Sunset Boulevard

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Shirley L Classic story of someone trying to break into the movie business and taken advantage of by an older star. I could have been a young woman being taken advantage of by an older male star for the same impact. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/24/21 Full Review Garrett B Pacing and story felt quite slow and boring though it certainly has its charm. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/03/25 Full Review Farah R This is one classic that lives up to its reputation as one of the greatest films about Hollywood ever made. The story is intriguing and the acting is brilliant. It's a splendid character study with complex and thought-provoking themes. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 04/13/25 Full Review Jens B Perhaps the best film ever made about Hollywood. The film makes me feel like I understand the essence of this city, the film industry, and the people who live within it. And I did that without ever having been there. The dream factory thrives on the images it produces of itself. It's only fitting that images and films always depict a past moment, thus glorifying the past. Gloria Swanson is one of the most expressive film faces I've ever seen. "Sunset Boulevard" is always worth watching and, at 75 years old, is still relevant, funny, thrilling, and tragic. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/25/25 Full Review Emma F This film highlights the harsh realities of the film industry. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/07/25 Full Review Jesse D A Haunting Masterpiece That Breathes with Decay and Desperation If there’s a perfect classic film—one that defines Hollywood’s dark, glamorous, and tragic soul—it’s Sunset Boulevard. Everything about it seeps into your bones: the haunting cinematography, the air of faded grandeur, and the decayed beauty of Norma Desmond’s mansion, which feels less like a setting and more like a living, breathing character. From the rotting tennis court to the rusted Isotta Fraschini gathering dust in the garage, you can almost smell the film’s atmosphere. Every inch of the frame radiates age and lost glory, a physical manifestation of Norma herself—once magnificent, now withering away in a delusional haze of silent film memories. That tangible decay is what makes Sunset Boulevard so immersive. You don’t just watch it; you feel it. And at the center of it all is Gloria Swanson, who doesn’t just play Norma Desmond—she is Norma Desmond. Her every movement, every line, every flick of her fingers is infused with desperation, arrogance, longing, and madness. She’s wicked, tragic, grotesque, and mesmerizing all at once, commanding every frame with a performance so layered it becomes almost hypnotic. Her Norma is part grand dame, part ghost, part witch, and entirely unforgettable. Billy Wilder’s direction is razor-sharp, the dialogue crackles, and the film’s bitter take on Hollywood’s cruelty remains just as relevant today. It’s a gothic horror story disguised as noir, a cautionary tale about fame’s fleeting nature, and a darkly poetic portrait of a woman who refuses to fade quietly. If there’s one classic film that embodies everything I love about cinema—atmosphere so thick you can taste it, a performance that burns itself into your mind, and a story that lingers long after the final shot—it’s Sunset Boulevard. It’s not just a movie. It’s a spell. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/15/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Sunset Boulevard

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