I recently reviewed a great example of classic noir cinema in the Humphery Bogart vehicle The Maltese Falcon and in the same decade (the 1940's) of that movies release, we got another masterpiece of the noir world, Double Indemnity. You've got a number of familiar elements of noir storytelling (though there are some twists around to liven up the proceedings), all used to incredibly riveting effect. One new wrinkle Double Indemnity adds to its plot is that, instead of focusing on a detective, it shines the spotlight on a guy who works in a more ordinary occupation, with that job that Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) works in being that of an insurance salesman.
Walter's a straight arrow, a good clean-cut kind of fella who goes to visit a potential client, Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) at her house. There, he learns Phyllis wants to get some accident insurance for her husband....without her husband knowing about such a policy being taken out. From this, Walter easily deduces that Phyllis wants to have her husband murdered and collect the insurance money all for herself. He rejects her offer to buy the policy, but he ends up being fully entranced by the lady, so much so, in fact, that he decides to not only help her get that accident insurance, he's gonna help her pull off the murder of her husband!
From there, the two engage in a covert romance that entails them secretly trying to organize the murder of Phyllis's significant other without attracting unwanted attention. Their secretive nature is tantalizing to watch as Double Indemnity wrings engrossing sequences out of the act of these two trying to keep their plans and connections to each other secret. From the initial meeting of these two characters, one can tell screenwriters Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler are gonna have a ball depicting these two engaging in sneaky behavior, as they greet each other with various double entendres that are super fun to watch and that MacMurray and Stanwick deliver to each other in a delightfully rapid-fire manner.
The two characters interactions escalate beyond just quippy banter of course and Double Indemnity gets a lot of its absorbing nature out of the way it handles the gradually shifting morality of the twos actions. At first, this does seem like a clear-cut revenge tale, with Phyllis explicitly stating that her husband physically and verbally abuses her and she's looking to cut him out of her life since he'd always refuse to get a divorce. While handling the situation in the wrong way, you can see why Walter Neff would go to extreme measures to help someone whose living what seems like a living hell and you're rooting for them to pull off this act.
Then, one the foul deed is committed, well, things get more complicated when it's revealed there may be ulterior motives behind Phyliss's actions, as revealed by the daughter of Phyliss's husband, Lola Dietrichson (Jean Heather). Once the more nefarious nature of the character is unearthed, everything about the film is upended and even throwaway lines of dialogue take on new meaning, like a bit of Walter's narration that notes how, after completing the murder, Phyllis didn't shed a tear or even blink. Something that was previously meant as a compliment about Phyllis's composure now seems like clear evidence of her more cutthroat nature that Walter missed. It's such a wonderfully written movie in that regard and has all the surprises you'd want out of a noir motion picture.
Also bringing plenty of engaging qualities to the feature is the cast, which is, from top to bottom, absolute perfection. Fred MacMurray plays Walter Neff as a bit of a contrast to the typically stoic detectives of the era, with his character holding his own under duress but managing to show more frustration and vulnerability that fit perfectly for this character. Edward G. Robinson, as Walter's work associate Barton Keyes, is extraordinarily fun and delivers his characters paranoia-tinged dialogue in a remarkably natural manner. And as for Barbara Stanwyck, she more than earns her place as one of the great silver screen femme fatale's with her performance as Phyllis, with her work in this role being a key reason why the gradually revealed level of malevolence lurking in the character works so well!
Director Billy Wilder, a guy who's quickly becoming one of my favorite filmmakers of the mid-20th century, adapts himself to the world of noir filmmaking incredibly well, handling the actors with finesse and bringing new life to well-worn facets of the noir genre. He's turning in some excellent work in Double Indemnity, a movie that really is top-notch entertainment from start to finish. Really, in lieu of an overly complex summary statement, allow me to simply say that I absolutely loved this movie and highly encourage you to see it if you haven't yet. It's the kind of movie that gets regularly dubbed a classic yet still doesn't get nearly enough praise for tis high level of quality.
The two characters interactions escalate beyond just quippy banter of course and Double Indemnity gets a lot of its absorbing nature out of the way it handles the gradually shifting morality of the twos actions. At first, this does seem like a clear-cut revenge tale, with Phyllis explicitly stating that her husband physically and verbally abuses her and she's looking to cut him out of her life since he'd always refuse to get a divorce. While handling the situation in the wrong way, you can see why Walter Neff would go to extreme measures to help someone whose living what seems like a living hell and you're rooting for them to pull off this act.
Then, one the foul deed is committed, well, things get more complicated when it's revealed there may be ulterior motives behind Phyliss's actions, as revealed by the daughter of Phyliss's husband, Lola Dietrichson (Jean Heather). Once the more nefarious nature of the character is unearthed, everything about the film is upended and even throwaway lines of dialogue take on new meaning, like a bit of Walter's narration that notes how, after completing the murder, Phyllis didn't shed a tear or even blink. Something that was previously meant as a compliment about Phyllis's composure now seems like clear evidence of her more cutthroat nature that Walter missed. It's such a wonderfully written movie in that regard and has all the surprises you'd want out of a noir motion picture.
Also bringing plenty of engaging qualities to the feature is the cast, which is, from top to bottom, absolute perfection. Fred MacMurray plays Walter Neff as a bit of a contrast to the typically stoic detectives of the era, with his character holding his own under duress but managing to show more frustration and vulnerability that fit perfectly for this character. Edward G. Robinson, as Walter's work associate Barton Keyes, is extraordinarily fun and delivers his characters paranoia-tinged dialogue in a remarkably natural manner. And as for Barbara Stanwyck, she more than earns her place as one of the great silver screen femme fatale's with her performance as Phyllis, with her work in this role being a key reason why the gradually revealed level of malevolence lurking in the character works so well!
Director Billy Wilder, a guy who's quickly becoming one of my favorite filmmakers of the mid-20th century, adapts himself to the world of noir filmmaking incredibly well, handling the actors with finesse and bringing new life to well-worn facets of the noir genre. He's turning in some excellent work in Double Indemnity, a movie that really is top-notch entertainment from start to finish. Really, in lieu of an overly complex summary statement, allow me to simply say that I absolutely loved this movie and highly encourage you to see it if you haven't yet. It's the kind of movie that gets regularly dubbed a classic yet still doesn't get nearly enough praise for tis high level of quality.
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