FEDORA (1978)

 

Directed By: Billy Wilder

Written By: Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond 

Based On a Story By: Tom Tyron 

Cinematography: Gerry Fisher 

Editor: Stefan Arnstein and Frederic Steinkamp 

Cast: William Holden, Marthe Keller, Hildegard Knef, Jose Ferrer, Frances Sternhagen, Mario Adorf, Stephen Collins, Henry Fonda, Michael York 

Famous film star Fedora has died. At her funeral, movie producer Barry Detweiler recalls how only two weeks previously, after much difficulty, he approached her and asked her to star in a movie of his. The encounter revealed some disturbing things about her life, and now more will be revealed after her death.

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This was unfortunately Billy Wilder’s last produced film. Where he had his long time co-writer I. A. L. Diamond riding with him. What a film to go out on though. 

Surprisingly, it’s not a comedy. It’s actually a drama that works as a companion piece with his classic Sunset Boulevard for some people. The movie will not rise to the occasion or reputation of that film, even with both films having William Holden as one of the main stars. 

Fedora is a different animal as it’s kind of a detective story and a mystery yet not the traditional one where we do into the past and current state finding out about a character in their history as well as a film that has something to say about Fame stardom Hollywood movies character And identity as well as beauty

Just like Sunset Boulevard a love letter to the industry that at that point for Billy Wilder was passing him by and putting him out to pasture, but he wanted to show he still had what it took and wanted to take or tell a grand powerful story while also having a cynical side 

This film is more intimate, even though it’s sad Moore in the Greek islands so while it should be epic and scope, he manages to make it feel a little more personal, a little more private, even when dealing with a Hollywood star 

That is what also sent to Sunset Boulevard, as we have an aging legendary actress who has become reclusive and might be delusional, who still believes her own Fame and the people around her, enable it, even though it might lead to her destruction mentally 

And also involves William Holden‘s character, desperate to find the star and trying to hang his own Fame or come back on her cocktails, though through investigation and revelations becomes a lot closer than he ever expected to come to her, and she has quite her own story to tell that he must discover Rather than it being told directly

It works like a detective, nor even though most of the scenes take place and playing daylight in the way that the Moor investigates in the more that he thinks he knows the more is actually revealed sometimes directly, but also sometimes subtly for the audience to discover just as he does so in that way, it feels kind of interactive, but it also feels like an ode to glamour that at the time was disappearing, they send off to classic films, classic Hollywood and thinking behind it. It actually ends up being a perfect swan song for Billy Wilder, who still even after this film, was trying to get films made in this new Hollywood, but couldn’t get hired no matter how eager he wants to work, used up and thrown away, which can be set of the main character in this town that’s the theme feels more autobiographical

For him 

It’s a beautiful prince of filmmaking that feels like it’s from a timeless bygone era. As they do my make films like these anymore 

Grade: B+