‘Sunset Boulevard’ 4K UHD Review
Stars: Gloria Swanson, William Holden, Erich Von Stroheim, Nancy Olson, Fred Clark, Lloyd Gough, Jack Webb | Written by Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, D.M. Marshman Jr. | Directed by Billy Wilder
When people talk about film noir, classics like Double Indemnity, The Third Man, and The Maltese Falcon are often the first to be mentioned. But for me, the standout has always been Sunset Boulevard. Released in 1950, the film turns 75 this year – a milestone worthy of celebration. To mark the occasion, Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment is giving physical media fans something special: for the very first time, Sunset Boulevard arrives in stunning 4K Ultra HD, complete with Blu-ray and Digital formats. A fitting tribute to one of cinema’s greatest noirs.
Gloria Swanson stars as Norma Desmond an aging silent-film queen, and William Holden, as the struggling young screenwriter who is held in thrall by her madness, created two of the screen’s most memorable characters in “Sunset Boulevard.” Winner of three Academy Awards®, director Billy Wilder’s powerful orchestration of the bizarre tale is a true cinematic classic. From the unforgettable opening sequence — a body found floating in a decayed mansion’s swimming pool — through the inevitable unfolding of tragic destiny, “Sunset Boulevard” is the definitive statement on the dark and desperate side of Hollywood. Erich von Stroheim as Desmond’s discoverer, ex-husband and butler, and Nancy Olson as the bright spot amidst unrelenting ominousness, are equally celebrated for their masterful performances.
The film has perfect pacing and spectacular acting. Gloria Swanson is mesmerising and is supported by wonderful performances by William Holden and Erich Von Stroheim. Then there is the tremendous direction by Billy Wilder. He has directed so many great films, but this is my favourite of all his films.
Paramount Pictures found the best surviving elements for this release, as the original 35mm camera negative has apparently been lost. They scanned and restored the film in 4k then transferred this classic to disc in 2160p. The film is presented in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio, the audio track is an English Dolby TrueHD 2.0 Mono. Finally, there is the option for English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.
I own Sunset Boulevard on DVD and have watched it many times. But getting to see this film in UltraHD is like watching it for the first time. The picture detail in this transfer is simply amazing – the picture is crisp and clean, and the black and white picture really looks gorgeous. In addition to the new 4k restoration, this set has a bonus features disc.
Special Features:
- Commentary by Ed Sikov, author of On Sunset Blvd: The Life and Times of Billy Wilder
- Sunset Boulevard: The Beginning
- Sunset Boulevard: A Look Back
- The Noir Side of Sunset Boulevard
- Sunset Boulevard Becomes a Classic
- Two Sides of Ms. Swanson
- Stories of Sunset Boulevard
- Mad About the Boy: A Portrait of William Holden
- Recording Sunset Boulevard
- The City of Sunset Boulevard
- Franz Waxman and the Music of Sunset Boulevard
- Morgue Prologue Script Pages
- Deleted Scene—”The Paramount-Don’t-Want-Me Blues” (HD)
- Hollywood Location Map
- Behind the Gates: The Lot
- Edith Head: The Paramount Years
- Paramount in the ’50s
- Theatrical Trailer
These great bonus features are found on the Blu-ray disc along with the HD transfer of Sunset Boulevard. The 4k disc solely houses the new 4K transfer of the film. Plus, another great addition to this release is the inclusion of a digital copy of the film. It would have been easy for Paramount to release a bare bones 4k of this classic. But I am so glad that they added the previously released Blu-ray to this set. This makes an epic release even more perfect.
***** 5/5
Sunset Boulevard is out now on 4K UHD from Paramount Home Entertainment.
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