Double Indemnity is the noir all others look to for inspiration. The shady murders, the fast-paced dialogue, the dark alleyways, the femme fatale, the venetian blinds, the sexually charged plot, the brisk writing - all of these make it the model for other film noirs. It has characters more complex and conniving than some of today’s main protagonists, and the stellar production design makes it very easy to escape into their crazy world. Why do you believe Double Indemnity is considered the "quintessential" noir?
The plot of Double Indemnity is actually kind of ridiculous, and the movie frequently slips into absurd actions, plot devices, and dialogue like "For him a set-up like that would be just like a slice of rare roast beef." At first glance, it tells viewers how to commit the perfect murder. However, the closer we watch, the more we realize that the perfect murder relies on the perfect world- an impossible situation. Did you notice all the flaws in their so-called “perfect murder”? Could it have been a perfect murder if their egos didn't get int the way?
However, Double Indemnity’s pretty standard noir plot greatly benefits from a marvelous script. Billy Wilder, the director and screenwriter, was an artist who relied on words: each Wilder movie (which also includes Sunset Boulevard and Some Like it Hot) is remembered for having highly quotable screenplays. Lines like “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille” and “Well, nobody’s perfect” have ended up in numerous Best Movie Quotes lists, and his writing talents are evident in Double Indemnity. What parts of the script stood out for you? Did you enjoy the fast-paced talking, or did you prefer the movie's more subtle, quieter moments? Keep in mind that the film is based on a novel - how does this influence the script?
Something interesting about Double Indemnity is that it got away with so much, even though it was made in the midst of the Hays Code (an attempt to censor Hollywood during the conservatism and paranoia of the Cold War era). Any film that was deemed "inappropriate" for general audiences was banned, and even those that were approved were highly regulated by the U.S. government. As such, many movies were not allowed to express their full artistic potential because of their controversial nature.
Billy Wilder's sharp direction tip-toed a fine line around the Code; obviously, a movie that relies so heavily on a murder and the sexually-based appetites of its leading characters would not easily slip past the censors. In fact, he had to change the ending from a double suicide (which wasn't allowed under the Code) to a murder-death. But watch carefully the way Wilder handles the other controversial material in Double Indemnity - the murder itself is offscreen in the car, and the one time Walter and Phyliss actually have sex is represented through the smoking of cigarettes. What else did you notice took place offscreen, or with a sly reference rather than a full scene?
The actors chew the scenery and dialogue like masters of their craft, but none stand out as much as Barbara Stanwyck’s Phyllis Dietrichson. She’s a true femme fatale, a witch of a woman who we can never really figure out. The scene of her driving the car while Walter Neff murders her husband is unnerving, and just watching her barely smile sends shivers down the viewer's spine. Aside from the atrocious blonde wig, which has interesting qualities in and of itself, she is considered one of the best cinematic villains of all time. How did you feel about her character? How villainous did she seem to you?
Double Indemnity was nominated for seven Academy Awards, losing all seven, but has subsequently shown up on several best-of lists in the decades since its release. Unlike many of the films on the syllabus, it was very well received from the time of its release, and its popularity led to the drastic growth of the noir movement. And even seventy years afters its heyday, film noir is still popular and incredibly influential. Scores of films draw inspiration from noir, ones you didn't even realize like Mulholland Drive, Fargo and The Dark Knight. Noir remains an interesting genre to explore, and Double Indemnity is probably the best one to see first. Ignore some of the obvious absurdities, and watch the streets of Los Angeles shine under a new dark shade.
I found the character of Phyllis to be really interesting. In the beginning of the movie, I thought she was being manipulative with Walter, but it really didn’t become clear towards the very end. I liked how the actress played her character, where it was clear to us that she was manipulating Walter but it wasn’t too obvious. She was the best part of the movie in my opinion. The main character essentially was whining throughout out the whole film and was too egotistical to see what was happening around him. The other character I found myself liking was Keyes. He was intelligent and quick witted. When defending Walter, he claimed that he had already looked into his alibi and said that he would act as a character witness for him. Keyes was both pragmatic and emphatic in that scene. He was much more interesting than Walter or Phyllis in that regard. His character in my opinion had much more dimension than the others.
ReplyDeleteAs with Citizen Kane, this movie took an interesting route in telling the story. They play most of the film through flashbacks, with the opening scenes giving away most of the film. This made the film much more interesting than it otherwise would be.
I enjoyed this film much more than I expected to. The manipulation of the time line by beginning the movie at the ending and having the flashbacks catch up to present time adds a layer of complexity to the film. I thought I understood each character and their motives but the ending revealed that I did not understand them at all. I felt that the main characters were very likable, somehow I was rooting for Walter and Phyllis even though they were murderers. And just when you think they have everything figured out, Lola shares her suspicions with Walter. Lola's suspicions makes you rethink everything just when you think they are about to get away. The end goal seemed to continuously move away from Walter and Phyllis, which really held my attention.
