Sunset Boulevard: Film Analysis Of A Silent Film

Released September 29, 1950, Sunset Boulevard is a film noir of a forgotten silent film star, Norma Desmond, that dreams of a comeback and an unsuccessful screenwriter, Joe Gillis, working together. Ultimately an uncomfortable relationship evolves between Norma and Joe that Joe does not want a part of. Sunset Boulevard starts off with an establishing shot from a high angle shot with a narrative leading to a crime scene from a long shot (a dead body is found floating in a pool), this narrative throughout the film establishes a formalist film. Cinematography John F. Seitz used lighting and camera angles in such a way to create a loneliness and hopefulness atmosphere. The crime scene at the beginning of the film, for example, used a distortion

The scene is shot with a wide-angle lens showing both the character and some headroom above for the projection light. A projection is behind Joe and Norma which lights up both of their faces while everything else is lit slightly. Nevertheless, the slightly lit room stills reveal pictures of Norma surrounding them while they are watching old Norma film. When Norma stood up to speak her face was lit in high contrast with the projection light and everything else is surrounded by darkness. Because the projection is on the left side of the screen, it moves audience’s eye from Joe and then to Norma. As well, the projection light gave the screen a static

Crane shots, as well as deep focus and high contrast lighting, were used in many of the living room scenes in Norma’s home to show how obnoxious her home was with all the self-photograph and lavish curtains to the grand piano. Mise-en-scene can also be seen when Norma is wearing her lace, feather headband. She wears this lace, feather headband whenever she goes to meet the director or out in public. This hair band represents a queen’s crown and Norma is believed to be a queen in the film industry. The lace part of the headband slightly covers her face, but with the long feather on top, it still calls attention to Norma which she