite enjoyable. It follows a fading film star who wants to have a comeback so desperately. This movie really showcased the effects of changing fads on the lifestyles and hopes and dreams of people. Additionally, I really liked how different the plot was in terms of Max being very subservient to Norma because oftentimes it’s the woman that is portrayed as being subservient to the man.

Sunset Boulevard is a movie about actress Norma Desmond who was once a Hollywood star but has been forgotten over the years. The lost of the spotlight caused her great suffering, but she was not ready to give up. Instead, she planned to write a script for a movie sis she would be the protagonist. Joe Gillis, a screen writer, convinces her to hire him to help her improve the script. She begins to fall in love with him and he with her money. Their relationship heads downhill to the point Joe does not want to be with her anymore. So, she decides to kill him so nobody can have him. This , of course, made the press cover the story which displayed her as an actress who has gone mentally insane and overall just a loser. It truly makes you wonder if living with the pain of being forgotten was better than being remembered as a criminal.

Sunset Boulevard was really good to watch. I usually avoid old films because I can’t get used to black and white from a color perspective (oof)

This movie though was really good. The heartlessness of the main character in scamming this older actress out of her prime. His increasing relations with his friends fiance (really cheap weddings in Arizona huh?)

He gets trapped by this actress who may kill herself if he leaves her. One thing that weirded me out was how her butler is her… ex-husband. Kinda offputting for me, but if that’s what you’re into I guess its fine?

In the final scene, he tries to leave after he decides to finalize his affair, but he gets shot. Before that though is an amazing acting scene with the fiance where he ends the relation (but not really). As I was saying, he gets shot. Movie ends with a cinematic reveal that the actress was finally looking for. Good ending, +1

Sunset Boulevard is a classic Film Noir movie that is haunting, engaging, and at times difficult to watch. Before this Rose Scholars event, I had never seen the film despite its popularity. I enjoyed pondering the messages and warnings about Hollywood stardom introduced in the film.

In particular, I was intrigued by the character and villain Norma Desmond. Her role as a past silent movie actress unwilling to let go of her young fame emphasized Hollywood’s focus on youth and image. The film’s portrayal of Norma as narcissistic and crazy unveiled the dangers of being consumed by Hollywood’s image-focused side.

However, I noticed another character that introduced hope for Hollywood. Betty is also a character in the movie who is young, passionate, and straight-forward. I interpreted her as Norma’s foil and as a symbol of hope for Hollywood’s transformation. I appreciated her honesty, genuineness, and true passion for film.

I enjoyed the film and learning about the clearly developed and meaningful characters. In particular, I was captivated by the haunting last scene in which Norma Desmond deliriously speaks straight to the cameras after killing the main character. This scene left me to reflect on Hollywood’s sometimes materialistic treatment of actors, actresses, and screenwriters. When watching films in the future I will question my focus on image and the film’s focus on image.

On the other hand, through Betty’s character the film also underscored the potential honesty, genuineness, and passion a film can portray. I appreciated this hope and left the film hopeful that Hollywood will mirror Betty’s personality more closely rather than Norma’s in the future.

Having never heard of the film, Sunset Boulevard, I wasn’t sure what to expect of it. Detailing the life of a former movie star whose fame was lost in the transition from silent films to spoken films, the film weaves in the perspective of a struggling screenwriter who, in an attempt to take advantage of the actress, gets roped into her life. The actress, who has some serious attachment issues, falls in love with hum and manages to ensnare him into her life that is spent living in the past.

With the film showing clearly that the actress would never be able to reach the same level of success that she had achieved in the past, the twist and turns that it takes were what made the film on of the most fascinating things I have watched recently. Commenting on insanity, fame, and changing times, the films able to make connections throughout the film to show that in the end, a star can find a way to become a star again (even if in a completely way from what was expected).

