Sunset Boulevard (film)

:For the Broadway production see: Sunset Boulevard (musical).

Plot

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The opening scenes reveal that a man has been killed, and his corpse is seen floating face down in a swimming pool. The dead man (who narrates the rest of the movie) explains he was Joe Gillis, an unsuccessful film writer. The film fades into flashback as he describes his attempt to flee from two repossession agents. He turns into a driveway on Sunset Boulevard in order to escape them, and sees what he assumes to be a deserted mansion. He enters the house where he meets a German butler and an eccentric older woman who mistakes him for an undertaker, visiting to arrange the funeral for her recently deceased pet chimpanzee. Gillis recognizes her as Norma Desmond, formerly one of the great stars of the silent screen. She offers him a job reading the script she has been writing for her planned comeback and seizing a rare chance to make some money, he agrees. Soon he is completely financially dependent upon Norma, who lavishes attention on him and buys him expensive clothing, and while he occasionally shows discomfort, he makes no effort to change his situation. He is horrified when Norma reveals on New Year's Eve that she is in love with him. Rejecting her attempt at seduction, he drives to a friend's house where a party is underway and speaks with a young woman named Betty who is interested in his writing. Inspired to continue his writing, he phones the Desmond house to say he is leaving but is told Norma has attempted suicide. He rushes back to the mansion, where he comforts her and stays.

Related Topics:
Narrates - Flashback - New Year's Eve

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The two seem relatively content as Norma continues working on her script. When she considers it to be complete, she sends it to Paramount Studios. She receives telephone calls from the studio and assumes Cecil B. De Mille is interested in filming the project. She travels to the studio and meets with him. Gillis and the butler learn the studio only wants to hire Norma's vintage Isotta-Fraschini car for use in a film and has no interest in her script, but the two of them keep this from her. Joe begins secretly meeting with Betty to work on a screenplay and they fall in love. When Norma discovers this she phones Betty and insinuates what sort of man Joe really is. Joe returns to the house in time to hear what Norma has said and takes the phone from her. He tells Betty to come to the house, where he explains his side of the situation before turning Betty away. Misunderstanding his actions, Norma is grateful to Joe but he brushes her aside and begins packing to leave. Norma threatens to shoot him but he does not take her seriously. As he walks away she follows and shoots him several times before he falls dead into the pool.

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Having explained how Joe Gillis met his death the film returns to the present where Norma Desmond appears to be lost in fantasy. News cameras arrive to film her and she thinks she is on the set of her new film. Norma slowly descends her grand staircase and after making a speech declaring her happiness at making a new film she reaches for the camera, the screen fades to white and the narrator concludes that Norma's dream of performing for the cameras has in an unexpected way come true for her. {{mn|Script|1}}

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