The script that Nora Desmond provides Joe with in the film qualifies as a character in and of itself. Joe goes on to say that the script is almost like a child to Norma, which it very much does seem to symbolize. Similar to the chimpanzee shown at the beginning of the film, Norma tends to create familial attachments with things that are not human, or otherwise abnormal. It is the thing that ties Norma and Joe together and is what makes her hold a lot over Joe’s head almost like a form of blackmail. We learn Norma wants to send her creation out into the world so that it will reflect herself, and show that she is not only an incredible actress, but a skilled screenwriter as well. The script is not only a plot device for the movie, but is also the last shred of hope for Norma and the one thing she has left in her arsenal to return to the big screen once more, unaware that the world has long forgotten who she even is. She considers her work one of pure genius, but unbeknownst to her it is seen as terrible by the director DeMille, the very director that she is desperate to get the approval. This script is not only ties Joe to Norma, but also to the person she used to be, and the idea of her continuing to work on it furthers her spiral into insanity and delusion as she refuses to come to grips with reality. Thus, this script acts as the catalyst for the whole film, and sends the characters on a journey that ultimately leads them to their demises. For Joe, death and Norma, imprisonment. In the end, Norma’s script shows how much of her life depends on a piece of paper.
Sunset Boulevard (1950) – Paramount
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