How is alienation portrayed in each character in both films, Sunset Boulevard and Mildred Pierce - Term Paper Example

In the modern viewer’s perspective, one could get the historical background even without reading about it. Sunset Boulevard is a movie in the 50’s which portrays alienation in the main characters which would be the thesis of the paper together with a similar analysis of Mildred Pierce, another movie produced in 1945. In the first movie, the two main characters will be the foci of our discussion as they depict alienation in the movie. Joe Gillis, the male protagonist who is also the storyteller is one character who has shown most characterizations of alienation in the movie which started with his avoidance of the car dealers, knowing they are redeeming Gillis’ car to the company because of his failure to pay his monthly dues.

Since he knew he was not able to pay his dues on time with his unsold scripts, he tried to escape the towing of his car by running and hiding away from them. When the young man lived in with the female protagonist, Norma, who was more than twice his age, he avoided his friend Artie Green and his girlfriend, Betty Schaefer. The latter is a reader who fell in love with his fiance’s friend, Gillis. She had been trying to contact the writer, wanting to collaborate on a script Gillis was not able to sell.

Afraid that his friends might find out that he is living with an old woman, not to mention, a star who faded years ago, he tried to avoid the company. He even went to the point of telling the reader she could take his script and make it her own saying he abandoned writing altogether, trying to get rid of the Schaefer who was suggesting they write a script together. Wanting to get rid of the lady, he always spoke rudely to her but despite his efforts, the reader finally encouraged him to write as he himself can not forget his passion in writing.

Despite this, he did not make known where he was staying and what circumstance he really was in until the lady confessed of her affections to him and was later called by Norma who was suspecting Gillis. The fear that his friends might laugh or make fun of him being clothed and pampered by an old woman could have been a reason for the young man not to reveal his status and alienating himself from his friends. Norma, on the other hand isolated herself from the world, keeping herself in the mansion after her fame faded.

She lived a lonely life, dreaming about a beautiful life she could still live and hiding from the reality that she is not as famous anymore as she was before. Living on her past and living in a future comeback to the movies was her way of escape, abandoning the realities of the present. At the end of the movie, she abandoned reality altogether when she became delusional after killing Gillis. During the police’s interrogation, Norma seemed unable to hear anything, seemingly in a world so far away.

Upon hearing the word ‘camera’ and being made to believe she was shooting for a movie, the actress reacted. Mildred Pierce is a story of a strong and ambitious woman who wanted the best for her children. The setting depicts the economic status during the time of the making of the film in 1945. After the war, unemployment was high and families were trying to get back to the life they once had. During this time, women were still believed to be more useful in the house while men were supposed to be working to bring home food for the family.

However, it was also during this time that women were fighting for