WATCH OUT FOR SPOILERS!
“The Swimming Pool”
- Sunset Blvd. -
It starts with a moving shot along the Sunset Boulevard, the credits of cast and crew appearing on the concrete. We hear sirens and police cars become visible in the distance. The narrator begins to tell his story. We find out that the protagonist, screenplay-writer Joe Gillis, has been killed somehow. A major Hollywood star is involved. When the police and reporters arrive at the scene of the crime, they find Gillis floating dead in a swimming pool. This famous image was shot by placing a mirror at the bottom of the pool. Having the entire movie narrated in flashback by an dead protagonist, was later used with great effect in A MERICAN BEAUTY. This is a truly memorable opening scene, shot brilliantly by Billy Wilder.
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It starts with a moving shot along the Sunset Boulevard, the credits of cast and crew appearing on the concrete. We hear sirens and police cars become visible in the distance. The narrator begins to tell his story. We find out that the protagonist, screenplay-
JOE GILLIS: Yes, this is Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. It’s about five o’clock in the morning. That’s the homicide Squat, complete with detectives and newspapermen.
JOE GILLIS (CONT.): A murder has been reported from one of those great big houses in the 10.000 block. You’ll read about it in the late editions I’m sure. You’ll get it over your radio and see it on television. Because an old time star is involved, one of the biggest.
JOE GILLIS (CONT.): But before you hear it all distorted and blown out of proportion. Before those Hollywood columnists get their hands on it, maybe you would like to hear the facts, the whole truth.
JOE GILLIS (CONT.): If so, you’ve come to the right party. You see, the body of a young man was found floating in the pool of her mansion, with two shots in his back and one in his stomach. Nobody important really, just a movie writer with a couple of B-pictures to his credit. The poor dope! He always wanted a pool. Well in the end he got himself a pool. Only the price turned out to a little high.
Let’s go back about six months and find the day it all started.
Let’s go back about six months and find the day it all started.
