Noirvember: Sunset Boulevard
Curated by local film critic and podcaster Matthew Turner, this mini season of film noir classics runs exclusively at Chiswick Cinema throughout November 2024.
Join us for five film noir classics, all of which showcase key elements of the genre, from hard-boiled dialogue (derived from the detective novels that were often adapted into thrillers), voiceover narration and shadowy lighting to femme fatales, murder plots and decidely unhappy endings.
About Sunset Boulevard:
Film noir openings don’t get much darker than Billy Wilder’s other noir classic, which is narrated by a corpse floating in a swimming pool. The corpse in question is Joe Gillis (William Holden), a screenwriter seduced by faded silent movie star Norma Desmond (former silent movie star Gloria Swanson), who’s determined to make a comeback.
Join us for five film noir classics, all of which showcase key elements of the genre, from hard-boiled dialogue (derived from the detective novels that were often adapted into thrillers), voiceover narration and shadowy lighting to femme fatales, murder plots and decidely unhappy endings.
About Sunset Boulevard:
Film noir openings don’t get much darker than Billy Wilder’s other noir classic, which is narrated by a corpse floating in a swimming pool. The corpse in question is Joe Gillis (William Holden), a screenwriter seduced by faded silent movie star Norma Desmond (former silent movie star Gloria Swanson), who’s determined to make a comeback.
Cast
Gloria Swanson • William Holden
Director
Billy Wilder
Running Time
110 minutes