What lies beneath
The pet chimp’s funeral subtly foreshadows this outcome
What is death or Joe’s fate?
This financial arrangement shifts the power dynamic between Joe and Norma
What is Norma paying Joe’s debts / supporting him financially?
Low-key lighting positions Norma as this archetype.
What is a film noir femme fatale?
Joe’s pursuit of success initially aligns with this belief.
What is meritocracy?
Norma’s belief in her comeback relies on this distortion.
What is self-delusion?
Norma’s mansion functions as a metaphor for this psychological state
What is decay or stagnation?
Max exerts control by maintaining this illusion for Norma
What is her continued stardom?
The exaggerated close-ups emphasise this aspect of Norma’s psyche.
What is narcissism or delusion?
The film undermines the promise of upward mobility by showing this.
What is success dependent on luck or exploitation?
Max’s letters function to preserve this false reality.
What is Norma’s imagined fame?
This object symbolises Joe’s growing entrapment rather than success
What is Normas car?
Joe’s passivity becomes a form of this.
What is complicity?
The decaying mise-en-scène contrasts with this Hollywood ideal.
What is glamour or success?
Norma’s downfall exposes the Dream as this.
What is conditional or temporary?
Joe’s narration creates irony by revealing this contrast.
What is appearance versus truth?
Norma’s obsession with her screenplay masks this deeper fear
What is irrelevance or abandonment?
Norma’s generosity doubles as this coercive tactic.
What is emotional manipulation?
Joe’s voice-over creates distance from this uncomfortable reality.
What is his moral responsibility?
Joe’s moral compromises suggest the Dream requires this sacrifice.
What is integrity?
Hollywood itself is portrayed as a factory for this.
What are illusions?
Joe’s narration disguises his responsibility for this moral failure.
What is his own exploitation of Norma?
The relationship reflects Hollywood’s exploitation of this group.
What are vulnerable or aging performers?
The opening shot reframes the entire narrative as this type of commentary.
What is a post-mortem critique of Hollywood?
The final scenes suggest the American Dream ultimately leads to this.
What is disillusionment or destruction?
Norma’s final descent represents the collapse of this boundary.
What is fantasy and reality?