Sunset Boulevard as a Genre Film - Essay Example

 Sunset Boulevard as a Genre Film Sunset Boulevard is a 1950 Hollywood movie that depicts Hollywood itself in a very grim manner. There is significant amount of debate over the genre of the movie. The reason for this can be attributed to the rich content of the script and brilliant direction which refuses to be tied down to any particular genre. There is no doubt that the film has many aspects of noir genre but many critics argue that the film rises above any categorization. It is a combination of diverse components such as dark comedy and drama. There is a reason behind the debate over the correct genre of the movie. And that is because there is no unanimous decision among critics or a perfect definition for a noir film. Many critics argue as to whether noir is a genre or a sub genre. As Martin Scorcese says in one his documentaries, noir is a sub genre of drama and doesn’t have any unique definition. Film makers like him say that term noir is just a term that is used to indicate certain stylistic elements which are common in the movies of 1940s and 1950s. In the wake of this dilemma among the critics, this essay puts forward a hypothesis that identifies itself with the claim of many film critics that it a noir movie. In this essay the movie shall be tested against the framework of conventional noir movie making and an analysis shall be made about the genre of the movie. The analysis shall be comprehensive and include detailed examples from the movie and also various secondary sources of information. Sunset Boulevard is widely regarded as a cult movie and one of the epic movies belonging to the noir genre. First of all it is important to establish what is a noir genre and how did it develop in Hollywood. During the 1930s many artists, directors and composers were ousted from Germany by Hitler. These people came to Hollywood and started to work there. The political and social situation of Germany instilled in them a sense of cynicism. It is a known fact that the German government at that time was involved in systematic killing of millions of people. This cynicism and pessimism was carried forward and brought to Hollywood. The German Expressionist cinema when combined with the Hollywood’s fascination with crime created a genre called noir. This term was not used at that time but was later coined by critics in the 1970s to describe a kind of films that were made in the 1940s and 1950s. Movies are majorly inspired by events and the situations in which the movie makers find themselves. Hardly can any artist or filmmaker be immune to the prevailing sentiments in the society at the time of his movie. The mood at the time of Sunset Boulevard in America was that of distrust and suspicion. On the political front a whole campaign was taking place for the detection and removal of communist elements in the political system. The enthusiasm of the soldiers who had returned from Second World War was also dampened by the society they saw. Although they had come back from dangerous places to a country full of security and comforts, they felt a sense of isolation and loss. The beginning of Cold War, McCarthyism and end of World War 2 created an environment where noir movies could thrive. It was as if to feed this sentiment of cynicism that the noir genre gained prominence in Hollywood. This was a genre which relied heavily on the grim portrayal of events and people for its success. The films were mostly black and white with dim lighting. There were many essential features of this genre such as the male protagonist being tempted by femme fatale and losing his morals. The male would be cynical towards the way society functioned and throughout the movie the narration would be detached and in details. Similarly the female were also playing negative roles in noir films. They were often femme fatal desiring many evil things and not hesitating in doing anything to achieve their desire’s fulfillment. There were many other features of the noir genre which continue to fascinate many people even today. The narration style is still copied as is evident from the movie American Beauty. The movies who can described as neo-noirish in present times is Pulp Fiction and Batman begins. These noir movies have a special charm which continues to fascinate the audience even after many decades. The first movie in this genre can be said to be the movie ‘‘Stranger on the Third Floor’’. This movie used new cinematic technique that made use of dark or dim lighting effects, dreary settings, filtered lights and generally dark themes and characterizations. Noir scenes are made from interesting camera angles and with dramatic close-ups and shadowed lighting. Frequently the stories use of smoke-filled rooms, views of light filtered through venetian blinds, seedy downtown areas with neon lights, dark wet streets to heighten the noir effect. Brightly-lit scenes are not used in noir films since the desired effect is that of dreary hopelessness (Crowther, 100). The content of noir films is in harmony with the settings. Majority of the storylines depict main protagonists trapped in a cesspool of complicated situations, struggling against a demon that threatens to capture their soul, the demon being the lack of control over one’s desires. As with movies of other genre, a noir movie is a male centered movie. But some of them are female centred. Sunset Boulevard can be put in the latter category. The femme fatal may not be the only girl in the life of the main character. The evil force of the femme fatal is sometimes unevenly counterbalanced by a good-hearted and well mannered women who would be have a perfect chemistry with the main protagonist. But here is the twist in the archetypical noir film. The evil wins over the good and so femme fatal gets her way as she eventually wins over the good woman. In all this battle the main protagonist who should be making the choice is shown to be the ambivalent about or even incapacitated to make the right choice. In other genres heroes may be models of perfection but not in noir. They are on the contrary full of flaws and weak moments. Many male protagonists of the noir movies take up highly challenging vocations such as being detectives. It is during the pursuit of this profession that they meet the femme fatal who seduces the guy with her charm and hypnotic beauty. Noir era has produced some of the most popular detectives of Hollywood movies. In order to test the genre of Sunset Boulevard against the framework of noir movies there are a set of observations that need to be made. First is the kind of lighting used in the movie. Apart from being in black-and-white, film noir uses techniques such as low-key lighting. The function of this is to achieve dark and light contrasts which can be manipulated from scene to scene. Second observation needs to be about the plot of the movie. Film noir tends to focus on the dark side of individual personalities. They also depict societies in a negative way. The story shows characters