‘Sunset Boulevard’ celebrates and critiques Hollywood. Is that why Trump is such a fan?

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Over time, President Trump’s preferred movie list has predominantly included timeless classics from the golden age such as “Gone With the Wind” and gritty films like “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” and “Bloodsport”. However, in more recent years, a new addition has emerged – the 1950 noir film “Sunset Boulevard“, which Trump has been frequently commending. Reports suggest that he has watched this movie not only on his private plane but also at both the White House and Camp David.

The stories often overlook what truly captivates him regarding the movie. Which character do you believe Trump identifies with the most? Could it be Gloria Swanson’s Norma Desmond, the once-powerful but now faded star who longs for a comeback and scorns those who don’t show her excessive loyalty and adoration? Or perhaps William Holden’s Joe Gillis, the pragmatic screenwriter willing to sacrifice his ethics for financial gain? Or maybe Cecil B. DeMille, the influential Hollywood figure whose amiable facade masks his efforts to maintain the film industry’s sexism within its institutions?

The enduring appeal of ‘Sunset’ after 75 years is largely because it encompasses so many aspects. It’s a film that both applauds and exposes Hollywood, that’s dark yet filled with glimmers of romance. Critic David M. Lubin effectively captures these complexities in his book ‘Ready for My Close-Up’, which is about the movie’s history. Despite some flaws, he correctly views the film as a key to understanding the first half-century of Hollywood, including its imperfections.

The movie significantly reflected the long-standing apprehensions of its director/co-writer Billy Wilder and star, Norma Swanson. Originating from Austria-Hungary, Wilder faced challenges entering Germany’s silent film industry as a professional dancer for hire. Upon moving to Hollywood in the 30s, he swiftly adapted to creating charming Lubitsch-style romantic encounters while also delving into somber topics in productions like “Double Indemnity” and “The Lost Weekend.

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Due to some difficulty locating a simple teaspoon, even in his very own kitchen, Billy Wilder eventually embarrassed himself by guiding a guest to the Wilder dining room with a self-conscious gesture.

Swanson herself was well-aware of the declining fame that Norma represents, having once earned $20,000 a week in the 1920s but failing to adapt with the arrival of talkies and enduring an abusive first marriage to actor Wallace Beery. The intensity in her iconic delivery of the line “I am big; it’s the pictures that got small” was a result of hard-earned experiences.

Lubin notes that “Sunset Boulevard” doesn’t just observe the bygone era of Old Hollywood, but functions as a sort of monument or tomb for it. The movie initially showed a scene in the L.A. County morgue, where Joe Gillis, among the dead bodies, came to life to tell his story. However, director Billy Wilder decided to cut this opening scene because it caused audience laughter, which disrupted the film’s serious tone. The atmosphere in Norma’s mansion is gloomy and somber. The famous “waxworks” scene depicts silent-era stars like Buster Keaton playing cards, with faces as pale as funerary alabaster. Erich von Stroheim, portraying Norma’s butler, ex-husband, and emotional pillar, was once a prominent director in the silent era. In Lubin’s words, von Stroheim and Swanson are like celestial stars whose light continues to reach us even after they have stopped emitting it.

However, Lubin acknowledges that despite the somber themes in “Sunset,” it skillfully balances across multiple genres. Strip away Holden’s witty narration, his playful exchanges with an aspiring screenwriter (portrayed by Nancy Olson) or his lively companion (pre-“Dragnet” fame Jack Webb), and the structure crumbles. Lubin explains that a significant part of what makes “Sunset Boulevard” enjoyable is its constant teetering on the brink of transforming into comedy, mystery, melodrama, social satire, or horror.

While Lubin does discuss “Sunset Boulevard”, he doesn’t delve deeply into why this film continues to captivate audiences today. The movie’s influence is evident in adaptations, parodies, cultural references, even in the White House screening room. Yet a four-page chapter on “The Legacy of ‘Sunset Boulevard'” might not fully capture the extent of its enduring appeal. It’s not just that Norma represents our insatiable hunger for attention – as he describes her: “an archetypal figure embodying our compulsive quest for fame and acceptance.

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The fresh adaptations of “Sunset Boulevard” by Andrew Lloyd Webber, “Romeo and Juliet” by Shakespeare, and “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder on Broadway explore the extent to which these classic pieces can be reimagined to resonate with contemporary audiences.

In my perspective, much like Holden does in his voiceover, I find that Sunset Boulevard exposes apprehension more profoundly than many films: “The simple truth was, she feared that world beyond,” I remark. “Fearful it would stir memories of the passage of time,” I add. And we’re not isolated in our dread; he shares my concern about the diminishing status his lack of a screenplay signifies. The waxworks become grotesque portrayals of the repercussions of fearing decline. Norma, haunted by her own mortality and insignificance, masks it with as much money and pages of her dreadful script as she can amass.

The film not only reflects the fears of its audience – those in the dark theater who Norma addresses directly at the end – but also invites us to confront our own mortality. Watching it on a large screen provides a sense of comfort, reminding us that even the famous and powerful are mortal just like us. In essence, the film’s grandeur allows us to feel bigger than life for as long as it’s playing.

Athitakis is a writer in Phoenix and author of “The New Midwest.”

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2025-08-07 13:31