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  Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder, 1950) and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Shane Black, 2005) are both exercises in exposing Hollywood’s lesser known side, albiet in different areas. The key themes of Sunset Blvd. include the manipulation of film industry workers in the studio system, with Norma’s casual discardment, and Joe’s scripts being adapted beyond recognition to appeal to the common audience at the time. In Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, we see a mirroring of Sunset Blvd. in some ways (literally, in the opening scene), as it also refers to actresses being cast away and forced into retirement once they have passed their primes. However, KKBB is more to do with satirising the LA lifestyle, and being self-referential in terms of parodying the common buddy-cop action movie. Sunset Blvd. is more of a movie about movies, and KKBB is a movie that knows it’s a movie.
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Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder, 1950) and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Shane Black, 2005) are both exercises in exposing Hollywood's lesser known side, albiet in different areas. The key themes of Sunset Blvd. include the manipulation of film industry workers in the studio system, with Norma's casual discardment, and Joe's scripts being adapted beyond recognition to appeal to the common audience at the time. In Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, we see a mirroring of Sunset Blvd. in some ways (literally, in the opening scene), as it also refers to actresses being cast away and forced into retirement once they have passed their primes. However, KKBB is more to do with satirising the LA lifestyle, and being self-referential in terms of parodying the common buddy-cop action movie. Sunset Blvd. is more of a movie about movies, and KKBB is a movie that knows it's a movie.
Sunset Blvd.'s key themes are interwoven with its plot, you witness the inner workings of the "production line" system first-hand, through the characters who are part of it. The presentation of Norma Desmond, built-up with the lavish yet dilapidated mansion, the importance of the monkey to her and the entire gothic feel easily sets a tone, proving to the audience that being removed from the spotlight so rapidly can have serious effects on a person. Similarly, we witness the chain of rejection from Joe's point of view, from producers, agents, and even the Yes Men, who said "no". Overall, this gave me the feeling that the film aimed to show its audience the real Hollywood dream, and how hard it was, and that even when you made it, you didn't stick around for long.
Conversely, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang presents its themes in a much less subtle way, with breaking the fourth wall, rolling back the film reel, and even at times manipulating what is happening on screen. It checks all the boxes on purpose, hiring recognisable actors, employing formulaic filmmaking, and the typical action, emotion and spectacle one assumes from a blockbuster these days. The difference is, it does it with the intention of dissecting these themes, showing them to the audience and saying, "this is what the system has become". By pandering to the stereotypical structure of an action movie, with an entertaining beginning, confusing middle and resolved ending, KKBB presents its themes with a vein of biting metahumour which runs through the film, mainly in Robert Downey Jr.'s narration, but also spilling over into many key scenes, such as Harry throwing the gun into the lake. I felt this was a very different way of presenting key themes to the audience compared to Sunset Blvd., but just as if not more successful.