Sunset Boulevard

When the silent cinema graduated to talkies, the film industry moved ahead, propelled by its selfish motives, leaving behind the legends of yester years to rot in their past glory, as they had no place or role to play in the present industry scenario. The most affected characters in the movie are Joe Gillis, a screenwriter, and Norma Desmond, an undisputed queen of silent cinema.

Joe Gillis, a modern day screenwriter known for his originality, find his scripts losing charm and not able to impress the customers. He is totally depressed and financially broke. His one time appreciated and acclaimed quality of being ‘close to reality’ writing, no more generates any interest among the leading industry directors and producers. The burden of life is compounded by bloodhounds tracking him for running three payments behind for his car. He finds difficult to even afford a single room apartment, he stays in. With all doors shut, absolutely no work or support from industry or friends (including his agent), he accidentally comes in contact with Norma who employs him for writing screenplay for a script written by her. Considering his state of affairs and driven to the post, he stoops down to accept the offer, knowing the lowly credentials of the script.

Norma Desmond portrays a middle aged woman and a legendary star of silent movies. She lives in a desolate place, in euphoria of the past glory without accepting the bitter reality of her present day status in the film industry. She lives in a dream world of making a great return in the industry that has forgotten her. She is obsessed for the script that she has written for her return to silver screen. The emptiness and solitude of her life has driven her to mental instability.

Norma is the employer while Joe is the employee. Norma, being mentally unstable, has an obsession for all her possessions. Joe, compelled by the circumstances, falls prey to Norma’s obsession. She considers him to be her property and showers a handful of presents on him with an expectation of being loyal to her. Joe is unable to appreciate this gesture in his youthfulness and considers being trapped with his independence endangered. He is forced to stay with her like a puppet with the strings being controlled by Norma. He wants to live and enjoy his life and relations with Ms Banter, but can’t pursue it owing to the jealous Norma, his employer.

Norma has an ongoing conflict with the cinema. She discards the latest developments in the industry and considers the silent era to be the best. She goes on to criticize the latest stars in the industry and believes them to be sub-standard when compared to her own self. She charges the industry for bringing disrepute and decline of the past stars and industry as is evident from one of her dialogues; “Look at them in the front offices--- the master minds! They took the idols and smashed them The Fairbankses and the Chaplins and the Gilberts and the Valentinos. And who have they got now? Some nobodies----a lot of pale little frogs croaking pish-posh!”