Faded silent film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) resides in Miss Havisham-esque seclusion, planning her comeback (though she hates that word) in an industry that has left her behind. When struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis (William Holden) happens upon Norma’s mansion and is ushered in by her director-turned-butler Max Von Mayerling (Erich Von Stroheim), their destinies become darkly intertwined.

Drawing from his casts’ experiences (even including footage of Swanson in Von Stroheim’s unfinished silent film Queen Kelly) and weaving in real-life industry cameos including Buster Keaton, Cecil B. DeMille, and Hedda Hopper, Billy Wilder added to the tension of his exquisitely crafted Hollywood satire which, 75 years on, is ready for its close-up once again.

Notes by Saidhbh Ní Dhúlaing