Sunset Boulevard Quote Analysis

Question 1

HOLLYWOOD-
“He always wanted a pool”. “only the price was quite high”

Answer 1

The price for Joe’s “pool”—fame and fulfillment—were much too high, and a doomed Joe becomes drowned in them. With this sardonic remark, Joe reflects on how his demise is the result of his own greed. Trying to “make a crack at Hollywood” did not provide him with many opportunities, but rather mark the “sunsets” in his life, leading him into frustration and eventually, his demise.

Question 2

HOLLYWOOD-
“Nobody important really, a movie writer with a couple of ‘B’ pictures to my credit.”

Answer 2

Joe’s self-deprecating remark highlights the hierarchical nature of Hollywood, where writers, are often undervaluedfor their work. This line also reflects his frustration with the industry’s preference for commercial success over artistic integrity.

Question 3

HOLLYWOOD-
“You’re Norma Desmond. You used to be in silent pictures. You used to be big.”- Joe

Answer 3

This quote emphasises the transient nature of fame in Hollywood.illustrating how quickly stars can fade from the spotlight.

Question 4

MANIPULATION
“You don’t yell at a sleepwalker. ”- Joe

Answer 4

Joe Gillis associates Norma Desmond to a sleepwalker, implying that she is oblivious to the world around her and lost in her delusions of grandeur, where Norma’s psychological control over those around her is maintained by their fear of shattering her fragile illusions. (Joe and Max)

Question 5

MANIPULATION
You’re holding me tight.”- Joe

Answer 5

Norma’s physical grip on Joe symbolizes her psychological hold over him. As the relationship progresses, Norma’s control becomes more suffocating,

Question 6

MANIPULATION
“Hog-Eye, turn that light back where it belongs.”- DeMille

Answer 6

This quote encapsulates Norma’s star status and her attempt to reprise her fame, which is ultimately doomed at the hands of the film industry. It is DeMille who has the power to decide where the light “belongs”

Question 7

MANIPULATION
“Look at this street. All cardboard, all hollow, all phoney”

Answer 7

False depiction of hollywood, exposing the superficial nature of the system. False appearances

Question 8

DELUSION-
“I am big. It’s the pictures that got small!”

Answer 8

This reflects Norma Desmond’s delusional self-perception and refusal to accept her faded stardom. She sees herself as a grand figure, dismissing modern films as inferior to the silent era’s productions, highlighting her tragic obsession with past glory and inability to adapt to the present.

Question 9

DELUSION-
All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.”

Answer 9

This quote cements Norma’s full engrossment in a delusional state of mind and final descent into insanity. In this moment, she fully immerses herself in the fantasy that she is still a beloved star, a tragic expression of her refusal to accept the end of her career and her life outside the spotlight. She even mistakes Max for director Cecil B. DeMille

Question 10

DELUSION-
I’ll show them! I’ll be up there again, so help me!”

Answer 10

Norma’s relentless determination to reclaim her former stardom is fueled by delusion. Despite the obvious changes in the film industry and her fading relevance, she refuses to accept the reality of her situation. This quote reveals her inability to confront the truth, highlighting her descent into madness as she clings to the fantasy of a triumphant return to the screen.

Question 11

DELUSION-
We had faces!”

Answer 11

Norma believes the introduction of dialogue and sound destroyed the power of the face in films. Now that she has aged and her face has been deemed unfitting for lead roles, Norma has little choice other than to clutch onto the youthful face that made her famous; without her superficial self-image, her life is completely meaningless. She clings onto her own face, filling her house with hundreds old photographs of herself and privately screening her older films.

Question 12

DELUSION-
“They took the idols and smashed them. And who’ve we got now? Some nobodies!”

Answer 12

Norma’s lament over the loss of her contemporaries and the rise of new, lesser stars reflects her desperation to hold onto the past. Her inability to accept the changing times and the evolution of Hollywood further isolates her in her delusions.

Question 13

DELUSION-
You’re going to be a great big star again. “- Max

Answer 13

Here, Max’s encouragement of Norma’s delusions is a form of manipulation, as he feeds her fantasies to keep her content.feeds into her delusions even more.

Question 14

DELUSION-
The stars are ageless, aren’t they?”- Norma

Answer 14

This quote encapsulates Norma’s denial of aging and the passage of time. She clings to the idea that stardom is eternal, which fuels her delusion and contributes to her tragic downfall.

Question 15

DELUSION:
“That is my job. I made her a star”- Max

Answer 15

This quote reflects his unwavering commitment to protecting Norma, whom he discovered and made into a star. Max has spent years perpetuating Norma’s delusions of grandeur to prevent her from facing the harsh reality of her fading stardom.Max ultimately feeds into Norma’s delusion, as his lies provoke her evolution into insanity.

Question 16

DESPERATION-
That was last year. This year I’m trying to earn a living.”

Answer 16

This highlights his willingness to trade his talent for some banal scripts to “make a living”.

Question 17

DESPERATION-
“There’s nothing tragic about being fifty. Not unless you’re trying to be twenty-five.

Answer 17

Highlights Norma’s desperation to being young and making a return

Question 18

DESPERATION-
“I can’t face life without you, and that’s the truth.”

Answer 18

Norma’s dependence on Joe reveals the depth of her desperation. Her fear of abandonment and loneliness drives her to manipulate and control Joe, underscoring the tragic consequences of her obsession with preserving her past.

Question 19

DESPERATION-
There’s nothing else. Just us, and the cameras, and those wonderful people out there in the dark.”

Answer 19

This line underscores Norma’s desperate need for validation from her audience, even though they have long since forgotten her.

Question 20

DESPERATION:
“should be plenty of money in it”- Joe

Ive got a good deal here”- Joe

Answer 20

Joe’s motivations to take up the job are purely driven by money as he believes that he will get enough wealth to pay for his car because thats the only reason he accepted the offer in the first place

Question 21

DESPERATION:
Forget Romanoff’s If I lose my car it’s like having my legs out off

Answer 21

His agent says that with his talent he could still make a comeback, but Joe disregards that and only wants wealth to keep his car. He pursues materialistic wealth over fame more.

Question 22

What does Norma’s Mansion symbolise?

Answer 22

• Norma’s dilapidated (run-down) mansion represents her interior self, old, ageing, and most importantly, lonely and abandoned.
• A sense of death permeates the deteriorating mansion, which symbolises the decaying state of silent star fame
• Her mansion represents the past which she so fiercely clutches onto
• As Joe drives into Norma’s mansion, he is entering her life and granting her control over the car which represents his freedom, thereby granting Norma control over him
• Low-key, high contrast lighting is used to permeate Norma’s mansion. This lighting evokes a menacing, anxious presence and a fear that anything could go wrong at any moment

Question 23

Hollywood Theme overview

Answer 23

• The movie portrays the ‘toxic’ culture of Hollywood, involving the willingness to exploit creativity and the abandonment of these talents in the relentless search for innovation and profit.
• Sheldrake is a minor character that Wilder uses to portray Hollywood’s commerical priorities over creativity and artistic integrity.