getting caught in situations which are indirectly created by themselves in the course of the movie. But the appeal of noir films lies in the fact that despite all the sadness and cynicism the characters have an endearing quality about them. May be because it shows ordinary people getting embroiled in extraordinary circumstances and their inability to come out of the mess they themselves create. Until now the essay has established the debate over the genre of Sunset Boulevard. The main features of noir genre such a lost man and an immoral femme fatal are also established. Now it is time to see how does the movie fit in the framework. But before that it is important to understand the background of the movie and also the movie makers. Sunset Boulevard is directed by Billy Wilder. His career is full of movies belonging to the genre of comedy and drama. That can be the reason why it is difficult for some people to digest the label of noir attached with Sunset Boulevard (Sikov, 35). The cast of the movie was also very carefully selected. The Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) and Max (Erich Strohein) characters were almost real reflection of the actors who play that part. There are also many interesting anecdotes about the movie about how it was shot and the camera angles that were improvised to shoot complicated scenes (Stag, 25). All this information can help us in determining the proximity of the movie to noir genre. Sometimes the line between noir genre and other genre blurs and that is the reason why it is necessary to highlight the closeness of the movie to the genre. After clarity on the genre and the movie now we shall analyze the movie in context of the framework mentioned above. We see that apart a few aberrations such as age difference between the characters and near real portrayal of the Hollywood industry, the movie was a perfect noir movie. The camera angles, color brightness, lost man, femme fatal, seduction and loss of morals. All these features point to the movie belonging to a completely perfect noir genre. Since now we know the history behind the word noir, the ‘Sunset Boulevard’ shall be analyzed with that word in the background. First of all, the movie starts with a close shot of the actor in swimming pool. The shot is taken from ‘inside the pool’ with him facing the camera and photographers in the background clicking photos. Even from the start the movie has a cynical tone, and human beings are shown as opportunistic and greedy. Even as the movie progresses the actor comes in contact with people are who are only interested in themselves. For example his agent, movie producer and the two guys from the car company. All of them are very self-centered and not at all concerned about the Gillis’s situation. When Gillis succeeds in running away from these people then he is trapped by the seductive world of Norma Desmond. Until this point Gillis was quite sure of where he wanted to be in his life (though at one point he is shown having self-doubts). But after being sucked up in the quagmire of comforts he forgets himself and his work. Throughout the movie there is depression, insanity illusions, hypocrisy and jealousy. All these things are fodder for a noir film. The only relief from artificiality comes when Gillis meets Betty. They seem to have chemistry and a genuine sense of appreciation for each other. They have accidental meetings and chance to discuss what is on their mind. But situations force Gillis to go away from her and join Norma and Max. At the end of the movie when Betty wants Gillis to leave everything and come with her, Gillis asks her whether that will be practical. The settings of the film are quite similar to the observations that are suggested with regards to the film noir. Even the introduction scene of Norma Desmond has a bit of horror element as she peeks out of the window and looks at Mr Gillis. The house is full of comfort but it gives a claustrophobic feeling as there many pictures of Norma around also many sheets of the ‘Salome’ script. The coffin scene of the chimpanzee is also a scene which focuses on human frailties in a sarcastic manner. May the film maker wanted to show the kind of fate Gillis will have after his indulgence in comforts. Before entering the Norma’s house the narration was full of cynical tone. But inside the house the story turns towards self deception and sycophancy. Norma has deceived herself into believing that she still has the appeal in her. And this self-deception is fanned by her butler-cum-ex-husband Max. Betty is women in Gillis’s life who could have been the ideal choice as a life partner. But Gillis lets her go away. This is typical of that feature of the film noir where the femme fatal triumphs over the nice girl. Throughout the film except a few exceptions, the movie follows the path of a typical film noir. From the dark characters to horror, from cynicism to indulgence, the film represents a typical movie of 40s and 50s that can be categorized as film noir. the film follows a sequence which takes the main characters on a journey of self-deception(Norma), self-denial(Max) and self-doubt(Gillis). An intricate web of accidental situation engulfs them and makes them move like pawns on a chess table. The only difference here was that there was no player pulling the strings. Or maybe there was a player in the shape of film director Wilder and ever enigmatic genre of film making called film noir. Works Cited – Stags, S. Close-up on Sunset Boulevard: Billy Wider, Norma Desmond, and the Dark Hollywood Dream. New York: 2003, Prints. Sikov, E. On Sunset Boulevard: The Life and Times of Billy Wilder. New York, Hyperion, 1999, Print. Wilder, B. Sunset Boulevard. New York: University of California Press. 1999. Print. Crowther, B. Film Noir: Reflections in a Dark Mirror. New York: Continuum, 1989. Print. Appendix : Sunset Boulevard (Book) Sunset Boulevard (1950) is one of the most famous films in the history of Hollywood, and perhaps no film better represents Hollywood's vision of itself. Billy Wilder collaborated on the screenplay with the very able Charles Brackett, and with D. M. Marshman Jr., who later joined the team. Together they created a film both allusive and literate, with Hollywood's worst excesses and neuroses laid out for all to see. After viewing Sunset Boulevard Louis B. Mayer exclaimed: "We should throw this Wilder out of town!" The New York Times, however, gave the movie a rave review, praising "that rare blend of pungent writing, expert acting, masterly direction, and unobtrusively artistic photography." The film was nominated for Best Picture, and Wilder won an Academy Award for Best Story and Best Screenplay. This facsimile edition of Sunset Boulevard makes it possible to get as much pleasure from reading the highly intelligent screenplay as from seeing the film. Jeffrey Meyers's introduction provides an intriguing array of background details about Wilder, the film's casting and production, and the lives of those connected to what has become a classic. . Read More