I am not accustomed to watching classic films in general, but I am convinced I should watch more after seeing Sunset Boulevard. This was a splendid film that generated interesting discussion on its symbolism and themes afterward. It was a delightful film in terms of entertainment, but discussing the layers of symbolic imagery and ideas it advanced was the icing on top. For example, one of the central themes was the juxtaposition of the successful (if not manic) woman to her subservient male partner. The dynamic here would have likely been quite shocking to audiences at the time, and even now it still felt original. And the casting of Cecil B. DeMille and Erich von Stroheim was “meta” as they say since both were successful and revolutionary auteurs in their own rights yet also portrayed in substantive conflict, with DeMille as the one-man show running Paramount and Stroheim as the diminutive servant to the successful actress. 

This week’s Flora Rose Film was the 1950 film classic Sunset Boulevard. This movie follows the strange, dark story of an aging film star who struggles to cope with her fading celebrity. The troubled star, Norma Desmond, is eccentric and deeply depressed. When she meets Joe, a struggling screenwriter, the depth of her disassociation from reality is revealed via both plot and cinematic devices. Upon initial viewing, I found the film to be a dark, but ultimately wonderfully strange departure from films I am used to seeing today. Having very little personal basis for film analysis, I definitely felt that a lot of the significance of the cinematic vision was lost of me initially; however, I developed a much better understanding the the film and its genre in the post-film discussion. This film represents film noir — a cinematographic film marked by a sense of fatalism or pessimism. Indeed, this film is based in dissatisfaction and manipulation. These themes come to a dramatic and semi-unsettling peak in the final scene of the film. Here, Norma is seen completely detached from reality — suddenly, she shows no qualms about murdering Joe, moving towards the camera as she prepares for a nonexistent close-up. I found this scene to be a perfect encapsulation of the eerie beauty and profound sadness of the overall film — it reflects significant the profound artistic vision that is present throughout the film. Overall, it was valuable to have seen this film and understand it as a classic work; moreover, it introduced me to a genre and a niche of film critique that is incredibly deep, both in its historic and artistic roots.

I am not accustomed to watching classic films in general, but I am convinced I should watch more after seeing Sunset Boulevard. This was a splendid film that generated interesting discussion on its symbolism and themes afterward. It was a delightful film in terms of entertainment, but discussing the layers of symbolic imagery and ideas it advanced was the icing on top. For example, one of the central themes was the juxtaposition of the successful (if not manic) woman to her subservient male partner. The dynamic here would have likely been quite shocking to audiences at the time, and even now it still felt original. And the casting of Cecil B. DeMille and Erich von Stroheim was “meta” as they say since both were successful and revolutionary auteurs in their own rights yet also portrayed in substantive conflict, with DeMille as the one-man show running Paramount and Stroheim as the diminutive servant to the successful actress. 

Very often people tend to lie to one another for different reasons. It could be done in order to avoid embarrassment or just to make yourself look better in other peoples’ eyes. In the movie, “Sunset Boulevard”, this happens frequently. The best example of this is when Max deceives Norma about him being extremely famous and loved by millions. Another lie that is often told is that when someone denies being in a relationship with somebody else.

On Friday, I experimented with my own entertainment preferences by watching a black and white noir film called “Sunset Boulevard” that dates back to the 1950s. I came into the screening room unsure of how much I would enjoy an “outdated” film from decades ago. And despite still having mixed feelings about how much I enjoyed “Sunset Boulevard” in its raw form, I was pleasantly surprised by the story line and dynamic characters. Specifically, I thought that Norma’s fall from grace and fame was executed in a dramatic fashion that mirrored the character’s own dramatic personality. As Norma lost her grasp on her fading youth and stardom, I felt a mixture of sympathy and sadness. Her delusions about her own success in the movie industry caused her own downfall, and it was unfortunate that she placed such importance on her supposed fame and professional career. All the while, the film made it seem as though Nora was too far gone to receive help. Overall, I thought that the story effectively weaved together the themes of depression, mental health, and pretentious fame through fascinating characters. Many modern celebrities appear to live glamorous lives on the surface due to skewed media portrayals, but celebrities like Norma can often hide the human flaws and mental health instabilities they struggle with.

