A+
A new addition to my top 10 movies of all time.
When the movie started, I thought I might only appreciate it on an intellectual level. I thought the narration was corny and the acting was hackneyed. However, once Norma Desmond appears on screen, the movie really gets started. This character is a screen icon, but not for the reasons she would understand.
And knowing many of these characters are played by real-life counterparts, like an actual silent film star Gloria Swanson playing Desmond, makes the film seem immediate and relevant even 60 years later.
The film is suspenseful even if it gives away the climax at the beginning! Quite an accomplishment.