Sunset Boulevard, though at times harshly critical of the motion picture business, is considered a great achievement and a true classic among films made during the height of Hollywood's Heyday.
While the story is narrated by down-on-his-luck screenwriter Joe Gillis, or rather, his corpse, the real star of the movie, both literally and figuratively, is the character of Norma Desmond, played by Gloria Swanson. A silent film star, Desmond hasn't made a picture for over twenty years and still believes herself to be the greatest star who ever lived, despite the fact that her fans have all seemed to have deserted her. Living as a recluse in her Sunset Boulevard mansion with no one but her faithful butler, Max, she is desperate for human contact and affection and finds it in the arms of Joe. Gloria Swanson herself had been a silent movie actress, and many of her physical gestures and facial expressions serve to illustrate that point and help to make her portrayal of Norma Desmond more......

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Title: Sunset Boulevard
Approximate Word Count: 1639
Approximate Pages: 7 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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