Movies · 1950
All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up.
— Norma Desmond · Sunset Blvd.
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
Norma imagines the cameras as a return to the attention she has lost. The announcement sounds triumphant, but the scene makes that triumph fragile: she is mistaking a terrible moment for the comeback she longs for.
- AFI100 Movie Quotes, number7; film synopsis identifies Norma Desmond.Reference checked
- AFI Movie ClubSunset Blvd.70th anniversary: selected quotation, number7.Reference checked
Context reviewed