Sunset Boulevard is one of the most renowned and classic films of 1950s Hollywood. Most films of the time were made strictly for entertainment. Film studios wanted to keep their fun, lighthearted, wholesome images intact at all costs, but this film suddenly turned all that on its head. The truth of Hollywood's often twisted mindset, including the problems faced by writers, actors and actresses, came to light through Sunset Boulevard.

Sunset Boulevard was released during a time when a genre known as film noir was in its heyday. The term film noir was first coined by French film critics, who had observed increasingly dark themes, scripts and cinematic styles pervading American movies, particularly in films concerning crimes and detectives. In its advanced, intricate film noir techniques, Sunset Boulevard. is widely regarded as among the very best of these films.

The film is somewhat gloomy...