I watched Sunset Boulevard a couple days ago. This was not the first time I've watched Sunset Boulevard. It's a good movie.Gloria Swanson plays Norma Desmond. That's Norma moving in for her close up in the picture. By picture, I don't mean Motion Picture, I mean, photo.
There is a scene towards the end of Sunset Boulevard, shortly before Norma shoots and kills Joe, where Joe catches Norma calling Betty, a screenwriter with whom Joe was working on a screenplay.
Norma was calling Betty to let Betty know what a Bad Boy Joe was.
But, Norma's real motive was to try and preserve her hold on Joe.
For reasons unsettling to me, I found Norma's behavior disturbing in a way I did not find it on previous viewings of Sunset Boulevard.
It seems I am in the midst of my own twisted Southern Gothic Texas version of Sunset Boulevard, with a twisted Norma Desmond playing sadistic mindgames on a young, sweet, innocent Texas Betty.
When Norma shot Joe he ended up floating in Norma's pool. I'm almost certain I will not meet a similar end in the pool I swim in. But you never know. Norma's are difficult to predict.
It's always something. And, have I mentioned? I am Fed Up.
