sunset boulevard will always be inextricably link to all about eve . they both come out the same year while they both star legendary actress play legendary actress while they both be cynical and sometimes savage in their estimation of show business . and and of course and they be both great film . but they be very different stylistically and philosophically . a primary difference be that eve be about a survivor . bette davis margo channing in eve accepts and perhaps grudgingly and that change be inevitable . either she adapt to reality and or she lose all . that be what make margo more than just a great star and a true star . margo rival and eve harrington and may someday end up like boulevard norma desmond and but margo channing never will . but if eve be about life and sunset boulevard be about death . even their title suggest this represent eve be the first bearer of life and sunset be the approach night . in boulevard and gloria swanson norma desmond be to some extent already dead by the time the film start and lock away in a haunt house and come out only for the funeral of her pet monkey . she be bind by reputation and profession to a type of film making that be long dead and nearly forgotten . her life and like her career and be base on illusion of life . the prevailing interpretation of sunset boulevard assume that norma be one of hollywood victim while that the town and the industry turn it back on her when she be no long a star and her career sabotage by the come of sound in motion picture . i do not buy that . the film clearly show u that at age 50 norma be still vibrant and still beautiful and still energetic and eager to make movie . plus and she be filthy rich . this be not a woman who would walk away from movie making because she be afraid of her own voice . indeed and her voice be magnificent while sultry and insinuating and theatrical . i do not think norma go mad because hollywood turn it back on her and rather hollywood turn it back on her because she go mad . i do not think we be get the full story here . something may have drive norma mad and but it wasn not talk picture . indeed and she may have be unstable all along and but i think there be something in her past that destroy her and and i suspect that involve max ( erich von stroheim ) . in his great movie essay and roger ebert suggest that the love between norma and max and her ex husband or ex director or butler and be the heart of the story while that it max love of norma that validate her continued existence . i do not see that . i suspect that max be less a servant than a caretaker or even a jailer . max ( like joe gillis and norma erstwhile boytoy ) may be trap in norma web and but it be a web of his own making . he appear subservient and but he be the one in control and he perpetuate her delusion and enable her madness . i even suspect that he only allow joe into the situation because he know that joe be weak and no real threat to his power while and that he suspect that it will help placate norma by feed her fantasy of a comeback . there be more than adoration that cement the relationship between max and norma while perhaps guilt and jealousy and desperation who know . all i know be that it be best keep a a subtext and a part of the film impenetrable mystery . the less we understand norma and the more intriguing she be . however and if i be to be so bold a to make one major change in sunset boulevard and it would be to replace william holden a joe gillis . i respect holden a an actor and but his screen persona have always be one of strength and if not integrity confidence while he be not one who play vulnerable with any conviction . plus and he doesn not play the part of gillis with any gentle shading . the romance between norma and joe be the least convincing aspect of the film . joe treat her with barely conceal contempt and a bit of occasional pity and which make it hard to believe that a self absorb diva would even tolerate him and let alone make him the house pet . the role of joe be originally intend for montgomery clift and an actor with a proven ability to appear passive and even a he play sinister . his work in the heiress and a place in the sun illustrate this point . i see joe gillis and not a a bored hanger on and but a sycophant who be in awe of norma and even a he exploit her and and therefore he doesn not realize that he actually be the one who be be use ( sort of a young version of max ) . i think joe should be someone who be cunning and but naive about his own limit and not someone who be already bitter and corrupt and cynical a the story begin . maybe i be wrong and but i get the feeling that holden be very uncomfortable play the part of and well and a mistress and and especially one keep by such an old woman . perhaps his manhood be threaten and that uneasiness show . clift and or an equally rakish young actor like and say and farley granger or robert wagner and would enliven the story and make the romance with the perpetually needy norma more credible . i do not think it be enough that the film show that norma enjoy manipulate joe and i think it have to also be imply that to a certain extent joe love be manipulate . the relationship be after all a romance and to be credible a long term there have to be the spark that it be mutually enjoyable . holden interpretation that joe be just do it for the money just doesn not ring true . while a pairing of the age diva with an ambitious and yes and probably gay young man be practically a show business institution . yet and even with these reservation and it be undeniable that sunset boulevard be quite a film . a little bit hollywood satire and a little bit moralistic fable and whole lot of gothic melodrama . and swanson just not quite over the top performance be mesmerize . it be assume that boulevard would revitalize swanson career . it do not . but apparently and it do not matter to her represent she dabble in act now and again and when the part amuse her and but she have good thing to do with her life . swanson play norma desmond and but she live life a margo channing .