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 to protect herself from the truth of her irrelevance to others 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 faithful butler, Max, who works tirelessly to defend her delusions of grandeur, is also her ex-husband and director of the silent films that made her famous. In the film's tense climax, Joe is killed by Norma while trying to escape the luxurious mansion of broken dreams. After his death there is one of the most iconic sequences in the history of cinema. When Norma's fantasy is threatened by the reality of her crime, she completely dissociates from reality and slips into a permanent state of psychosis in which she gives one final chilling performance. Analyzing the final sequence of the film we can see that Norma's psychotic breakdown and the driving forces behind it are depicted through an ingenious use of editing techniques, compositional forms and character blocking. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The final sequence is preceded by a scene in which Norma is shown in a catatonic state which is interrupted by Max announcing the arrival of the cameras. The police allow Norma to follow Max, as they believe it will be easier to get Norma out and into custody. Thus begins his final performance. Subtle glance and action match cuts are used to show the damaging and codependent nature of her relationship with Max which largely contributed to her loss of sanity. The most notable changes that illustrate this relationship are the eye line matching cuts, of which there are several. When Norma enters the foyer of her villa, she finds herself at the top of the staircase leading to the entrance still in a sort of trance, but when Max directs the lights towards 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 gaze correspondence between Norma and Max. This creates a visual link between the two characters and shows that neither of them is interested in what surrounds him at the moment. When Max calls "action!" and begins to roll, his cameras following Norma's movement, creating an action match when the scene cuts to Norma walking down the stairs. These changes not only maintain continuity, but display a codependency that protects Norma from the gaze of the watching crowd. This psychological isolation, along with Max's role in maintaining it, reveals the foundation 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. It is an indicator of Norma's tendency to cling to the lavish lifestyle she established as a silent film actress, and her ruined state reflects her inability to maintain that lifestyle. The decision to choose the mansion's atrium as the setting for the film's final sequence is profound as several elements of the space shed light on Norma's twisted mental state. The dark interior that surrounds her in the sequence's second shot was a staple of silent films because it made the actors stand out when contrasted with it, and the dramatic decor scattered about - sconces, statues and an intricate tapestry - further adds to the atmosphere of the old movie set. This environment practicallyimplores its inhabitants to get into character, as Norma does in this sequence as Salome and as she did earlier in the film when performing for Joe as Charlie Chaplin. Even more notable is what we see behind Max in the first two seconds of the first shot of the sequence: the front door of the villa guarded by two police officers. This is Norma's destination and is the most important threshold in her story as it represents the barrier between a fantasy of lasting relevance and the real world that moves on without her. Norma's means of reaching the exit is a downward spiral staircase with a railing also decorated with spiral images. Norma's descent down the spiral works on a literal and metaphorical level, as she separates herself most from reality during her monologue at the base of the stairs. If stripped of all actors and cameras, the setting alone would tell the story of a person trapped in a mythical past whose only escape is a descent into madness. Throughout the film, there are no more than four people inside Norma's mansion at any one time, but in the final sequence of the film there are dozens of policemen, detectives and journalists packed into every frame. The way the characters are positioned and crowded 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, Norma is escorted out of her room and toward the stairs, followed by a dark mass of police and detectives who follow her until her progress is blocked by a wall of frantic reporters. After being pushed forward and stopped by a crowd of strangers, Norma has no choice but to stand 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 center. She is completely surrounded by observers with conflicting intentions; some appear repentant, others accusatory and others indifferent. This mass of hindering humanity lends an oppressive atmosphere to the entire sequence, showcasing the trappings of celebrity and the confusion of facing a crowd of complete strangers, each with their own judgments and preconceived notions about Norma, her career and his crime. The long shot showing Norma walking down the stairs is interrupted by a cut to a line of judging observers forming 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 the ladder with Norma are a dozen journalists and police who remain almost perfectly frozen in place as she passes between them on the way down. The men are in various states of awe as they look at Norma, but not a single person moves down with her or even faces in that direction. This figurative descent into madness is the only moment in the sequence in which Norma is not crowded with strangers. She is dropped alone, but once she reaches the bottom of the stairs the waiting crowd closes in on her creating a closed frame shot that brings the film to its end. The strategic blocking of the characters in this sequence conveys confusion and a feeling of overwhelming, unmanageable attention from an audience that is completely unfamiliar with Norma. This implicates the outside world in Norma's downfall, suggesting that her psychosis is protecting her from the psychologically overwhelming effects of constant observation. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Through calculated use of editing,.