Sunset Boulevard

Possibly the best movie about the movie business ever made, Billy Wilder's brilliant 1950 dissection and critique of Hollywood opens with a classic underwater shot, looking up at a dead man, face down in a swimming pool. The voice-over narration begins--from the dead man no less--and we're off. The floater is Joe Gillis (William Holden), a struggling screenwriter running from bill collectors who accidentally stumbles one day on the mansion of ex-silent film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), whom he recognizes, telling her, "You used to be big." In one of the film's many quotable lines, Desmond replies, "I am big! It's the pictures that got small!" When Norma discovers that Joe is a writer, she asks/demands that he stick around and write the script for her "return" (she hates the word "comeback") to the big screen as Salome in a film to be directed by Cecil B. De Mille. Essentially becoming a live-in gigolo, Gillis slowly succumbs to her madness, encouraging her delusions and sheltering her feelings (often at the urging of her butler/ex-director Max, brilliantly played by director Erich von Stroheim). By the time Gillis regains his senses, it's too late, and his rebellion sets into motion the masterful final act that will lead Norma Desmond under the lights one last time as she chillingly delivers the film's most famous line, "I'm ready for my close-up now, Mr. De Mille." Nominated for numerous Oscars, including Best Picture, Actress and Actor, Sunset Boulevard would nab only one top award for writing, losing in most of the major categories to All About Eve. Paramount's "special collector's edition" DVD is very special, indeed, boasting a drop-dead gorgeous restored image and fine Dolby Digital mono sound. Notable extras include an interesting commentary track by Wilder biographer Ed Sikov, an excellent 28-minute retrospective "making of," and the 14-minute featurette "Edith Head--The Hollywood Years." Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review—Nov. 25, 2008—Paramount, 2 discs, 110 min., not rated, $24.99—Making its latest appearance on DVD, 1950's Sunset Boulevard (Centennial Collection) features a nice transfer. DVD extras include audio commentary by film scholar Ed Sikov, and a collection of featurettes, including “The Beginning” (23 min.), “The Noir Side” (15 min.), “Sunset Boulevard Becomes a Classic” (15 min.), “Franz Waxman and the Music” on the composer (15 min.), “Edith Head: The Paramount Years” on the costume designer (14 min.), “Stories of Sunset Boulevard” (12 min.), “Two Sides of Ms. Swanson” (11 min.), “Mad About the Boy: A Portrait of William Holden” (11 min.), “Paramount in the ‘50s” (10 min.), “Recording” (6 min.), “The City of Sunset Boulevard” (6 min.), and “Behind the Gates: The Lot” (5 min.). Additional features include text script pages for the morgue prologue, an interactive Hollywood location map, stills galleries, a booklet, and trailers. Bottom line: an excellent extras package for a landmark film.][Blu-ray Review—Nov. 6, 2012—Paramount, 110 min., not rated, $26.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1950's Sunset Boulevard sports a fine transfer with Dolby True HD mono sound. Extras are nearly identical to previous DVD releases, with the only new addition being the brief deleted scene “The Paramount Don't Want Me Blues.” Extras carried over from previous releases include audio commentary by film scholar Ed Sikov, production featurettes including “A Look Back” (26 min.), “The Beginning” (23 min.), “The Noir Side” (15 min.), “Sunset Boulevard Becomes a Classic” (15 min.), “Franz Waxman and the Music” on the composer (15 min.), “Edith Head: The Paramount Years” on the costume designer (14 min.), “Stories of Sunset Boulevard” (12 min.), “Two Sides of Ms. Swanson” (11 min.), “Mad About the Boy: A Portrait of William Holden” (11 min.), “Paramount in the ‘50s” (10 min.), “Recording” (6 min.), “The City of Sunset Boulevard” (6 min.), and “Behind the Gates: The Lot” (5 min.), as well as text script pages for the morgue prologue, an interactive Hollywood location map, production and publicity galleries, a booklet, and trailers. Bottom line: an all-time classic makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]