In Billy Wilder's 1950 film Sunset Boulevard, Gloria Swanson plays a former silent film star named Norma Desmond who lives as a wealthy recluse in order to protect herself from the truth about its uselessness in the eyes of the public. . In the film's first act, Norma becomes involved in a complicated romantic relationship with a down-on-his-luck screenwriter named Joe Gillis, played by William Holden. It is later revealed to Joe that Norma's loyal butler Max, who works tirelessly to defend her delusions of grandeur, also happens to be her ex-husband and the director of the silent films that made her famous. In the film's tense climax, Joe is shot by Norma while trying to escape from her luxurious mansion of shattered dreams. After his death, one of the most iconic sequences in cinema history takes place. When Norma's fantasy is threatened by the reality of her crime, she completely dissociates from reality and slips into a state of permanent psychosis in which she delivers one final chilling performance. Dissecting the film's final sequence, we can see that Norma's psychotic break and the driving forces behind it are depicted through an ingenious use of editing techniques, shapes in composition, and character blocking. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The final sequence is preceded by a scene in which Norma is shown in a catatonic state which is broken by Max announcing the arrival of the cameras. The police allow Norma to follow Max, because they believe it will make it easier to get Norma out and into custody. So begins his final performance. Delicate cuts and action cuts are used in order to show the damaging and codependent nature of her relationship with Max which contributed greatly to her loss of sanity. The most notable modifications that illustrate this relationship are the eye cuts, of which there are many. When Norma enters the foyer of her mansion, she stands at the top of the stairs leading to the entrance, still in a trance, but when Max shines the lights on her, she immediately looks at him. From this point on, their gazes are fixed on each other and each of the next eight cuts maintains the correspondence between Norma and Max. This creates a visual connection between the two characters and shows that neither of them are concerned with their surroundings in the moment. When Max calls “action!” " and begins filming, its cameras following Norma's movement, creating a match of action when the scene cuts to Norma coming down the stairs. These montages not only maintain continuity, but show a codependency that shields Norma from the gaze of the watching crowd. This psychological isolation as well as Max's role in maintaining it reveal the foundations on which Norma's fantasy was built. One of the most iconic visual elements of Sunset Boulevard is Norma's grandiose and somewhat dilapidated mansion. This speaks to Norma's tendency to cling to the lavish lifestyle she established as a silent film actress and her state of disrepair reflects her inability to maintain that lifestyle. The decision to choose the foyer of the mansion as the setting for the film's final sequence is profound as several elements of the space highlight Norma's twisted mental state. The dark interior surrounding it in the second shot of the sequence was a staple of silent films because of the way it made the actors stand out when pitted against it, and the scattered dramatic scenery - sconces, statues and an intricate tapestry – further adds to the ambiance of the old film set. This environment begspractically its inhabitants to slip into character, as Norma does in this sequence as Salome and did earlier in the film when she played for Joe as Charlie Chaplin. Even more remarkable is what we see behind Max in the first seconds of the first shot of the sequence: the front door of the mansion guarded by two police officers. This is Norma's destination and it is the most important threshold in her story because it represents the barrier between a fantasy of enduring relevance and the real world that moves on without her. Norma's means of reaching the exit is a descending spiral staircase with a banister also decorated with spiral images. Norma's descent into the spiral works on a literal and metaphorical level, as she separates herself most from reality during her monologue at the foot of the stairs. If it were devoid of all actors and cameras, the setting alone would tell the story of a person trapped in a mythical past whose only means of escape is a descent into madness. Throughout the film, no more than four people are present inside Norma's mansion at any time, but in the film's final sequence, dozens of police officers, detectives, and reporters crowd into every shot. The way the characters are positioned and grouped in this series of shots helps to emphasize the unhealthy relationship between Norma and the audience whose admiration fueled her rise to fame. In the second shot of the sequence, as Norma is escorted out of her room and towards the stairs, she is followed by a shadowy mass of cops and detectives who follow her until her progress is blocked by a wall of panicked journalists. Having been both pushed forward and stopped by crowds of strangers, Norma has no choice but to remain still. The next two shots of Norma include the heads of unknown spectators in the foreground, a crowd in the background, and Norma trapped in the middle of the shot. She is completely surrounded by observers with mixed intentions; some seem remorseful, some accusatory, and some indifferent. This group of awkward humanity casts a sense of oppression over the entire sequence, showcasing the pitfalls of fame and the confusion of dealing with a crowd of complete strangers who each have their own judgments and preconceptions regarding Norma, her career and his crime. The long shot that shows Norma descending the stairs is interrupted by a cut to a row of critical observers who form a solid wall moving away from the camera from the left side of the frame to the right; they are seemingly infinite. On either side of Norma's staircase are a dozen reporters and cops who remain almost perfectly frozen in place as she passes between them on her descent. The men are in various states of awe as they look at Norma, but not a single person comes down with her or even faces in that direction. This figurative descent into madness is the only moment in the sequence where Norma is not invaded by strangers. She must fall on her own, but as she reaches the bottom of the stairs, the crowd waiting for her moves closer to her, creating a closed shot that carries the film to its end. The strategic blocking of characters in this sequence conveys confusion and a sense of overwhelming, unmanageable attention from a crowd that is entirely foreign to Norma. This implicates the outside world in Norma's loss by suggesting that her psychosis protects her from the psychologically crushing effects of constant observation. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. 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