Sunset Scenes

Anyone who's seen Sunset Boulevard remembers the ending--Norma Desmond shoots Joe Gillis, goes completely mad and is ready for her close-up. But when I watched the movie recently, what was interesting was seeing all the moments I had forgotten.

For instance, near the end, when Betty is falling for Joe, Norma starts calling her, bothering her. Joe comes in and tells Betty to come over. Betty wants Joe, but he proves he's seen the light by forcing her away (at a great cost to him, though how great he doesn't yet know) and back to Artie. After she's gone, Joe starts packing, leaving behind all the valuables he got from Norma. Next, he tells of her off, in front of Max, hoping the scales will fall from her eyes.

I didn't remember any of this, but of course, it's Billy Wilder tying it all together, completing the arcs and preparing for his big finish. The scenes may not be famous, but they play well, and are important to the architecture of the film--without them, the classic ending wouldn't work.