Essay on “Dark Film” and Sunset Blvd. - 1072 Words

Film noir, by translation alone, means dark film, and by that measurement Sunset Boulevard certainly fits the genre. A gloomy story that follows a jaded and sarcastic protagonist, Joe Gillis from his initial dire circumstances to his untimely death, Sunset Blvd. earns the description â€Å"dark† several times over. But there is more to film noir than crushingly depressing plotlines. There are common motifs and icons that are found in most film noirs, such as crime, dark alleys, guns and alcohol. Deeper than this, film noir features certain visual elements, character archetypes, and themes that create a unique style of film. Although some have argued that Sunset Blvd. fails to represent some of these elements, it has become known as one of the†¦show more content†¦Every piece of imagery, down to Norma Desmond’s clutching, claw-like hands is geared toward eliciting an ominous and menacing feel. In frame #4, a long shot gives a view into Norma’s mansion. He r multitudes of portraits litter the area, and despite the large size of the room an oppressive, low key lighting results in a close, claustrophobic atmosphere. The gothic style architecture and arching windows along with the cluttered interior convey a feeling of something that once was great but has fallen into disrepair. All this creates a perfect metaphor for Norma’s fading fame and career, which is the main purpose of the settings in film noirs. The dark themes and sinister storylines are mirrored with great attention to detail in the visual aspects of a film noir. Film noir employs several character archetypes to tell a story. Cultural changes and shifts in gender roles of post WWII America unsettled men when many women refused to regress back into traditional housewife tasks. This fear was manifested in cinema’s femme fatale. Deceptive and manipulative, femme fatales were there to seduce, betray, and destroy the film noir hero. Norma, along with being deranged, is all of these things. She is at home in her eerie film noir setting. Her movements showing her as a self absorbed echo of her career in silent era films and her voice and facial expressions set the listener on edge. Joe GillisShow MoreRelated Sunset Blvd. Essay2137 Words   |  9 Pages The Thematic Intentions of Sunset Boulevard nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The film Sunset Boulevard directed by Billy Wilder and staring the main characters of Norma Desmond, Joe Gillis, and Max Von Mayerling is ideal example of how important film making techniques help depict a movie’s core theme intentions with vivid clarity. Classic Hollywood is the first thing that comes to mind when one speaks about this film’s style. This signature category combined with the visual style of realism and it’sRead MoreSunset Boulevard by Billy Wilder: A Movie Description2155 Words   |  9 PagesThe Thematic Intentions of Sunset Boulevard The film Sunset Boulevard directed by Billy Wilder and staring the main characters of Norma Desmond, Joe Gillis, and Max Von Mayerling is ideal example of how important film making techniques help depict a movies core theme intentions with vivid clarity. Classic Hollywood is the first thing that comes to mind when one speaks about this films style. This signature category combined with the visual style of realism and its continuity editing; detailedRead MoreHollywood History5698 Words   |  23 Pagesthe Story Film† 4. The Hollywood sign 5. The growing film industry 6. The new Hollywood 7. The beginning of the Academy Awards 8. The Golden Age of Hollywood 9. Hollywood during the War Years 10. Stars Conclusion Bibliography Foreword I have always been fascinated by the Hollywood’s world, a world of mixture between reality and glittering fantasy, of beauty, glamour, art, a world in which any dream can come to reality. The word Hollywood conjures the outstanding images of Sunset Strip,