There is a representation of individuals dictated by ruthless ambition and egotism in director Billy Wilder's 1950s classic film noir, Sunset Boulevard. He offers a nuanced exploration of Hollywood's inner workings, delving into the complexities of ambition, self-interest, and the pursuit of success in the film industry. While the film certainly portrays these values as significant factors in the lives of its characters, it also offers a critical perspective on their limitations and the deadly consequences of prioritising these values above all else. Possessing the idea of ambition is a key principle that can get one far in Hollywood, however blind ambition is what ultimately drives one to their downfall. Wilder introduces Joe Gillis as a …show more content…
The antagonist, Norma Desmond is first established by Wilder as an eccentric egotistical woman who is driven by the delusion of her past fame. This self-delusion shapes her behaviour and lack of interaction with the wider world. Her sense of entitlement is further emphasised by the absence of concern for the laws about burying pets, and she avows that she doesn’t “care anyway” for the rules and regulations of the outside world. This is revealed through Wilder’s use of a close-up shot of Norma Desmond draping a linen cloth over her deceased pet chimpanzee, which foreshadows the metafictional nature of the film. The chimp serves as a symbol of the dead era from which Norma came, where actors were trained to behave in certain exaggerated human-like ways, but couldn’t transition beyond that behaviour. Desmond has managed to delude herself that she is still the young, striking ingenue who DeMille describes as having “more courage and wit and heart” than anyone else. This is evident through Wilder's use of Mise en scene, where he illustrates Desmond lounging by the numerous photographs of herself, further emphasising the obsessive narcissistic personality that she adheres to. Wilder portrays the egotistical persona that Norma possesses as destructive to herself, proving that having