Sunset Boulevard Themes

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Sunset Boulevard (1950) is a drama/comedy that has its settings in Boulevard that are located between Beverly Hills and Los Angeles in California. The drama was well composed, and it remains one of the widely watched comedies globally. It exclusively portrays a flashback episode on various events relating to Joe’s life. Notably, the drama revolves around a man by the name “Joe” who is found dead in a swimming pool at his house. His death is depicted at the beginning of the movie. The lead actors in the movie include Joseph Gillis, who is also known as “Joe” and Norma Desmond. Just after the introduction of the movie, there is a flashback accounting for the death of Joe including the possible cause. The movie then progresses with the events…show more content…
The setting prepares the mind of the audience that the film is one of the darkest film noirs. In particular, the film was shot in an environment located between Beverly Hills and Los Angeles in California that is associated with dark undertakings. The setting has helped in portraying its major theme and the American tradition in the 20th century. The classy environment of Joe Gillis and Norma Desmond is well depicted with both actors dressed in attires that depict their lavish lifestyle and love for wealth. Every scene is perfectly situated to give out a detailed picture of the current situation in which the characters are in. For example, the arrangement of reporters and police officers in the crime scene where Joe’s corpse was found floating on the swimming pool creates a realistic setting for a real crime scene. This gives the audience a crime mood and a good mental crime picture, making the movie be mind-capturing and interesting. The setting of the movie is perfect and…show more content…
Since the movie was for the 1950s, the props and the costumes of the film were supposed to be of the mid-20th century, and that did not disappoint. The director, Billy Wilder used props that clearly depict the environment of the 1950s, and this is quite evident in the environment of Joe's house and the entire environment in which the film was shot. For instance, when Norma picks up the telephone when she received the news about the sudden death of Joe, the telephone was an old-type that could be related with the telephones that were used in the 1950s. This portrays the tradition of the old America where telephones were a preserve of the rich. The costumes of the characters in the film were also outstanding in the way they portrayed the characters. Joe, who was successful and rich, wore expensive clothes depicting his richness. On the other hand, Norma who loved her beauty and extravagant life style wore a beautiful dress with expensive jewelry to give out her character. The overall props and costumes of the film were portrayed nicely thereby giving out the intended picture of the characters who participated in the
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