I chose to go to see Sunset Boulevard because I usually really enjoy the events that GRF Sam hosts. I remember the first talk I went to with him explored the idea of modernity and depictions of black and gay people in contemporary work. During that talk, we talked about Josephine Baker’s Banana Dance. I could immediately see the relationship to that when the ape died in Sunset Boulevard, haha. Also, I was hosting a student for Diversity Hosting Month that night, so it was really nice that I got to show her some of the smaller, more personal events that Cornell has to offer. She said she liked how it was in the dorm, and she had also seen the movie before and told me she enjoyed it.

I love old movies, so when I saw Sunset Boulevard was being shown for Friday Films, I had to go.  I had heard of, but never seen, the movie and I was really excited.  As weird as it was, it definitely did not disappoint.  The movie starts out with police finding a dead body, then shows everything that led up to that moment.  The style of storytelling reminded me of American Beauty – the main character, who ends up dead at the end, narrates the events that lead up to his demise.  I enjoyed the fact that the movie was in black and white (as all other movies of its time); the lack of vibrant, sometimes overpowering color, allowed me to focus more on the actual details of the setting.  Norma Desmond’s house was incredibly extravagant, and all of the decor was so detailed.  Pretty much anywhere you looked, there was something highlighting her career – old pictures of her, props from old movies, etc.  Almost 70 years later it’s still a well-known and well-quoted movie; since watching this, I have noticed several shows using some variation of Norma’s famous last line, “All right Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.”

Sunset Blvd was an interesting film as it described the story of an unsuccessful screenwriter Joe and a former famous movie star Norma. Following Joe’s chance encounter with Norma when he escapes onto her estate, he finds himself the love interest of a deluded woman who insists that he stay and live in her mansion. At the end of the movie, it is revealed that Norma was the one that murdered Joe and she descends her staircase into a room of police and reporters, thinking it to be a scene from her screenplay. The movie was a great watch mainly because it showed the interactions between two different types of people, Joe the pragmatist and Norma the dreamer. The movie makes the reader reflect whether it is better to accept the truth or continue to live a lie, considering that Norma was a troubled woman and it was her delusions that continued to sustain her. Was Joe in the right to shatter her reality and force her to conform to his realist view of the world? These questions made me personally reflect on whether it is right more me to impose my perspective and world views on others as their entire reality may be centered on their beliefs.

Sunset Boulevard was an interesting comeback story, by which I mean it wasn’t. Both protagonists, Norma and Joe, are looking to get back into the Hollywood game but at the end, neither of them do. Centered around Norma, the movie saw her go from slightly fantastical to all out crazy. This was mostly due to Max, her servant, enabling her fantasy by writing her hundreds of fan letters and playing along with her fantasy. Her state of mind was worsened with Joe’s manipulation, and at the end, this backfired on Joe, leading to his tragic demise. It was a tragic Hollywood love story, and although it was a good movie, I’m not a big fan of the ending since I am a big fan of happy endings.

I’ve put writing this off much longer than I’d have liked to. The reason was, frankly, I couldn’t articulate anything to write about. I was definitely left with some solid impressions by the film – in particular a sense of nausea and claustrophobia. But I’m still in a position where I’m not even sure if I like this movie.

But it dawned on me that that in itself might be interesting. It’s a movie with so many – or so few – ideas that I am left bereft of comment. On a technical level the film is pretty masterful – the shot through the railing towards the end comes to mind – but what are we to get out of this film at the end of the day? Do we sympathize with Norma at the end? Are we meant to sympathize with her but question that sympathy at the same time? I don’t know that the movie has an answer for that, nor that it intends to.

