A Movie Review: Sunset Boulevard

A Movie Review: Sunset Boulevard

Andrea Navarro, Staff Writer

The lightingcostumes and props were used to emphasize how Norma Desmond is stuck in the past, is a little delusional and seeks attention from men or anyone she can really get to give her attention. Norma Desmond is very childish and with the help of her ex-husband, who is now her butler, he keeps her delusional and childish ways alive. 

A prop that stuck out in Norma’s house that can support the idea that she’s an insecure narcissist, that isn’t aware her spotlight time is up is the number of pictures she has of herself on the walls and in picture frames. She’s obsessed with herself, and she doesn’t realize that she’s no longer relevant but if you look at the pictures, they’re all of Norma at least twenty years younger. 

In the scene when Norma goes to speak with Cecil B. DeMille about her movie script, she dresses in a furry white hat that has a feather on top and a sheer veil over her face. She’s also wearing a big furry white coat with a black dress. This type of costume indicates how highly Norma thinks of herself and how she needs attention. The way she drives in with her car and tells the guards that she doesn’t need an appointment to meet with Cecil shows how she still thinks she’s at the top and is still one of the most known actresses. 

The final scene, when Norma is getting arrested for killing her lover, Joe, Norma, prepares and performs her final act. In this scene, you see Max get real studio lights and cameras for her and they all shine on her as if she really was getting ready or performing her final act. I think the police went along with it, so Norma would go downstairs and be arrested but you can actually see how much Norma truly believes it’s her break to be in the spotlight again. You can also see how much Max really supports her and the way he has shaped her reality. The way he validates her by getting the lights and lying to her when she’s getting her make up done then pretending she’s performing while she’s walking down the stairs might be able to support that Max is just as delusional as she is. 

In conclusion, no matter if you are a fan of Sunset Boulevard or not, you can see the ideas and thought put into this film when you look at the little details. The depictions put into this film on what Hollywood was back then and how it is now was seen on the flashy cars or furry coats. The props and make up used in this film added to the film and said things that words cannot.