Sunset Boulevard (75th Anniversary 4K Restoration)

PG110 min

Nobody loves Hollywood like Hollywood, and nobody makes Hollywood movies like Billy Wilder, whose audacious self-satire retains all its bite 75 years after its first release. Amidst the crumbling grandeur of a cluttered mansion lurks Norma Desmond, a silent film star-turned-delusional recluse. A tragic downward spiral is triggered by the arrival of Joe, a handsome down-on-his-luck writer, who is imbued with just enough curiosity and self-loathing to be lured in to Norma’s world. Melding gothic decadence with noir cool, razor-sharp satire with twisted romance, Wilder’s film is as ruthlessly ambitious as its protagonists.

Swanson’s ageing actress constantly teeters on the brink of hysteria, raging against the eclipse of her once-incandescent star. Brilliantly balanced by a cynically charming Holden and subservient man-servant, played by von Stroheim, Swanson’s performance is a stunning ode to the pitfalls of ego. Bold, deliciously dark and as entertaining as it is transgressive, this is Hollywood craftsmanship at its finest.