I have a friend who delights in “Fantastic Mr. Fox” because, as they claim, it has no message. No point it’s trying to make. I am not a big fan of that movie for that same reason. And I find myself in a similar problem here. I may lack a lot of the requisite knowledge to pick up on all the details and references, both to other films and to bigger literary movements. But I find the experience hollow I guess. Not a bad film – hollow might be too harsh – but I’m certainly not dwelling on this film a lot.

The movie Sunset Boulevard was really interesting in shedding light on the typical comeback journey that many people who have been out of the industry want to have. However, if people aim to use manipulative mechanisms in order to achieve this comeback, they will not be benefitted by this. In that regard, a takeaway is that it is important to understand the implications and ramifications incidents have prior to actions so that people can be in the proactive and not reactive stage.  But, as a woman, I think that this movie also sheds light on the extra precautions that we need to take, since we can never anticipate people’s actions. There is a lot of techniques now that prepare women to fight men, however not much emphasis is given on instilling proper values in men to not mistreat women. Given that this is an institutionalized problem, it will be hard to tackle, but it is important to get the conversation starting. Although we can trust people to help change our lives, it is important that people understand that they themselves are the only people that can change their lives. People need to understand that only they want what is completely best for themselves. It can be hard to separate emotions from thinking when in relationships, however I believe it is important that people have a sense of self and understand the realities of their situation instead of excusing the behaviors of others. In that regard, there can be . sunset after cloudiness if people realize that they don’t need objects or people to lift them up after devastating or tragic events. Rather, people just need confidence and belief in their abilities.  This films also sheds light on empathy: It is so easy for third party people to judge others when we have no idea how we would react to certain situations. Thus, rather from being judgemental, I really wish people could be more empathetic to the struggles of others, since all people are going through tough times regardless of whether they publicly admit it.

After watching this film, I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It was the first ever movie that I watched in black and white. Although the movie is missing color, it still kept my attention the whole time. I had this misperception that noir films were boring or hard to follow, but I was actually wrong. Sunset Boulevard was extremely engaging and kept me on the edge of my chair. The plot was unique and full of surprises. Some movies made today can be predictable sometimes. I saw a lot of good qualities in Sunset Boulevard that movies today lack. I will be viewing this movie again. I will also be more open to watching other black and white films for my own enjoyment. If you are reading this and have never had the chance to watch a noir film, I highly suggest you do. It will allow you to watch something a bit different from modern day films.

I enjoyed watching the movie Sunset Boulevard with the residents of Rose Scholar on Friday night. This was the perfect moment to unwind through watching a movie. I had never seen this movie before, and extremely enjoyed it. It is unlikely for me to watch a movie that is pre-2000s, however this movie was a good change for me. It explained the nuances of stardom, and how life is never as glamorous as it is being portrayed. With the rise of social media and stardom, we as a society  have started putting more of our self worth into stardom and we must understand that stardom is not always glamorous and necessary.

This was a very disturbing movie for me to watch. Usually, I prefer passive and easy going Friday movies. This movie talked volumes to the negative effects people in the cinematic and film industry face from superficial beauty standards to dealing with fame. The depiction of Norma not being famous and the desperation that she felt to be famous again summarizes the film industry in any place in any part of the world. This movie has a very sound message. Actors and celebrities many a times have forgotten that their main focus is to ideally be good professional artists and deliver well-prepared content. Given this shift of focus from good movies (or any other artistic content) to popularity is setting bad culture top down in the societies we live in. This is giving rise to a more depressed, more fake and more stressed generation of millennials. I drew a lot of parallels from the movie to modern day life

Last Friday, I watched the film Sunset Boulevard in the Rose Dining Room. As I wrote about in my previous blog post for Twelve Angry Men last semester, I’m generally not a connoisseur of film, especially older, black-and-white films (embarrassingly, the majority of the media I consume is due to the animation style). However, despite not particularly looking forward to this event, I definitely did find it enlightening as it was for sure out of my comfort zone.

