May 25, 2007
Bang Bang You're Dead
Holden's death scene in "Sunset Boulevard"
All in one take. I love it because it's the best kind of make-believe acting. The kind of acting that little kids do so brilliantly when they're playing and making up games. The kind of belief in the imaginary circumstances that so many adult actors have to WORK to remember how to do. It's the "Bang bang you're dead" school of acting. Because it's in one take - Holden has to be shot three times - stagger forward - turn back - turn the other way - be shot one last time and fall face first into the pool. One take. That takes not only acting chops - and make-believe chops (you know, not to be embarrassed or self-conscious about the "bang bang you're dead" energy of the thing) ... but also athletic chops.
Watch that scene again when you have the chance. Watch Holden's swan dive into that pool. Watch the lead-up to that last moment. And notice the unbroken take. It's just gorgeous - really FUN movie-making. I mean, yes, a man is being murdered, so it's not fun for HIM ... but that kind of take is almost unheard of nowadays - what with the love affair with closeups, and cutaways, and CGI effects ... One long take of an actor being shot multiple times, twirling this way, that, before plunging himself into the pool is old-fashioned film-making. Great great stuff.
Billy Wilder said to Cameron Crowe, about Holden: "Holden was very good. Physically, he was first-class."
Holden comes out onto the lawn - followed by Norma with her gun - he is shot in the back the first time. It stops him in his tracks - his back kind of arches, his head goes back ...
Then he plunges forward - wounded - dropping his suitcase ...
She shoots him again - from the side - he takes the hit ...
Out of control now, staggering away from her - turning back to see his attacker -
Disoriented, wounded - he flails about - flailing for the dropped suitcase ...
Which is when she shoots him for the final time. The death blow. His swoon is practically balletic. Fearless. Throwing himself off to the side and over the edge.
Bang Bang You're Dead of the highest order.
Great job with the screen caps.
I saw Sunset a few months back (probably due to
your Bill Holden writings).
This one stayed with me for quite a while.
You know, where you find yourself thinking about it long after having seen it. Very few movies have done that to me. Ironically, Holdens'
The Wild Bunch also got me that way.
I can't add much to you what you wrote about
this particular scene except to note
that in all the action in this sequence, just before he gets shot the final time, he still manages to look back with an incredulous look on his face. Just amazing.
Regards.