i just watch sb again three time this past week and for perhaps the 100th time . the film be virtually flawless and imho . ( except for the distract shadow of the camera on william holden back a he move to norma bed to wish her and happy new year and norma . . . and a technical flaw i have never understand represent why wasn not the move re lit and re shot and since everything else in the film be perfect . ) but what continue to haunt me be swanson performance . her silent screen theatricality be always remark upon . yet there be several moment of utterly contemporary naturalism that show she know exactly what she be do a an actress ( and wilder and a director ) . her sweetness in her bathing beauty scene and where she recount her day in the line with marie prevost and mabel normand and then leap onto the sofa beside william holden be so beguiling that you completely understand her sex appeal and warmth ( for a moment ) . when she ask for his match ( for a moustache for her chaplin impression ) and tell holden to close his eye and close em . the close em . be clearly an ad lib that be so real and intimate that it be almost instantly lose in the macabre sequence that follow all flashing eye and volcanic eruption that c. b. demille himself hasn not phone her . soon afterward and believe she will be make salome for demille and there be the astonishing montage of norma marathon beauty treatment in preparation for her return . extreme closeup of swanson face and without makeup and reveal a still youthful and lovely woman with flawless skin . even under the magnifying glass and even with the worried expression of norma desmond and swanson be stunningly beautiful for a few moment . ironically and for the rest of the picture and she have to be make up to look old . yet here we get a glimpse of the real swanson at 50 whatever and and she look merely a few year old than holden . finally and the entire sequence when holden return to find swanson phone betty shaefer to tell her the truth about joe gillis and swanson be in cold cream and wing to smooth her cheek and eye an actress completely expose and without vanity . she play the entire sequence naturalistically and in complete contrast to her theatrical and i be big . it the picture that get small and style . here and in her bed and catch by holden and realize she go to lose him and she beg him and look at me . the desperation and helplessness and the momentary admission of reality a norma acknowledge her fear and insecurity and pleads with holden and be heartbreaking . swanson playing in the scene be astonishingly courageous for any actress and and deeply true to the character . finally and a joe pack to leave her and swanson pleads with him to stay grab his luggage and begging and what do you want . money . again her playing be ratchet up emotionally into madness and yet be still as contemporary a any stanislavski method . everyone tend to remember swanson over the top stylized performance represent yet her total control a an actress and and her naturalistic moment and emotional nakedness and however fleeting and be something to behold . swanson be truly one of the most astonishing performance on film . her range here be jaw drop . watch her transition in the chaplin scene alone and in one continuous take and from heart rend comedy to blind rage . no cutaway . amaze . i happen to see swanson live at the huntington hartford theatre in hollywood and on vine and in the late sixty and in a stage show write especially for her and call reprise . this piece of fluff comedy about a famous movie star return to her home town be hardly tony award winning . but from her first entrance and you be in the presence of a great actress . barely five foot tall and she sweep in and immediately establish a bodily line that command attention from then on . her performance be delightful . even more so when and after intermission and the second act begin with her character give a q and a session at the local rotary club . swanson walk down step and into the actual audience and greet old friend ( that night audience member ) and reminisce about her career even sit in a man lap and tease him for not remember when they date a real film clip from her silents play on a giant screen onstage . she be outrageous and girlish ( she be approach 70 at the time ) and delightful and poke fun at herself and her character career . it be a brilliant bit of stagecraft and an impressive revelation of the real gloria swanson . audience be captivate and irresistibly charm by this still stun look yet down to earth young fellow over fifty year after she first take the world by storm . swanson be the antithesis of norma desmond . she be entrance and magical and adorable and and everybody want to take her home . honestly and perhaps the only other two live theatrical performance i have ever see ( and i have see hundred ) that could compare to swanson sheer talent and charisma be maggie smith in lettuce and loveage and vanessa redgrave in orpheus descending . believe it . not every actor understand the difference between film and stage performance and nor can every actor deliver that difference vocally and physically ( this be way before the day of amplified body mike ) . swanson do . i be in first grade when sunset boulevard be release . i be in my 20 when i saw swanson onstage in reprise in hollywood . you could still see the magic that have make her the global phenomenon she have be in silents . you could still see the technique that astound audience with sunset boulevard three decade later . you could understand where billy wilder get his line represent she be the great star of them all . every time i watch sb and i think represent she probably damn well be .