It was definitely a very “literary” (as much as I hate the term, it fits) film. It was packed full of allusions to other films as well deep commentary on the superficiality of celebrity culture, the imprisoning nature of masculinity, and the perpetual sense of discontent with one’s socio-cultural relevance. All of these things went over my head in the film. Part of this, I think, is a consequence of the fact that I don’t watch very many movies. For example, I missed all of the movie quotes in the dialogue between Joe Gillis and Betty Schaefer.

All this is to say that I definitely went into this film with the wrong attitude. I had pinned Sunset Boulevard as a film that I wouldn’t enjoy before even learning what it was about. And while I didn’t particularly enjoy it, not having an open mind while trying something new completely defeats the purpose of trying something new in the first place. Because of this, the biggest thing I took away from this experience was that I need to reevaluate the mindset I have before coming to house events like this one. This experience has definitely given me a lot more to think about.

Last Friday, I had the chance to watch the movie “Sunset Boulevard” with other Rose Scholars. It was something new while watching the black and white film, it neglects all distractions such as special effects and color.

The film starts backward. It tells me the inevitable ending in the beginning and shows me a sequence of events that led up to it.

Although many people interpret the movie as a microcosm of the Old Hollywood. I think this movie goes beyond Hollywood to life. In life, we give up things because of obstacles, criticisms, hardships. But I truly believe one must overcome all of those above and follow the orginal dream. Ultimately, one can become a star in life.

This past Friday I had the pleasure of viewing the noir film “Sunset Boulevard” a Hollywood classic. The film centered around the a struggling screenwriter and a famous, fading silent film star. I can see why this film was nominated for 11 academy awards and ultimately won three.  The character Norma Desmond represents the ideals and conformity of beauty and age in the film industry as she struggles to relinquish her glory days and accept the demise of her career. I truly enjoyed the artistic style of the noir film, a genre I yet to dabble in. The black and white film added to the dramatic plot. After this screening I intend to watch more noir classics as the old Hollywood feel was thoroughly entertaining.

On Friday, I joined the Rose Scholars and watched Sunset Boulevard, which I really enjoyed. I liked how the gender roles of the time were challenged in a sense. At first, when Joe Gillis, a young screenwriter looking for work, is trying to get his screen play turned into a film, a young woman is asked to review it, and she critiques it, calling it tired and boring, that it had no message. Gillis obviously challenged this, but her opinion obviously meant a lot to the opinion of the producer, who turned down the screenplay.

Later on in the film, Gillis attempts to manipulate a washed up starlet who hires him to write a screenplay. She refuses to allow the new Hollywood age her out, and holds on to her stardom fiercely. She reflects a strong woman figure who not only refuses to be forgotten, but also refuses to be manipulated. Gillis finds out that it is more difficult than he originally thought to control a powerful woman. I thought this concept was very interesting for the 1950s.

This past week I watched Sunset Boulevard. I found the movie important and interesting as a piece of art, but I wasn’t able to properly enjoy myself due to the odd nature of the movie, as I was constantly confused. Sunset Boulevard is a noir film so the general aesthetic is dark and muted. The cinematography was gorgeous: the shots of Joe Gillis in the pool and of the gaudy house in which Norma lives were very impressive. One theme that GRF Sam brought up after the movie that I hadn’t realized annoyed me was that the actors seemed to be playing different parts of different movies at different times. For example, the intimacy between Betty Schaefer and Joe Gillis seemed off: it often sped up and slowed down very quickly, and seemed forced a lot of the time. There was one memorable scene where Joe is saying goodbye to Betty at a New Years Eve party.

GIRL
You can have the phone now.

GILLIS
(Paying no attention)
Thirsting for the coolness of
your lips –

BETTY
No, Phillip, no. We must be
strong. You’re still wearing
the uniform of the Coldstream
Guards! Furthermore, you can
have the phone now.

GILLIS
O.K.
(He gets up, starts
out, turns)
I find I’m terribly afraid of
losing you.

BETTY
You won’t.
(She takes the glass
out of his hand)
I’ll get us a refill of
this awful stuff.

