Sunset Boulevard synopsis

The action takes place in 1949 in Hollywood. A young screenwriter Joe is experiencing a creative decline. All his works are rejected by the management of the studios, and the situation is compounded by the fact that all his property is mortgaged, and bank officers from collection department are hunting him down. The only vent in the life of a writer is business meetings with the representative of the film studio Paramount Betty – young and charming girl. During one of these meetings, relaxed young man has noticed that he was watching by the agents, and he embarks on a run.

During the chase, the writer turns in the well-equipped ornate courtyard, located on Sunset Boulevard. Here lives an aging, formerly popular actress of silent films Norma Desmond. Company of an actress in a large mansion is her butler/part-time chauffeur. Enthusiastic young man, seeing who the owner of the house is, was amazed. He did not expect to meet his idol.

However, the viewer has already forgotten the talent of the owner of the house. Despite the fact that women protected herself from the world by a high fence and hid in the walls of her house, she still thought of herself as of demanding and popular. The actress tells the young screenwriter her plan: she intends to return to the big screen. To do this, she wrote a scenario where the main female role of 16-year-old biblical temptress was assigned to her. As screenwriter needed help in his difficult life situation, so for food and shelter he took the job to finish the script.

Almost immediately, the young man noticed that the script was complete failure. However, seeing the mood of a woman who was not willing to agree to the adjustments, he prolonged consideration for months. During this time, Joe was convinced in own feelings for Betty. She also discovered this love, though has been engaged to another writer.

Meanwhile, an aging actress shows a young man more and more obvious signs of attention. She gives him gifts, clothes, and unexpectedly for himself, a screenwriter becomes a gigolo. One day a young man is going to go to a party to his friends, but the jealous actress blackmails him to commits suicide attempt. Trying to comfort her, he enters in intimacy with this woman.

One morning, in the house of the actress rang the telephone. Paramount film studio invited a woman to discuss the production of the new film. Despite the fact that the meeting was quite warm, no one mentioned the script, written by the actress. Butler suggested that the purpose of the meeting was not the film itself, and the studio management was not interested in the actress indeed. Their sole purpose was to get permission to shoot in the film an antique car, which she owned. These arguments did not make any impression on the actress, because she still believed that she was at the peak of glory.

Norma discovers that her lover and representative of studio Betty are more than just friends. She calls her rival, to tell the truth about her beloved, but writer, overhearing a conversation, grabs the phone from her hands. In conversation, he admits that fully satisfied with his present position. Angered and annoyed with this situation, he says the actress to leave him alone, as he returns to his hometown. He opens to her the unbearable truth: her script was truly unworthy.

Distraught woman picks up a gun and shoots him dead. Soon the police and the studio staff came to the house, and her, imagining herself a 16-year-old girl, whose role she wanted to play so badly, slowly walking down the stairs with the words: ‘And now, Mr. DeMille, I am ready for my close-up’.
Last Update:July, 13th 2016

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