RT
Rotten Tomatoes
Critical consensus hails it as an entertaining masterpiece about Hollywood, combining noir, black comedy, and character study.
A hack screenwriter writes a screenplay for a former silent film star who has faded into Hollywood obscurity.
Directed byBilly Wilder
Written byBilly Wilder, D.M. Marshman Jr., Charles Brackett
Budget$1.75 million
Box office$5 milliondate
Critical Consensus
8.4
IMDb
94
Metacritic
8.3
TMDB
Praised by many critics upon release, "Sunset Boulevard" was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won three. It is often ranked among the greatest movies ever made, receiving universal acclaim from review aggregators and critics for its masterful blend of noir and character study.
The Cast
Trivia
Deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the US Library of Congress in 1989, Sunset Boulevard was included in the first group of films selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
To avoid the restrictive Breen Code, Wilder and Brackett submitted the script a few pages at a time, and Paramount executives believed Wilder was adapting a nonexistent story called "A Can of Beans."
Only the first third of the script was written when filming began in early May 1949, and director Billy Wilder was unsure how the film would end.
Montgomery Clift, initially signed for the role of Joe Gillis, withdrew just before filming began, claiming his role was too similar to one he had played in 'The Heiress'.
Billy Wilder initially wanted Gloria Swanson to look older, but she convinced him to make William Holden appear younger instead, to emphasize the age difference between the characters.
Reviews
0 reviews
Avg: 0.0 / 5
Critics
M
Metacritic
Received a weighted average score of 94/100, indicating universal acclaim from critics.
T
Time
Described the film as 'Hollywood at its worst told by Hollywood at its best'.
BR
Boxoffice Review
Stated that 'the picture will keep spectators spellbound'.
JS
James Agee (Sight & Sound)
Praised Wilder and Brackett for their 'cold, exact, adroit, sardonic job,' calling it a rare movie full of exactness, cleverness, and mastery.
GH
Good Housekeeping
Described Gloria Swanson as a 'great lady [who] spans another decade with her magic'.
RE
Roger Ebert
Called it 'the best drama ever made about the movies,' praising Swanson's 'greatest performances' and von Stroheim for holding the film together.
LH
Leslie Halliwell
Gave it three of four stars, calling it an 'incisive melodrama with marvelous moments' despite a tendency to overstay its welcome.
RC
Richard Corliss
Described it as 'the definitive Hollywood horror movie,' highlighting its ghoulish script, narration by a dead man, and dark, gothic atmosphere.
DT
David Thomson
Noted the irony of Gillis narrating, calling it a 'breathtaking portrait of Hollywood failure wrapped up in rueful, ruined success'.
EM
Eddie Muller
Listed the film as one of his Top 25 Noir Films, recognizing its significant contribution to the genre.
Audience
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