Sunset Boulevard - 4K Blu-ray 75th Anniversary Edition

Directed by Billy Wilder, Sunset Boulevard (1950) is one of the absolute masterpieces of Hollywood cinema, a work that reflects with clarity and ferocity on the dream and deception of the film industry.

The story revolves around Joe Gillis (William Holden), a failed screenwriter who ends up in the decadent mansion of Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), a former silent film star obsessed with her glorious past. What begins as a relationship of convenience soon becomes a toxic and claustrophobic affair, with Joe trapped by Norma's sick and desperate love.

In the Pantheon of Cinema Masterpieces

Gloria Swanson conveys all the fragility, illusion, and madness of an actress unable to accept oblivion. Alongside her, Holden portrays a cynical and disillusioned character, destined to succumb to a mechanism greater than himself. Erich von Stroheim is also unforgettable as Max, the butler ready to indulge his mistress's illusions. 

Wilder's direction and the expressionistic cinematography, with their dark and poignant atmospheres, are striking. Sunset Boulevard is not just the story of a sick love, but a universal reflection on the transience of fame and the cruelty of a system that creates idols only to abandon them to oblivion. Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, it won 3: Best Screenplay, Music, and Art Direction, here celebrated on its 75th anniversary in an unmissable Home Video edition.

This first 4K greatly improves upon the previous 2K edition, with a resolution that enhances details, costumes, faces, and environments. The grain is mostly natural and light, with rare, more static exceptions in some shots, maintaining a cinematic look overall. Original image format 1.37:1 (3840 x 2160/23.97p), HEVC encoding on a BD-66 dual layer disc, natively shot on 35mm (Eastman Plus-X 1231 and Super-XX 1232 films, respectively 120 and 100 ASA).

The Dolby Vision grading in black and white offers purer whites, better-defined grays, and greater fidelity in highlights. In some passages, some blacks appear unnaturally dark and faded, sometimes attenuating the visual impact, especially if viewed on OLED screens, as was the case with our Panasonic Z85. Overall, the blacks generally remain deep, with a well-balanced grayscale: a step below the visual power of the best black and white UHDs, especially another legendary film like Casablanca.

Decent Dolby Digital 2.0 mono in Italian (224 kbps), which at least favors the original dubbing. For English, Paramount did not limit itself to reusing the restored Dolby TrueHD 2.0 mono (16 bit) track, but included a new Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (16 bit) mix. Consistently crafted, it offers a more enveloping and airy experience with slightly expanded music and balanced bass, without distorting the film. Purists will have their faithful option, while those seeking a modern touch will appreciate the new track.

No extras on the 4K disc; the included 2K disc contains the rich past content. The most significant are the audio commentary by expert Ed Sikov and a series of documentaries exploring the film's genesis, its legacy, and themes. Interesting focuses on Franz Waxman's soundtrack, on the backstage with anecdotes about the cast (including William Holden and Gloria Swanson), and the filming locations. The offer is completed by a deleted scene, script pages, and photo galleries. Italian subtitles are included.

The box set includes a booklet with production stills, a box with a replica of the first page of the screenplay containing: commemorative postcards with photos from the film and promotional images, a replica of Norma's dedication note, a replica of the street name sign, and two posters.