A screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return. (from IMDb)

Film noir is a unique genre for movies that really became defined in the 40s and 50s, with The Maltese Falcon and Double Indemnity arguably being some of the genre's absolute best. Another film that would vie for that title is easily 1950's Sunset Boulevard, a drama the involves a struggling screenwriter whose life gets way too entangled with a forgotten silent film star who can't seem to accept her faded stardom. Not surprisingly, Sunset Boulevard went on to get nominated for 11 Oscars, winning 3 at the Academy Awards in 1951.

Sunset Boulevard is a pretty bleak story, but it doesn't feel grotesquely dark. Some movies just brood its way through its entire runtime or feel so grim it's disturbing, but there's something about the way Sunset Boulevard is portrayed that it feels more like a straight-forward drama than something seedier or icky -- even though the story does flirt with that tone. William Holden stars as the lead, a screenwriter named Joe Gillis who is so down on his luck that he's literally trying to outrun creditors who want to take his car. During one of these run-ins with creditors, his car blows a tire and he stashes it in the garage of a seemingly abandoned mansion. But what he quickly discovers is that it's the home of forgotten silent film star, Norma Desmond, played by Gloria Swanson. She pretty much forces him to stay once she learns she can use his talents to polish up a script she's written, and it's a downward spiral from there as Norma uses her riches to entice -- and ensnare -- the broke writer.

Besides solid performances all around from the cast, Sunset Boulevard is just intriguing from start to finish. Director Billy Wilder knows how to tell engaging stories - giving us such classics as Some Like It Hot (one of my favorites), Sabrina and Double Indemnity (another exceptional one). I've never been a William Holden fan, but his performance here almost wins me over. He's likeable, but he's hardly a hero type. He even ends up falling for a friend's girl, even though he admirably doesn't make any moves on her. Still, he's a guy who lets an older, rich woman get her hooks in him, without putting up much of a fight. He falls for her wealth, and the comforts it provides, more than the woman herself, and that alone makes his character questionable.

Swanson is fantastic as Norma Desmond, too. In some ways, you want to dismiss her for being overly dramatic or ridiculous, but you just can't help but feel sorry for her. She's obsessed with the past and her glory days as a film star, and she resents progress in general. She's a star of the silent film era who never quite made the transition to "talkies." She dreams of getting her chance to shine once again, but she can't get past her own delusions to see reality glaring in front of her.

The content for Sunset Boulevard is awfully tame by today's standards, but the film opens with the aftermath of a murder; a man is found facedown floating dead in a swimming pool, his eyes frozen open. There's talk of Norma being suicidal and having made attempts, and at one point, we hear that she's slit her wrists during another - albeit unsuccessful - attempt. There is no sexual content, although it's made pretty obvious that Joe and Norma become intimate as part of their "arrangement" with him staying under the umbrella of her care. Overall, the film is pretty adult thematically, so I wouldn't quite recommend it as a family film.

75 years later, Sunset Boulevard is still a classic and a solid piece of filmmaking. Also, I have to say it's gorgeous in 4K. It's eerie to see some old black and white movies looking so pristine and refreshed this many years later, and Sunset Boulevard has made the transition to the Ultra HD format really nicely. If you're a fan of this title, film noir, or the golden age of cinema in general, I can definitely recommend this 4K release of Sunset Boulevard.