100

A final image can be ambiguous or illuminating, ill-defined or razor-sharp, but Billy Wilder takes a moment of supreme clarity and showcases it through gradual opacity; a star slowly succumbing to an out-of-focus recreation of the glory days, one which is, in actuality, confined to a homicidal reality. Ah, showbiz.

"I am big! It's the pictures that got small!"

Masterfully snappy dialogue like only Billy Wilder and the golden age of 40's and 50's film-noir can deliver. A comeback performance from Gloria Swanson to redefine the very notion of a comeback (I still can't get over how expressive her face is). Incisive commentary on the process of filmmaking which extends to the real lives of its cast and crew (Gloria Swanson returning to film as Norma Desmond returning to film; Erich von Stroheim, the director of Gloria Swanson's early films, as Max von Mayerling, the director of Norma Desmond's early films). Prescient awareness of the critical lack of genuinely new stories two decades before anyone would use the term "postmodern" to describe literature. A truly one of a kind film.

Top 10 Film Noir | Metacinema
List of Shame | The Rewatch List

A re-watch to prepare to be a guest on an upcoming podcast episode. But watching this once again reminded me of just how well crafted it is. I love the insider film references, (like Erich von Stroheim playing the film he actually directed starring Gloria Swanson.) Plus the way it’s both a product of the time in which it was made (you can see how the studio system was starting to falter) and how it shows the way many silent film stars were pushed to the side when they couldn’t make the transition to sound. There’s also plenty to dig into around ageism, sexism, the price of fame and mental health. This is a film I get more from every time I watch it.

Gloria Swanson, the actress, was macrobiotic (basically vegan+) and her character, Norma Desmond, gives a funeral for a monkey. 

What was perceived as eccentric in the 1950s could now literally be conceived of as sympathetic.

i’m the fact that norma decides to trust joe, a complete stranger, solely due to the fact that he is a sagittarius

I watched this back in September and toootally forgot to log it. I guess...that says something about the film? Was consistently entertained and invested throughout but never found myself extremely blown away by anything. Maybe I wasn’t in the right mood that day?? Perhaps I’ll give it a rewatch. 

SORRY

**Part of the Best Picture Project**

What a difference several years makes after having last seen a film!

As a younger still growing lover of film, when I first watched this, I merely watched it from a superficial standpoint. I enjoyed the "behind the scenes" aspect of the film, as well as the deteriorating mental state of Swanson's Norma Desmond.

But many years later, I am able to understand who Max was played by and why it was significant, as well as the many cameos (Shit, Buster Keaton!) and references.

Then there's Wilder's direction, which comes to employ silent film technique more and more as the film goes on and Norma Desmond's mental state begins to collapse, which serves as a contrast to how much more grounded William Holden's subplot is.

This is why revisiting films is important.

Bad film screenwriter Joe Gilles is NOT HOT! “Bases Loaded” is a bomb! This Hollywood loser goes from zero to A number one gigolo when he meets THE GREAT Norma Desmond! Thank you President Trump for bringing classic Hollywood glamour back!!

just us... and the cameras.

how many times do y'all think old actors have watched this and cringed in solidarity?

(i know i've been super inactive and i'm sorry!! life has a way of catching up with you when you're not looking. i'm hoping after mid-term season i'm going to be on here, watching moveys and reviewing more often. <3)

The final shot, Holy Crap. That final shot sums up how I felt the film as whole.

A tragic, compelling, powerful, and life changing experience about self obsession, caring more about the fame rather the art, and driving away from the insanity of your mind.

Which is handled brilliantly by excellent writing, terrific performances, brilliant directing, authentic editing, and the impact the film has on you after the film is over.

I seriously need to watch more of Billy Wilder's works.

They way she breaks the fourth wall to talk to the audience watching the movie. They way she walks toward the viewer after she says her iconic line and the camera mocks that hazy glamorous light.....the DRAMA of Norma Desmond as a character. The PLOT TWISTS. Her mansion as a METAPHOR. 

This was GOOD.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MONKEY

Tragic...Yet Beautiful.

What a fantastic story for the strive of youth and vitality. One of the most important films in cinematic history. Billy Wilder directed the hell out of this movie. Every scene builds into this insane idea of fame, and what it can do to a person. 

No one but Gloria Swanson could’ve played this part. She became Norma, and carried her through this tragic story. William Holden is wonderful as well. He played right up against Gloria. 

The cinematography, script, acting, and directing are superb. Some of the best I’ve ever seen. This is a must watch film!

Horror cinema masquerading as noir. The progenitor to Mulholland Drive, and right down the street from it.

I love mid-century films about fame but I never quite connect with this one.

alright mr. demille, i’m ready for my close-up!

Considerably different than the other Wilder films I’ve seen, but easily as good as if not better than them. The entire sequence with Cecil B DeMille is perfect.

i am big! it"s the picture that got small.

brilliant.

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

SAW: in the dorms at UCLA (Courtside) (for 106A critical analysis paper)

With all the talk of how incredible the acting, the script, the art direction, and the cinematography are in this picture—and deservedly so because those elements are great—I never see anyone talk about this film’s score, which is tragic because this has an incredible score, one of my faves from 1950’s Hollywood, along with A Streetcar Named Desire, Vertigo, and High Noon (if I’m forgetting any big ones I love, I apologize).

i like sagittarians. you can trust them.