Sunset Boulevard a Classic Film Noir

8702-11-2022, 07:24

In the 1940s, film noir was known as “film black” or simply “dark cinema.” This sinister genre of movies revolved around crime and its consequences. Noir films often featured brooding antiheroes with hidden motives along with sultry femme Fatales and evil villains who lurked in the shadows waiting to get their comeuppance. These dark and sinister films were filled with ominous imagery, fatalistic characters, and lonely settings — all illuminated by the glow of a setting sun. These characteristics are what make these movies so memorable and why many film scholars consider them noir; that is, they take place at sunset (and in some cases sunrise). Let’s take a look at some of the most iconic examples of film noir set at Sunset Boulevard:

Table of contents

Sunset Boulevard: The Film Noir Classic Double Indemnity: Murder and Corruption on Sunset Boulevard Confession to a Murderer: A Film Noir With a Twist The Big Shave: An Upcoming Boxer’s Dark Past

Sunset Boulevard: The Film Noir Classic

Sunset Boulevard is arguably the most famous film noir in history. It was released in 1950 and starred two Hollywood legends: Billy Wilder (the director) and Gloria Swanson (the star). The plot kicks off with a screenwriter named Joe Gillis who is looking to sell a script. When he can’t find a buyer, he ends up crashing at a creepy mansion on Sunset Boulevard. The mansion is owned by an aging actress named Norma Desmond who is still trying to make it in Hollywood despite having been out of the spotlight for twenty years. Joe ends up getting involved in Norma’s delusions. He helps her get one of her old scripts produced and ends up falling in love with her. The film noir setting is essential to the plot. Sunset Boulevard is a long, winding road that stretches far into the distance and leads nowhere. The bleak and isolated street symbolizes the end of Norma’s career and the death of her dreams.

Double Indemnity: Murder and Corruption on Sunset Boulevard

Double Indemnity is one of the most famous noir films from the 1940s. The film opened in 1944 and starred Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray. It was directed by Billy Wilder again. The plot involves a woman who hires an insurance salesman to help her collect a very large death benefit. Double Indemnity is considered one of the most suspenseful and action-packed noir films of all time. It’s also one of the darkest and most sinister noir films ever made. The characters are all scheming and corrupted. The setting is a gloomy and oppressive urban landscape. Double Indemnity is famous for its heart-pounding climax. It takes place in a suburban Los Angeles home that is empty and desolate (other than a few dead bodies lying around). The eerie and almost silent setting puts the viewer in a state of suspense and tension in a way that a setting with normal noise and activity would not have been able to do.

Confession to a Murderer: A Film Noir With a Twist

Confession to a Murderer was released in 1939. It was directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and starred Glenn Ford. The plot is about an innocent man who is framed for murder while trying to clear his name after a hit-and-run accident. The most interesting thing about this film is that it’s a rare example of a film noir that takes place during the day. Filmmakers and cinematographers usually avoided the harsh light of day and preferred the shadowy and mysterious atmosphere of sunlight filtered through the leaves of trees or the glowing dust particles that illuminate a sunset. However, Confession to a Murderer is incredibly famous for completely ignoring the conventions of film noir. It is a classic example of a film noir that takes place at sunset. And yet it is also a classic example of a noir film that was shot during the day.

The Big Shave: An Upcoming Boxer’s Dark Past

The Big Shave was released in 1955 and starred Paul Douglas and Kim Novak. It was director Delbert Mann’s first film (he later went on to direct the Academy Award-winning film Ordinary People). The plot revolves around a boxer who is involved in a hit-and-run accident. After being arrested, he tries to clear his name with the help of a female reporter who is looking to break the story. One of the things that makes this film noir is the fact that it takes place in a grimy and oppressive urban landscape. Another thing that makes the film noir is the boxer’s past. He has a dark history of getting involved in fights as a child and then taking a razor blade and cutting the faces of the other kids. The film noir setting is the boxing ring. The ring is a symbol of violence and brutality. It’s also a symbol of how life is always a fight for survival.

Conclusion

Sunset Boulevard is arguably the most famous film noir in history. Double Indemnity is one of the most suspenseful. The Big Shave is one of the darkest. Confession to a Murderer is one of the weirdest. All of these films take place at sunset. However, they are also examples of how different each film noir can be from the next. Sunset Boulevard is a classic film noir. Double Indemnity is a classic noir film. The Big Shave is a classic example of an atypical film noir.