ReplyDeleteI was honestly confused at first, for I didn't get what he was doing and I was trying to catch on, but I realized he was dark inside. He was an underlying murderer whose intent to kill was brought out by a sexual drive. I loved the fast pace dialogue and how every scene kept you wanting more. I caught myself even trying to figure out what was going to happen next. My boyfriend, watching it with me, called out the entire plot as Walter went over to sell car insurance and Phyllis was talking about she wanted accident insurance for her husband. I was shocked how this took a turn for the worst, but I can't say I didn't enjoy it. At one point, I was impressed by their measures to cover their trails, but in the end there are always strings attached to doing crimes.
ReplyDelete-Alicya Simmons
I really enjoy the idea of Femme Fatal, and how Phyllis could be manipulative with both her beauty and her mind. She did not love Walter, but rather used him to get what she wanted. Walter was blinded by his own desire for superiority and achieving the unattainable (Phyllis, being the best, money) to realize what was going on, and couldn't fathom that Phyllis could be playing him). I really liked this film, more than the others and was excited by the sexual and dangerous themes.
ReplyDeleteSabrina Barton
Double Indemnity aligned directly with my expectations. I personally love murder mystery films, so this was already of interest to me. Continuing this further, the film captured my attention and the storyline was very interesting. I liked how the movie was significantly heart on flashbacks. This gave the viewer a deeper understanding of each of the characters, and helped to paint the reasons behind their desires. I enjoyed the many themes that were present in the film and hope to watch more like this one.
ReplyDelete(Charlotte Mays) - In the beginning I really liked Phyllis, and hated Walter. By the end this completely switched: I hated Phyllis, and really liked Walter. At first when we met Phyllis, I thought she was a lonely woman who was trapped in an abusive marriage. She was incredibly beautiful and very flirtatious (and she knew it too). When she revealed idea to kill her husband and take his insurance money, to me this didn’t imply “villain.” Instead she seemed to be a woman who thought by marrying this man she’d get his money, but then she found out this wouldn’t be the case. All of his money is going to his daughter, Lola, who Phyllis hates because of how horrible she is. So now Phyllis has found herself stuck in a terrible marriage where she literally won’t get anything out of it. Her only way out is to kill him, and collect his insurance money.
ReplyDeleteThe moment my idea of Phyllis began to change was when we met her stepdaughter, Lola. Lola was not the horrible and obnoxious girl Phyllis described her as. Instead she was incredibly sweet and adorable, but more importantly it was genuine. From that point on, I started seeing Phyllis through the “evil stepmother” lens and knew there was something off about her. To be completely honest, by the end I was happy Walter killed her.
I enjoyed that fast past talking in the film. It made the plot seem more dramatic and passionate. However, with the film being based on a novel would definitely influence the script and how the actors talk. How something is meant to be said in the book, needs to be to align exactly with how the characters say it out loud. This can make parts of the script seem unnatural, because in a book the audience has their own idea of how things are said. But in a movie, this is not possible.
I enjoyed watching this film, particularly because of its narrative style. It is told from the perspective of Walter Neff, as he recounts the events that led up to him getting shot and mumbling in Keyes office. I appreciated the dialogue, while some of the speech seemed to witty for it to be said in normal conversation.
ReplyDeleteWhat intrigued me was how my opinion about the characters changed as Walter's own opinions shifted. For example, in the beginning I empathized with Phyllis but came to hate her towards the end. This shift in empathy changed because of how Walter's view her changed. It made her the perfect femme fatale though, she was picture of unforgiving beauty.
I was also interested about the concept of a perfect murder. A perfect murder is not just getting away with the act, it's when it is never perceived as a murder in the first place. Walter's planning was made for a perfect world, therefore it was possible for Keyes to unravel.
As much as the plot of the rest of the movie was pretty easy to call as soon as Phyllis started asking about accident insurance, the film did end up exceeding my expectations. The relationships between the characters were were complex and interesting, particularly watching them all play each other. Walter and Keyes's relationship in particular was interesting to me, as even though they were playing against each other the whole time, they were the only two who actually cared about each other. Keyes was the only character not manipulating anyone else, and Walter was manipulating absolutely everyone, but they had the most genuine relationship out of the whole film. When it came down to Keyes and Walter at the end, it seemed fitting that they waited for the police to arrive together.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Schilke
ReplyDeleteI have never watched a full noir film, I've only seen parodies in cartoons growing up. I have to say this style is extremely characteristic and narration almost seemed satirical at times. However, the plot of the story, centering around exploiting an insurance policy, was surprisingly riveting. The film was full of suspense and the narration provided unique insight into Walter's actions and desires. Overall though, the most memorable portion of the film for me was its style, particularly the narration and actions accompanying it.
This movie had quite the plot line -- very well done overall. For some reason, I think of Basic Instinct or Fatal Attraction when I watched this movie. Neff was totally manipulated by Phyllis's personality and charming looks. It's amazing how deep their relationship got -- suffocating at times. The fact that they "teamed up" to murder her husband was quite the twist. The fact that Neff murdered her husband showed how much influence Phyllis had over him. One could simply ask the question, "Where was his judgement?" Classic movie.
ReplyDelete