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Sunset Boulevard - Introduction and Characters

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86 views12 pages

Sunset Boulevard - Introduction and Characters

Uploaded by

jessikah.voigt
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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SUNSET

BOULEVARD

Directed by Billy Wilder


Released 1950
SETTING
The film is set some time around 1950, in Historical Context Research Task
Hollywood, California. •Post-World War II Hollywood: Investigate the state of
Hollywood during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Focus
The film is in black and white – this was a on the transition from the studio system to independent
conscious decision by Wilder as colour film productions, the rise of television, and the impact of the
was available at the time, to reference film noir. HUAC investigations on the film industry.
Film noir is a genre that uses dark, moody
•Film Noir Genre: Explore the characteristics of the film
atmosphere to emphasize cynical and corrupt
noir genre, its rise in the 1940s, and its thematic and
attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s
stylistic elements. Identify key films of the genre and
are generally regarded as the "classic period" of compare their themes and styles to "Sunset Boulevard."
American film noir.
What cynical and corrupt attitudes and
motivations in Hollywood does Wilder utilize
the Film Noir genre to critique?
CHARACTERS

Norma Desmond
An aging, former silent movie
star. She is wealthy, living
away from society and
refuses to believe that she is
not a star anymore.
CHARACTERS

Joe Gillis
A young screenplay writer for
films (with sound) who is not
very successful and in financial
difficulties.
CHARACTERS

Max von Mayerling


Norma’s butler/ex-husband
CHARACTERS

Betty Shaefer
A young woman in the film
industry who wants to work
with Joe on a screenplay.
She becomes engaged to Joe’s
friend, Artie.
MAIN
THEMES
1. Delusion of self and others.
2. The destructive and creative
results of ambition.
3. Greed and a consumerist
society.
4. The fleeting nature of life,
career and youth.
The role of women: ideal vs reality

 Feminist reading of this text


 Strong critique of Hollywood and role of
women
 Beauty standards and women's value
 America was a mix of those who made it
and were doing well and the complete
opposite – American dream was really
faltering (Joe is key example of this)
CHARACTER ACTIVITIES – GROUP WORK
Character Analysis – Poster- Answer in book before
putting on poster

For your assigned character, create a poster that


answers the following:
 What sort of character are they?
 In what ways are they a negative character?
 Do they act in any positive ways?
 What is Wilder’s attitude towards them – does he
condemn them, is he critical, does he endorse the
character, is he sympathetic to their situation?
Explain your view with evidence from the film.

 Key moments and or quotes


CHARACTER ACTIVITIES – GROUP WORK
Character Motivations – Ambition or Greed?
Use the words below to help
describe the characters
motivations

desires, yearns for, longs for,


demands, needs, wishes,
craves, is driven to

causing, beginning, inducing,


the consequences of which,
the repercussions of,
producing
CHARACTER MOTIVATIONS ACTIVITIES – INDEPENDENT
QUESTION: All characters in Sunset Boulevard are motivated by
greed and ambition. To what extent do you agree?

Place the characters where you think they fall with a sentence
describing why you’ve put them there.

Then provide an analysis that answers the question. Consider


using language below:
how much
much more than
partly more than
in some ways similar to
to some degree less than
mostly far less than
largely
often
completely
utterly
absolutely
Ultimately
CHARACTER DEBATE PROMPTS
Answer the following, using evidence to support your opinion.

• It is Gillis who is the real villain of this film.


• Desmond is merely a victim of an old and sexist stereotype about women.
• Gillis takes advantage of Desmond and is punished for it.
• Desmond takes advantage of Gillis and is punished for it.
• By casting Schaefer as the opposite of Desmond, Wilder is upholding sexist stereotypes about
• the purity of young, attractive women.
• Max is to blame for Desmond’s delusions.
• Although Gillis is furious at Desmond at the end of the film, most of his fury should be directed
• towards himself.
• Schaefer is only hopeful because she is young and doesn’t know any better
• Desmond cannot be held fully accountable for her actions because no one ever tells her the truth.
• Schaefer is just as delusional as anyone else in the film.

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