GILLIS
You’ll be waiting for me?

BETTY
With a wildly beating heart.

GILLIS
Life can be beautiful!

This seeming moment of intense intimacy is spoken oddly and comes out of nowhere, not having been set up in earlier dialogue. Gillis and Betty are playing a part here that doesn’t gel with the rest of the scene, and it makes the viewer uncomfortable. This doesn’t just manifest itself in the dialogue, but also in other elements of the film. At the beginning, Gillis witnesses an elaborate burial of a chimpanzee. This can be taking to symbolize many things (one theory supported by the dialogue is that it’s a nod to the movie King Kong). However, again, it takes the viewer out of the experience: it’s an element of the film that’s there for seemingly no rhyme or reason at all, and is irrelevant to the plot. In general, the movie was extremely clever and precisely put together, but not for people who are looking for a less opaque, more straightforward story.

I just saw the old movie Sunset Boulevard.  My parents had told me several times that this was a good movie, so I wanted to see it out of curiosity.   I had never seen a black and white movie before.  To me, this movie was a window into the past.  The movie had a really interesting story and you could not help but feel for the plight of the main characters.  I really felt for Norma.  I would expect it is difficult to enjoy so much fame and then have it taken away; especially if you derive your self worth from the fame.  I would also suspect that this movie is representative to former Hollywood stars of today.  I really enjoyed this movie.  It turns out my parents were right.

I love old films. I’ve seen many black and white movies, and I even watched a few silent movies. I came into this not knowing anything about the movie’s plot, but I was excited to watch a new old movie. This movie had a very unique narrative: one of a dead guy. Joe, the main character, establishes that he is dead from the beginning and the movie presents the events that lead to his downfall. We inevitably know what’s going to happen, but the tension and intrigue comes from the lead up to his death. The movie presents a full circle where the character ends up dead in a pool, which is where he started. This narrative is so important to the movie because it emphasizes how badly the human voice wants to be heard. Even after his death, he continues to tell his tale. Ironically, this also parallel’s Norma’s desire to be heard (despite her hatred of voices). Even though her voice wasn’t coming from the grave, she no longer wanted to remain irrelevant and so she wrote a script so that people would hear her. The human need to be listened to is demonstrated perfectly in this movie. No grave will silence a voice that wants to break through as badly as Joe’s.

For this weeks events, I attended the Friday movie showing of Sunset Boulevard, a black and white classic from the 1950s. I haven’t watched many black and white films, and when I did, they would be on in the background and I wasn’t really paying attention to them. However, this movie was funny and entertaining. I also found out that it won 3 Oscars! The film is a cynical take on Hollywood and shows what happens to stars in Hollywood. Norma dreams to make a return to the big screen but the fact that she cannot probably relates to many stars of the ’50s. Everyone who was living out their dreams eventually give it up for other things. Gillis gives up his dream of being a writer after he is criticized by Betty, Max gives up his dream of directing and now is a butler, and later, even Betty gives up her dream of love with Gillis. I believe the film gives a unconventional view of Hollywood for its time and I think it was genius. I hope to watch more noir films in the future, as they are truly entertaining.

On Friday night I watched Sunset Boulevard, a black and white film from 1950. It was the story of the meeting of an old silent film actress and an unsuccessful movie writer and their resulting tumultuous relationship. I found the acting to be extremely different from the acting we typically see in movies today; it was full of strong facial expressions and dramatic voices. The most interesting thing I realized from the movie is how little society’s sense of humor has changed from 1950. In one scene, the aging, washed-up actress acts as Charlie Chaplin in her living room. Her facial expressions and fake mustache were clearly for comedic effect and I amazingly still found it very amusing in 2019. I just went to Los Angeles for Spring Break and as this movie takes place in LA, it was great to get an inside view of the old glamor, but simultaneous grit, of the city sixty years ago. This is one of the few old movies I have seen and it has inspired me to watch more in the future.