The Tragedy of Hollywood In “Sunset Boulevard”

Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard is a thought-provoking film on the effects of Hollywood stardom on those who are out of the spotlight. Wilder shows that the glamour is exaggerated with Norma’s run down mansion. While the mansion itself is huge and may have once been beautiful, it fell apart when people stopped caring for it, much like Norma’s career. Additionally, while the house was stunning, it was virtually empty. Norma and Max lived in the giant space alone, until Norma manipulated Joe into living there as well. Norma threw a New Year’s Eve party that would have been fit for one hundred, but she only invited Joe because she was so isolated from the outside world. This shows that despite her copious wealth, Norma was incredibly lonely. Her money and mansion could not keep her happy.

Fame and wealth are major motivators for Hollywood hopefuls. Joe was working on script after script when he did not have any money in the hope of penning the screenplay that makes it big. He works hard until he moves in with Norma and becomes complacent with her pampering as he realizes he no longer has to worry about making rent or paying for his car. However, he ultimately realizes that wealth and fame are not worth it when he tries to move out shortly before his death. Norma, an actress with limited interest in other aspects of filmmaking, also tries to write a movie that will star herself solely for the purpose of regaining her fame.

Hollywood’s culture reinforces Norma’s delusions. When Norma visits DeMille’s set she is put back into the spotlight and her old fans are eager to shake the woman’s hand. She is praised and made to feel loved, but DeMille is not able to tell Norma there was a misunderstanding and he does not want to work with her or on her film. Instead, he lets her enjoy the moment and then sends her home which gives Norma false hope. Also, Max shields Norma from anything she would find unpleasant, he even goes so far to write fake fan letters for her so she believes people still hold her to a high esteem. At the end of the film, news cameras are there to capture the image of star turned murderer. Max treats the moment as a scene in a film and Norma is delusionally giddy as she is once again the center of attention. Norma admits, “There’s nothing else. Just us… and the cameras” when she walks down the staircase in the belief that she is filming another scene for a movie. After years of being told she was the best in Hollywood, nothing is more important to Norma than making films and being a star; there is no other life that she can imagine for herself.