Double Indemnity: A Review
by Jordan P Smith
Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity is a sobering picture that explores the depths of shallowness. It is a film that has much to say by showing how even a “good person” is capable of bad intentions when the impulse to break the rules is strong enough. An adaptation of James M. Cain’s novel by the same title, it is film noir at its very best as it shows human intentions at their very worst. This is a movie we love because there’s no one to like.
The fate of our antihero, Walter Neff (played by the usually wholesome Fred MacMurray), and end of his story is revealed up front in the opening scene. The audience is party to Walter giving an explanation of how he arrived in his current position. Visually, the plot unfolds in the form of an extended flashback. This distortion of chronological story-telling is normally counter-intuitive to noir or any mystery genre story, but it works magnificently here because the point is not what happens, but rather how it happens.
Wilder does an excellent job of creating a depth of field that tends to draw us nearer or disconnect us from the plot. When we sit in on the beginning of Walter’s confession, we are right next to him, almost close enough to advise him against making and incriminating statements. Seconds later, when we are party to the initial encounter between Walter and our femme fatale, Phyllis Dietrichson (portrayed by Barbara Stanwyck), we are pushed back away from the characters. Wilder manipulates the shots in a way that brings us closer to the characters as Walter’s story develops, gradually giving the viewer a sensation that he or she is an accomplice in the scheme Walter and Phyllis are concocting.
In addition to the general plot – a conspiracy to commit insurance fraud – this film examines other seedy situations. The exploration of these dark plotlines is underscored by the careful and skillful use of lighting. When Walter meets Phyllis, he’s an honest, hardworking insurance salesman. These scenes are very bright with several shades of white. The screen grows dark when he makes the decision to forsake his integrity. In scenes where Walter and Phyllis’ step-daughter, Lola (the character brought to life by Jean Heather), are alone together in private the screen is dark, subtly hinting at the inappropriate nature of such interaction between a young woman and a much older man. However, in the only scene where Walter and Lola are together in a public setting – his office, during work hours – the room is bright; the lighting isn’t suggestive. Thus, visually, the black and white nature of the film underscores the black and white nature of the attempted fraud, the interaction between Walter and Lola, and other issues too trivial to explore here. Yes, black and white is a staple of noir, but any attempt to shoot this story in color would have changed the mood and meaning of several scenes, ultimately dooming the film to ordinary status, even with the solid performances given by the cast.
All of the elements listed above illustrate how Wilder brilliantly took Cain’s novel and turned the story into a very effective piece of art. As an art, this film has powerful capabilities. As an imitation of reality, it portrays the essentials of reality in a naturalistic sense – we begin to smell the cigarettes, feel the burn each time Walter lights a match with his thumb, and our hearts race as the train departs.
As film noir goes, it’s the very best the genre has to offer. It is a must-see for any student interested in exploring the myriad choices a filmmaker has at his or her disposal – and Wilder makes all the right decisions. Double Indemnity is a great film all around. It is essential for film buffs, and a treat for the casual viewer. Definitely give it a watch.
The fate of our antihero, Walter Neff (played by the usually wholesome Fred MacMurray), and end of his story is revealed up front in the opening scene. The audience is party to Walter giving an explanation of how he arrived in his current position. Visually, the plot unfolds in the form of an extended flashback. This distortion of chronological story-telling is normally counter-intuitive to noir or any mystery genre story, but it works magnificently here because the point is not what happens, but rather how it happens.
Wilder does an excellent job of creating a depth of field that tends to draw us nearer or disconnect us from the plot. When we sit in on the beginning of Walter’s confession, we are right next to him, almost close enough to advise him against making and incriminating statements. Seconds later, when we are party to the initial encounter between Walter and our femme fatale, Phyllis Dietrichson (portrayed by Barbara Stanwyck), we are pushed back away from the characters. Wilder manipulates the shots in a way that brings us closer to the characters as Walter’s story develops, gradually giving the viewer a sensation that he or she is an accomplice in the scheme Walter and Phyllis are concocting.
In addition to the general plot – a conspiracy to commit insurance fraud – this film examines other seedy situations. The exploration of these dark plotlines is underscored by the careful and skillful use of lighting. When Walter meets Phyllis, he’s an honest, hardworking insurance salesman. These scenes are very bright with several shades of white. The screen grows dark when he makes the decision to forsake his integrity. In scenes where Walter and Phyllis’ step-daughter, Lola (the character brought to life by Jean Heather), are alone together in private the screen is dark, subtly hinting at the inappropriate nature of such interaction between a young woman and a much older man. However, in the only scene where Walter and Lola are together in a public setting – his office, during work hours – the room is bright; the lighting isn’t suggestive. Thus, visually, the black and white nature of the film underscores the black and white nature of the attempted fraud, the interaction between Walter and Lola, and other issues too trivial to explore here. Yes, black and white is a staple of noir, but any attempt to shoot this story in color would have changed the mood and meaning of several scenes, ultimately dooming the film to ordinary status, even with the solid performances given by the cast.
All of the elements listed above illustrate how Wilder brilliantly took Cain’s novel and turned the story into a very effective piece of art. As an art, this film has powerful capabilities. As an imitation of reality, it portrays the essentials of reality in a naturalistic sense – we begin to smell the cigarettes, feel the burn each time Walter lights a match with his thumb, and our hearts race as the train departs.
As film noir goes, it’s the very best the genre has to offer. It is a must-see for any student interested in exploring the myriad choices a filmmaker has at his or her disposal – and Wilder makes all the right decisions. Double Indemnity is a great film all around. It is essential for film buffs, and a treat for the casual viewer. Definitely give it a watch.