There is a distinct kind of sadness in watching someone hold on to a happier past, a period that was kinder to them than the present is. We often see elders in our family talking about the “glorious bygones,” and, at that time, the pain hidden behind their momentarily sparkling eyes is as heartbreaking as it is unmistakable.We find this dejected spirit in the showbiz, too. Movie stars, who don’t shine as brightly as they once did, talk about their glory days as if they happened last week. We, non-filmy outsiders, may think of it as dramatic or eccentric, but in all its truth, this is how nostalgia festers in an industry that strives on glamour, fame, youth, and beauty.In Sunset Boulevard (1950), Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), a “yesteryear” silent-movie star, lives in that space: secluded, far away from “the action,” and within the sphere of obscurity. Her fame and glory have long deserted her, but, like many in her situation, she copes with that loss by creating delusions of grandeur. When something or someone tries to pull her out of them, she spins another. What makes it sadder is the fact that the only person who doesn’t know she is delusional is Norma herself. She is the sole resident of her happy land.What she says feels resonant even today. If you ever felt like your world changed faster than you could follow, you would know what I mean.The Scene, the Line, the MisbeliefNorma Desmond’s HeadspaceNorma ruled the screen when...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Tuesday, 9 December