Body 1

• Norma Desmond


  A former famous silent film star who dreams of a comeback to her stardom, illusion of her past glory, obsession with her images and inability to accept the reality of her fading career
• Norma Desmond


  • Portrayed through low-key lighting and her mansion which reflects her feeling of waiting to return back to stardom without any sign from the Hollywood industry
• Norma watches her own past silent film movie


  Says to Joe that they have "faces'' and they don't need "dialogue"
• This is a symbol of Norma doesn't want to go out and obtain the modern Hollywood film "the talkies'' where the films don't belong to her anymore
• Norma cannot face the reality of the real world and believes the "silent film movie era" is still famous and relevant to the new generation's audience</b>
• Joe's narrator says "You don't yell at a sleepwalker"
• Norma receives a phone call from Paramount Studio


  Makes her optimistic about restoring her actor
• Norma goes to visit Mr.DeMille with "half pound of makeup" to discuss her script and future acting
• Mr.DeMille doesn't have enough confidence to tell the facts to Normal about how "awful script" she is and she doesn't have talent for new films, also the studio doesn't need Norma anymore
• Mr.DeMille: '"What can I tell her? What can I say?"'
• This concealment led Norma increasingly hopeful that Mr.DeMille would ask her to come back to "work again" in the studio
• Norma still lives in the depth of her deception and unaware that the film industry doesn't care about her anymore due to her ageing star
• Wilder shows Norma still believes she is a famous silent film star, despite her acting career having faded